Happy Summer everyone! We know this season is different than all the past summers we've had - a lot of new hobbies, self reflections, and a whole lot of adjusting in our lives. We wanted to check in on you all as well as share all the different ways we’ve been adjusting in our own lives. A good ol fashioned catch up with our most intimate PIP fam <3

Speaking about summer hobbies and self reflections, we have some new episodes that might give you some ideas!

What have I been up to? That's such a different question since the pandemic because time is so hard to measure. It's like wait, what have I been doing? What day is it again?

It be like that sometimes

Mental:

To be honest, everything hit me hard in July. Before then, I would say I had been thriving in quarantine! But the weight of all the uncertainty plus becoming more and more negligent of drawing the necessary boundaries with all the endless news of U.S. politics + world issues, it just all started to spin. Too much. And I just felt helpless.

But this is where the true measure of your mental health comes in. The habits and coping tools that you've been practicing in the normal day to day is really for moments like this. So when you have these days of feeling low and just spiraling in your own head, you can pull from your "mental health toolbox" and it'll help tremendously. It won't feel weird or unnatural because you've been slowly implementing these techniques. If you really need an extra boost, this is where a therapist, counselor or life coach can help! Just like going into the doctor when you really feel sick.

So for me, I pulled from the self soothing my inner wounded child tool. Where I gently remind myself that I'm safe. As of this moment, I am at home, with Jack + Koko. I have everything I need. The people I love and care for are, thank goodness, all safe. I'm doing good. Even in this pandemic, I continue to grow my life coaching business. I can still get milk tea whenever my heart desires it. My family is just a phone call away. 

I tell myself everything I knew I needed to hear when I was a little girl and was feeling super unsafe, hopeless, and helpless. This is where this intense reaction as a grown woman is coming from. It triggered a deep seeded trauma that I still am healing from. 

And using that tool is exactly what I needed to ground myself in the now. Which is what truly matters. 

Focus on the now. 

#30daychallenge2020

Another thing that helped me was to reflect back on all the memories that brought me instant joy. Straight doses of joy on the daily! So I started that challenge for myself on IG as something I could do and share with others. 

I'll share some of the unpublished ones with you guys <3

And when you add up all those moments, you really get to see how full and beautiful life has been to you. Even in the darker times, there's always a beautiful evolution waiting for you. So if you'd like to join me on this #30daychallenge2020, give it a try! Make it less days if you want. Make it yours! And just know you are loved, safe, and perfectly imperfect.

xoxo,

christine

With all of our days blending into one, it’s crazy to know that we are now heading into month SIX of quarantine. Back in March, when this was all still very new, it was easy to make the best out of the situation, we were baking, having parties on zoom, doing fitness videos at home, etc. but now that we are deep into quarantine with no end in sight, it has become much more difficult to find that motivation.

July was a bit of a blur for me, it was filled with bursts of productivity mixed in with lots of afternoon naps. I tried different task management systems to help me stay on track, but with everything that was going on in my personal life, I ultimately realized that I just needed a break.

We live in a society where productivity is revered, how many tasks can you complete in one hour? How many tasks can you do at the same time? It was always about more more more and it has to be perfectly executed the first time around. This notion definitely weighed heavily on me, it didn’t take long for me to become afraid to be creative at all because of all the expectations that were tied to it. I found myself moping around feeling like my work wouldn’t be “perfect” enough and started to make excuse after excuse as to why I hadn’t completed certain tasks because I felt like I lacked the “skills” or “supplies.” I have now come to learn that this is utter trash and that skills are meant to be built upon and that no one truly gets it right the first time - but most importantly the fear that I was feeling is just the voice in my head telling me that nothing I do will ever be enough.

So I decided it was time for a change. I began to let myself try things without the expectations of it being perfect the first time around, I started to test out watercoloring, new photography tactics, I got very involved with buying houseplants/visiting nurseries, cooking/baking, I even started a new series where I share with you some of my favorite places I've traveled, and finally I started learning how to embrace myself for who I am versus who I could be (an on-going process).

Now that we are in full summer mode, I started to reminisce on one of the best parts about being a kid, we didn’t have a care in the world. We did whatever we wanted without worrying about the opinions of others, and only did what made us genuinely happy. So with that, I’d like to challenge all of you to live your lives with less expectations and focus on outcome, and fill your days with what brings you ultimate happiness. And while yes, I would much rather be traveling right now than dealing with this pandemic, I am also constantly reminded of the little joys that we can bring into our lives within our arms reach. Whether it’s randomly FaceTiming a friend or looking after your plants, you can make your own happiness wherever you are in your journey, mentally or physically 💛

Hey there, PIP fam!

I’m Anjelica, also known as Anjelica Pauline, Jelly, Jel, or anjellydonut – depending on my connection with a person haha. I’m the Social Intern and graphic designer behind PIP’s cute Instagram feed and the lettering on the new 2020 PIP cover art!

Being creative is a significant part of my life, and it’s usually through bullet journaling, illustrating, and lettering! I’ve always enjoyed being a storyteller through the art I create, whether it’s with package design, branding, or even my doodles! When I’m not designing, I find joy in baking, beauty/fashion, and dogs (especially corgis).

Favorite pip episode:

#48: What Personality Type Are You?

You can follow Anjelica here:

Anjelica has designed the most beautiful SUMMER themed journal spread just for our PIP fam! Included are FREE customizable horizontal + vertical calendars, habit tracker, mood tracker, and even a sticker sheet!! SO CUTE!!! OMG we are living!!

These are custom designed to fit the dimensions of our Untold Stories Journal so all you have to do is print, cut to your desired size and tape it on!

During these trying times, it would mean the world and make the biggest difference if you're able to support small businesses like ours.

Free ways to help us:

1. Listening to the newest episode of our podcast
2. Leaving a review + rating on our itunes page here
3. Sharing an episode (or two!) with a friend
4. Following us on IG: @perfectly.imperfect.podcast @regina.fang @xoxochristinechen

Stay safe.

One day at a time.

We're here for you.

Love,

Christine + Regina