Minding Life

Category: Wellness

Tips and tools for creating a more balanced, calm, and healthy lifestyle — from daily habits to small upgrades for your space and mindset.

  • Light the Mood: How Scented Candles & Sticks Can Instantly Lift Your Energy

    Light the Mood: How Scented Candles & Sticks Can Instantly Lift Your Energy

    There are days when the vibe in my room is just… off. Maybe I didn’t sleep well. Maybe I’ve been glued to my screen too long. Or maybe, I just opened the window and realized that fresh air still isn’t enough to shake off that dull, stale feeling.

    That’s when I turn to something simple, cozy, and weirdly powerful: scented candles and incense sticks.

    Not just for aesthetic — but for real, mood-shifting, focus-boosting energy.

    Why Scents Can Actually Change Your Mood

    Our brains connect smells to memories, emotions, and even focus. Certain scents can:

    • Reduce stress (like lavender or chamomile)
    • Boost alertness
    • Make your space feel safer, cleaner, and more “you”

    In short: scent is a fast, underrated way to reset your headspace.

    Studying with Candles? Yes, It’s a Thing.

    A lot of people use scented candles while studying — and not just for the vibes. Studies suggest that certain essential oils and scents may help:

    • Increase concentration
    • Improve memory retention
    • Reduce anxiety during high-pressure tasks

    For example, peppermint is known to help with mental clarity, while lemon and rosemary can improve alertness.

    Personally? I love using fresh citrus or green tea scents while studying — it gives me that “okay, I’m focused now” type of boost without even realising it.

    Make Your Space a Mood — Not Just a Room

    When my space smells good, I feel good. It’s as simple as that.
    Lighting a candle before opening my laptop, or having a soft scent floating in the background while journaling, makes me feel more grounded and intentional — like I’m doing something for myself, not just checking off tasks.

    And let’s be honest: there’s nothing better than walking into a room that smells like calm.

    Some Scented Favourites I Recommend

    If you’re up for a walk, you can check out some asian markets or esoteric stores in your area. However, if you’re looking for some room scents on the more pricey side, I highly recommend going to the nearest Rituals store. They have a huge variety of different types of scents and each and every one of them smells unique.

    But if you’re like me and rather order them online, here are some Amazon links for you that I have personally ordered over the years and would recommend:

    Room Fragrance Diffusers

    Both are great to have either in the bathroom or in the hallway. Every time I pass them, I smell the freshness right away.

    Amazon Link
    Amazon Link

    Scented Sticks

    When I decided to stock up my scented sticks, I actually bought both packs because I wasn’t sure which ones smell better. I have to say that both packs are great and I still have lots of them a year later.

    Amazon Link
    Amazon Link

    Incense Holders

    I first bought the flat one because I wanted to have a classic holder but then I decided to add another one that looks nicer as decoration. However, both are getting the job done.

    Amazon Link
    Amazon Link

    Scented Candles

    I have bought both candles as presents and haven’t heard any complaints about the smells. Very neutral smells that are not the usual type of scents you’d smell at someone’s es home.

    Amazon Link
    Amazon Link

    In Conclusion: Little Things Can Shift Big Energy

    You don’t need to completely redecorate your space to feel better.
    Sometimes, a soft scent, a warm flicker, and 10 seconds of breathing deeper can change your entire mindset.

    If you’ve been feeling off, low-energy, or disconnected from your space — try adding a little scent into the mix. It might just be your new favourite ritual.

  • 5 Self Care Activities to Build You Up: What to do when life is not going to plan?

    5 Self Care Activities to Build You Up: What to do when life is not going to plan?

    “To think is easy. To act is hard. But the hardest thing in the world is to act in accordance with your thinking.”

    – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

    There are days — or even weeks — when life feels like everything is spinning out of control. Sometimes, we cannot change what’s happening around us, but we can always choose to take care of ourselves and shift our perspective.

    In those difficult moments, self-care activities become essential. They can rebuild energy, restore mental clarity, and strengthen emotional resilience.

    Here are five self-care practices I personally turn to when I need to build myself back up.

    1. Get Back to the Present

    When important goals turn into setbacks, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the future or weighed down by the past. To bring myself back into the present moment, I practice mindfulness.

    To bring myself back into the present moment, I practice a simple grounding technique known as the 5-4-3-2-1 method.

    It works like this:

    • Notice five things you can see.

    • Touch four things you can feel.

    • Listen for three things you can hear.

    • Identify two things you can smell.

    • Focus on one thing you can taste.

    You can either speak these out loud or write them down. Sitting comfortably, taking a few deep breaths, and grounding yourself in the present moment helps quiet spiralling thoughts and brings a sense of calm.

    2. Get in Motion

    Movement is a powerful tool for breaking mental loops. When I feel stuck in my head, I like to take small physical actions — going for a short walk, running simple errands, or tidying up my living space. Decluttering, even in small ways, can help. I focus on making my room appear cleaner: folding clothes, clearing off my desk, making my bed, and removing any visible trash or dishes.

    It’s not about deep cleaning — it’s about creating a lighter, more organised environment to support a lighter mind.

    3. Take a Refreshing Shower

    Water has a naturally calming and refreshing effect, both physically and emotionally. Taking a nice shower, playing uplifting music, or even standing quietly under the water can do wonders for my mood. If I declutter my space before, I like to change my bedding afterward to amplify the feeling of freshness and comfort. This simple ritual helps me reset both my body and mind when life feels overwhelming.

    4. Get Dressed to Go Out

    When I’m feeling unproductive, getting dressed in outside clothes — as if I’m heading to work or university — creates a mental shift. By investing a few minutes into ironing my shirt or choosing a nice outfit, I instantly feel more in control. It becomes easier to sit down at my desk, check my to-do list, and take small steps toward regaining my momentum.

    Dressing with intention reminds me that even if things aren’t perfect, I can show up for myself.

    5. Journal for 10 Minutes

    When my mind is racing with worries, journaling allows me to pull those thoughts out of my head and onto paper. Often, reading my anxious thoughts makes me realise how exaggerated they are — many of them don’t even feel like my true beliefs.

    By journaling for just ten minutes, I can untangle emotional knots, release tension, and remind myself that setbacks do not define my worth or abilities. Writing helps me see that most “bad outcomes” are small compared to the many good things happening in my life — things I might overlook when I am overwhelmed.

    Conclusion

    No situation is ever set in stone.

    Even when goals seem far away or life feels heavy, you can rebuild yourself through small, intentional actions. You are not the product of outcomes — you are the result of your courage to keep moving forward.

    Take care of yourself. Start small. Keep building yourself up, even when it feels hard. You are doing more than enough.

  • Signs Your Phone Is Stressing You Out — and Why You Should Regain Your Power

    Signs Your Phone Is Stressing You Out — and Why You Should Regain Your Power

    There are times when just the sound of a message notification triggers a strange discomfort in your body.
    You might instantly feel a wave of anxiety — thinking it’s that one person texting you — only to realise it’s just a random update from an app you barely use.

    It’s moments like these that show us how deeply attached we’ve become to our phones.
    And the truth is, it doesn’t have to be this way.

    When Your Phone Is Draining You More Than Life Itself

    Spending hours glued to your screen might feel effortless — way easier than getting up and working on a task, finishing an assignment, or even picking up a book you enjoy.

    We convince ourselves that we’re “recharging” when scrolling endlessly, but honestly, it rarely works that way.
    Instead of feeling energised, you end up feeling even more drained — heavier, stuck, and more disconnected from your real life.

    It’s not that your workplace is destroying your soul.
    It’s not that you’re too tired to pursue your hobbies.
    It’s that your phone is silently draining you minute by minute — and you’re allowing it.

    How You Lose Self-Respect Without Even Noticing

    Another hard truth?
    When you’re constantly clinging to notifications, waiting for attention, or endlessly refreshing conversations, you slowly start giving your power away.

    You rely on validation.
    You start needing others to tell you who you are, how you should feel, whether you’re “good enough” today.

    Meanwhile, everyone around you seems to be doing better, living larger, succeeding faster — because while you’re buried in your phone, escaping through memes and half-serious conversations, they’re actually building their lives.

    It’s not about working 24/7.
    It’s not about never having fun.
    It’s about not losing your edge — not letting yourself fall into fake digital realities that make you forget your own goals and passions.

    Growing Up with Technology — and Losing Connection

    As a 2000s kid, I grew up watching technology evolve right in front of my eyes.
    At first, being online meant talking to friends — actually communicating, making plans, building memories.

    Now, conversations have turned almost nonverbal.
    It’s just memes back and forth, jokes without depth, escapism without purpose.

    And while it’s fine to rot in bed once in a while, sending memes when you genuinely need a break, it becomes dangerous when this becomes your only way of interacting with the world.

    Real connection gets lost.
    Real experiences get postponed.
    And your mind becomes more restless than ever before.

    Stop Giving Your Power Away for Free

    Let’s talk about something else that phones are silently wrecking: romantic energy.

    Just because you have a crush doesn’t mean you should start waiting by the phone like a dog at the window.
    You shouldn’t be giving up your power — sacrificing your time, dignity, and emotional balance — just to wait for a text.

    That’s not love. That’s not connection.
    That’s training yourself to act like a toddler, desperate for attention.

    Then, when it doesn’t work out, you sit there crying about being ghosted, about broken “situationships,” wondering why no one values you.
    But ask yourself: what did you really show them about you?
    Memes? Small talk? Fun without depth? Easy validation with no challenge?

    People lose interest because you lose yourself first.

    And it all starts with that tiny, constant, invisible habit — of giving your phone more power over your life than your own mind has.

    Conclusion: Reclaim Your Power

    You are not your phone.
    You are not your notifications.
    You are not someone else’s quick dopamine hit.

    You have a real life to live, real goals to chase, and real connections to build — not ones filtered through screens and mindless scrolling.

    It’s okay to enjoy your phone.
    It’s okay to rest and disconnect sometimes.
    But never let it cost you your self-respect.

    Regaining your power starts with one decision: choose yourself first — not your screen.