 Hi everyone, welcome back to my channel. I thought that today's video I would do like a chit-chatty video because I've got a big couple of weeks coming up and the fall time is coming. It is vastly approaching. In Maryland it is so hot and disgusting right now. So the thought of like Scotland like crisp fall weather is just, it's really getting me through because it is 90 degrees outside and humid and it's like 9 a.m. We've also been having thunderstorms like every single day of the week this whole month and it's just, it's just so much. It just, it needs to be doing less. So let's talk about Scotland. So I move to Edinburgh on Thursday. So there's so many things to be stressed about but like I'm trying to just relax and be chill. You know, that's the thing I'm very good at. I don't know. I guess if you have been on a gap year this year and if you've been on this gap year with me or you like postponed college because of the pandemic for a gap year or you know, maybe you, I don't know if anybody did what I did where like just took it right in the middle of college but it's, it's really weird now that like life is actually like starting to happen again and I don't know like, I don't know how to describe it but I was talking about this because I've literally been planning this trip for two years. Like this October it'll be two full years since I like picked Scotland. But I have personally been thinking about like studying abroad for such a long time. And like one of the biggest things that they tell you when you're about to study abroad is like don't like think about it too much. Like keep your expectations like really low and just like go and have a good time. And like I'm like so all for that. I really am. And I think going to college, like when you're going from high school to college, like you definitely like build it up a lot in your mind, especially when like you start high school and people immediately start like talking about college and going and the freedoms that you get and you know, you just, you start thinking about it. And I think that can be a big thing when you go to college. It's like your expectations are really high. And then when you get there, it's like it's just, it's just different. And so I've been like trying very hard not to have expectations. But it's also this very weird thing where like I have been sitting on the idea of this trip for two years and how do you not like think about that? Like if it's the only thing that you are feeling like you have to look forward to or, you know, especially in the pandemic, like, well, first of all, I actually didn't even know if I was going to get to Scotland this whole entire year. But still, I like thought about it a lot. And it's just like so I don't know. It's like strange. It's actually happening now. And I don't know how I feel about it. I'm like, I'm excited and I'm trying to like just like be excited and be calm about it. But then there's moments where I'm like, like yesterday, I was like not chill about it this morning. I'm like pretty I'm like pretty OK. I don't know. But there have been some comments that I want to address because like sometimes you guys leave me comments and like I want to respond and I want to like say all of these things to you guys. But like it's just a comment. So I feel like I can elaborate more in a video. So I got this comment from I'm so sorry if I'm saying this wrong. Suparni Roy, she left a comment saying love this video and I have a video request. I really liked when you talked about pressurized social media, how how pressurized social media is and how you took time off it. Can you make more videos about take how to take time off slash stop using social media? The problem I have is I get bored and redownload them. I thought this is really interesting and thank you so much for the comment. I really appreciate it. And it gave me the idea for this video talking about social media. So I have made videos about social media in the past and I actually don't only remember what I've said in those videos. I know I've told the story where like my senior year of high school, I accidentally deleted my Instagram account. And I think that honestly, like that was really helpful for me because like being young on social media, I don't know. I like you get very in your head about like not offending people. Like I have a really hard time like unfollowing. I did have a really hard time unfollowing people because like I don't want to be rude. Like I never want to be rude because like I want everybody. Like I wish everybody well, you know what I mean? But like sometimes seeing certain people's lives, like I just I don't need to like, you know what I mean? Like there's just like you can't think about everybody and keep up with everybody at all times. Like it's just honestly, like I think like physiologically, it's just too much for me to handle sometimes. Like because like I think I can say this, like I don't know. Maybe like I don't identify this all the time. But like I'm a sensitive person in some ways where like like I really maybe I don't like show it in my real life. Like I'm very like stone faced. But like if I see something about somebody, like I think about it like and if someone's like really posting a lot like about their life or like I think about people and like thinking about like, I don't know. Like I don't need to be spending energy. I can't I can't physically expend like a mental energy to like think about like 300 different people and like what they're doing. And like I'm sorry, I'm going to get to the I'm going to get to the point of this of this story of this question about social media because the bottom line is like I have such a hard time still to this day of like not checking social media. Like I am I am a 21st century lady. Like it is so impossible to stay off social media. And I think honestly, the like the older I get, the more I realize that like just like balance is just it's key. I really like make like a tips video on this at some point. But I never delete Instagram because like I think that I like I took a break during the pandemic. Like I took a break where I like for three months, I just didn't check it. And that was the best thing for me mentally. But then like you get back on it. And honestly, I think that it's really hard to like swear it off for good. I have a friend who who deleted like all of her social media. And I really commented for that. Like for me, I like when I go to Scotland, like I want to share those photos. And like I honestly like I love seeing people's travel photos. And there are some like sometimes like I love Instagram. Like I love seeing like a pretty like aesthetic feed. And, you know, I do really like, you know, knowing what's going on with people. And I think that's really cool. But then there's also like moments where I'm like I like I'm not like I got too much going on. Like I'm too scattered just within myself. And then like being introduced to like all of these other people and like everything else is going on in the world. Like it's too like it's too much. So recognizing when like you have too much going on internally. I think those are the moments where like I really try to be like self-disciplined and just like put my phone away. And I think the best way that I do that is like, you know, if I'm well first of all like if I'm sitting like at a dinner table or like with friends or something like I always try and put my phone on silent or like put it away. Like keep it like out of arm's reach or especially like if I'm in bed and like I'm watching like a show or something like I am that person who like I grab my phone and I start scrolling immediately. And honestly, sometimes we're placing social media with something else. So like I got really addicted to like looking at Depop or like even like Pinterest I've started getting into more because like I was really into that in like middle school, but then I kind of like dropped out of it. But yeah, something to replace Instagram because I think sometimes with Instagram like because it's real people that you know, like they're I know people. People always say like, don't compare yourself. Like it's not someone's highlight reel. But like I think sometimes because like, you know the people, it's a little bit harder to like separate that out. Like if I see just like some random girl on Pinterest, like I'm like, OK, this is like a photo like of clothes or of this and like that's not real life. But like when it's connected to like a tangible person that like I know, like you start to you start to like make more connections and like maybe you should. I think replacing things and like just trying your hardest to avoid it. I never delete that. So like I never do that. Sometimes I like open them and I close it really quick. And I do put those like the timers on it. Like you can put like self time, not like self timers, but like you can put like time limits on your Instagram use. And to be honest, like that never works. Like that I if I have those, I have this on right now. I think it's for like 30 minutes. Like I always just click the like don't worry about it like button. Like I just I immediately just disregard it completely. When I want to be off Instagram, I am off of it. If that makes any sense. Like I I'm like very self disciplined in that way where I'm just like no. And I like if I open the app, I like click it off. And like sometimes I audibly say no. So I think that's really my answer there. And then I just got a comment this morning actually from Caduce Casa. She wrote, journaling is not a thing of mind. However, do you have any suggestions for a beginner? Thank you for the comment. So I know a lot of people do like prompts for their journaling. And some people even sit and like write down like three things they're grateful for or, you know, three, you know, three things they want to do that day or just like having some sort of rules. Sometimes like will help you get started. So I would look up like journaling prompts if you want to get into it or something like that. But honestly, what I do and what works for me because for me sometimes like that extra step of like finding a prompt or like something like that, it really kind of like takes me out of it. And like I don't like sometimes that there's roadblocks for me like that. Like I I'm the opposite way where like I will just give up. So I think knowing like what structure like just try some certain certain things out and like see what works for you. What I do is like I will date my journal entries. Like I know like what what day I wrote right wrote it. So I can like if I want to look back at it, I can be like, oh, this was this year at this time and I was doing this, blah, blah, blah. But I will just like freeride. So I will just sit with the page and start usually. Like sometimes it starts off with like things that are going on in my life or, you know, what's I mean, this year not just going on. But like, you know, just like my feelings. It just it's just like a dump. Like it's just like everything that's like scrambled up here. Like I just let it come out that makes any sense. I don't know if it does. I just like I don't judge myself. Like I just it's a private place for me to just like to just like be free. And I just like I let what is in here out. Sometimes I just start and then like I like halfway through the page. Like you will get to what it's like sitting with you. If you have something that's like kind of on your mind that you can't really like figure out. Like usually it just like kind of works its way out of me like halfway down the page. I definitely like if you're like brand new to it, try that technique or, you know, try a prompt or try like even like writing lists or just like just something, you know, give it a shot. And I know like journaling is not for everybody. Like some people like some people meditate actually made a whole video where like I tried meditating for a week in the winter and I hated it so much. And that was not for me at all. We'll not be meditating ever again. But for me like journaling just seemed to work out. So I think just like trying out a lot of these things when you have time and understanding what works for you and just like incorporating that in your life is a good place to start. But anyway, thank you for watching this video. I know it's like kind of just a rambly, like chill one. But yeah, comment down below any sort of like, you know, advice or comment you have on anything that I said in this video. I post new videos every Friday and have a good day.