9 Things to Do When You’re Feeling Down

May 31, 2019 ~ Trisha Gregis ~ Leave a comment

We all get in funks where we feel like we can’t get out of bed and take on the world. Whether you’re facing an overwhelming sadness or crippling anxiety, I think that these simple things can help you feel a bit better. I personally have been in one of these funks lately and while my thoughts are running a thousand miles per hour and I get to feeling hopeless, these things help me stay grounded and focused on the future rather than the way I’m feeling in this moment. Some are simple, mindless tasks, and some require a bit more soul-searching.

1. Watch your favorite TV show.

One Tree Hill is my personal favorite because it’s like comfort wrapped up in a TV show and a true escape from reality. Shows like Friends and How I Met Your Mother are good too because they are light hearted and funny. Whatever floats your boat. Just binge watch your favorite show with no distractions.

2. Have a nice cup of coffee/tea.

A warm beverage is the ultimate dose of comfort that you need. Image result for coffee gif

3. Readdress your goals and aspirations.

This always helps me because it forces me to think of the future and realize that the way I am feeling right now is temporary. I like to write my goals down, so I just revisit that and think about what I really want in this life and how I am going to achieve that.

4. Show your body some love.

If you’re like me and you absolutely hate everything about yourself (I sure hope not), then showing your body love can be of huge help. Whether this is getting a manicure or your hair done or eating a super healthy meal and working out, it’s important to take care of yourself. Self care all around. Art by Sad Teen Queer.

5. Remove toxicity from your life.

For me, this is for sure social media. Being such an insecure person who cannot seem to find confidence anywhere, it’s hard to see models and beautiful, confident people being shoved in my face all over social media. This could also be a fake friend or a job. It’s important to get rid of these things to find your happiness again.

6. Journal.

This is a HUGE one for me. I love just writing out my thoughts or doing some creative journaling. Morning pages is also really helpful. Basically any form of journaling; I truly believe it is the best form of therapy there is if you do it right.

Image result for journal gif

7. Go for a walk in nature.

Preferably with a dog (or at least pet a dog). Spending some time in nature is the best thing for you.

Image result for walk gif

8. Read a book.

A book is the perfect escape. I couldn’t even give you a recommendation because there are so many good ones.

Image result for benefits of reading

9. Hang out with people who bring joy to your life.

This is for sure my family for me. I don’t mean hang out with the friends who make you feel anything less than enough or that psycho family member; I mean the people who bring genuine joy to your life.

04/11/2019 | 2019 Bullet Journal Update

April 11, 2019 ~ Trisha Gregis ~ Leave a comment

Coming at ya at 3am with an iced coffee, some One Tree Hill, and a sudden burst of motivation.

Sooooo, new year = new goals = new me, except I lost it within the first 24 hours of the year (ha).

A couple of my goals for this year were to update my blog more frequently or just write at least something everyday (whether that be journaling or blogging), drink lots and lots of water, read every day, study the bible every day, etc.

As you can see, my last blog post was from December so that went out the window real quick. I read the bible everyday for like a month and a half, then that came to an abrupt stop. I was good about drinking water up until like 3 weeks ago when I discovered how much caffeine was in a Sundrop soda. I’ve been trying to write in my journal, but that hasn’t been going great for the last month. HOWEVER, I have been reading a lot. 1/4, be proud of me.

Okay no but for real, it makes me sad that I lose motivation so quickly, but I think that hits close to a lot of people when a new year rolls around. You’re motivated to revamp your vibe, change your life, write a damn book, lose 50 pounds, whatever you want to do. It seems that as the months go by, we just lose that motivation, but that’s a whole other topic for another time.

Today, I just wanted to share my bullet journal so far with y’all. I’ve kind of been struggling with finding a system that works well for me. Last year, the bullet journal was perfect, but I think that’s because I had a good balance of online classes and on-campus classes. This semester, I’ve been all online and my to-do list usually can’t fit on that small spread, so I’ve turned more to online forms of planning (a.k.a Google Cal – my best friend), but what I found is that I fell out of my habits because I wasn’t keeping track of them and I just all around didn’t feel so great, like I missed bullet journaling because it’s basically my only hobby (if that even counts).

So, here we are, a fresh new Trisha who is going to get her shit back together.

Yearly Setup

This was the beginning of the year, and I messed up quite a few times (as you can tell). The mood/dream board was by far my favorite, like I think I need to do that once a month or something to get my ass back into gear. FOCUS ON THAT END GOAL, GIRL.

January

January was simple and pretty. I also wrote down a bible study plan that I followed, but I wasn’t a huge fan of it. I’d rather just read book by book. (I have trouble comprehending things, lol)

February

February was inspired by AmandaRachLee’s February spread of 2018 I believe. It was simple but it turned out really cute. I also messed around with a few different weekly spreads because this was around the time that I realized my to-do list was far too long and I wanted to see if I could find a spread that fit all my bullshit.

March

March is shameful. I literally did not use my bullet journal at all. I created a monthly spread and didn’t even fill it in, so there ya go.

April

April is inspired by Caitlin’s Corner’s plan with me for this month. She’s def my favorite; always has simple and efficient and cute spreads. I’ll probably try out a few different weekly spreads this month as well to try and get back in the groove, ya feel.

Anywho, that is all. I’m going to try to be better about blogging because writing does mean a lot to me, whether it’s lame ass bullet journal posts or a deep & dramatic 2 page essay that I pulled out of my ass at 2am because I was far too emotional.

If you actually read this, I love you. And to my imaginary followers, I love you too.

TNG

12/08/2018 | December Setup

December 9, 2018December 9, 2018 ~ Trisha Gregis ~ Leave a comment

Today we are presenting my December bullet journal spread to my people (if I have any). It’s short and sweet but that’s what we like around here.

This is my quote page/cover page which I’m not gonna lie, took me a pretty long time, but it was very relaxing and I was watching some cheesy ass Christmas movie on Netflix. Very festive.

P.S. Don’t make fun of my kindergarten-level drawings.

This is my month at a glance. I’ve really been digging the one page monthly spreads because I use my Apple calendar to plan basically everything and I don’t reference my monthly spread very often, I mainly use the weeklies. And then I knew that I wanted to incorporate some sort of Christmas countdown so I found this one on Pinterest that’s like a string of lights sort-of in the shape of a Christmas tree and then the star on top is for the day of so I thought that was super cute.

This is my first weekly spread, which is my go-to spread that I use almost every week unless I’m feeling like spicing things up. Super boring, but super functional!

Anywho that’s it for this month. I actually can’t believe that it’s almost 2019 like how???? Thank you for reading!!!

Much love.

TNG

09/27/2018 | The Truth About Friendship

December 6, 2018December 9, 2018 ~ Trisha Gregis ~ Leave a comment

Hey people of the universe who probably won’t read this, long time no see! My computer was broken for a while, and after that I have no excuses except for life hit me hard. Not really in a bad way, just in a “school and work take over my life and I have no time to process my emotions” way.

I know it’s lame for my comeback post that my nonexistent fans will read to be all sappy and emotional, but writing has always been a way out for me and what better place to do it than your self made blog that you neglected for months?

For as long as I can remember, I haven’t fit in no matter what social setting I was in. It was hard for me to make new friends, or even feel wanted in the friend group I had at times.

I’ve had the same four friends since about middle school. They kind of became my home, my comfort zone. We had our faults like any friends do, but nothing like the drama that those other girls had. From middle school up until now, these 4 girls have been my rock.

I shit you not, I have probably made 2 new friends since high school. I’ve had acquaintances of course, but nothing that was real that stuck with me. Friendships after high school are hard. You don’t know everything about each other anymore. You don’t see each other every day. It’s like you grow apart, but when you’re together it feels just like it used to.

I’m going to be real honest, lately I have been feeling like the worst person in the world. It’s not because of my family or my boyfriend, the people I surround myself with 99% of the time. It’s because I feel like I’m a shitty friend. I had convinced myself that I was doing whatever I could to maintain those friendships and be the best I could be. I invited them to dinner or gatherings. I checked up on them whenever I had the chance. But I was proven to be wrong.

I had two different friends basically go off on me and tell me that I wasn’t being a great friend. I was leaving them out and ignoring them and essentially acting like they weren’t important to me.

I tried to change, or maybe I didn’t. I don’t know anymore. I thought I invited them to more things or tried to make plans with them, but that wasn’t enough. Hearing this from two different people makes you start thinking “hm, maybe I really am shitty.”

The worst feeling in the world is when you start doubting yourself because of what someone else says. Hell, I knew that I was trying the hardest that I could without neglecting my responsibilities or relationships. But I noticed that they weren’t me. Here I was taking all of the blame and hurting when they were doing the same thing to me and feeling no remorse.

I’m the type of person that dwells on shit 24/7. You say something even remotely offensive to me and I will think about it nonstop for the next month. I’ll question what I did wrong, if I’m a good person, if I’m truly doing everything I can. I’ll beat myself up until I have a complete breakdown. Some people say words can’t hurt them, but they can nearly kill me.

When I had my closest friends telling me everything that I was doing wrong, and basically implying that I was a terrible friend (because that’s the way my mind takes it), I was near total mental obliteration. Still am to be completely honest with you.

You see, I already feel like I don’t fit in with my friends. I’m not into the things they are, and I feel like the most boring person in the world to them because I’m 19 and live like a 35 year old. Not a bad thing to me, but I feel like it is to them. When you add the fact that they think I’m a shitty friend on top of that, it makes it 10x worse.

I’m so happy with where I am in life, but this whole “hardly having any friends and the ones I do have hating me” thing is getting me really down in the dumps and I just don’t know how to handle it. You can only dwell so much, but I seem to dwell to the point of mental breakdown.

I’m not making this post to down on my friends because they are 100% the most down to earth girls I know and I have no idea who I would be without them. I just needed to tell how I’m feeling because I don’t know how else to deal with it. I haven’t even said everything that I need to say but I already feel a tad bit better.

The truth about friendship is that it shouldn’t make you feel shitty. It shouldn’t make you doubt yourself or hate everything that you are. You don’t have to talk to someone 24/7 or invest every bit of your being into them in order to be a good friend. As long as I know that they are there for me when I need them, they are the best friends I could ask for. Yes, you should probably check up on your friends and invite them to things, but they should return the favor. Don’t let someone make you feel like a POS for something that they are guilty of too.

Anyways, this was the longest, sappiest, rantiest post I have ever made and I apologize with everything in me.

P.S. I know “rantiest” isn’t a word.

Much love.

TNG

04/18/2018 | Falling In Love With Your Life

December 6, 2018December 9, 2018 ~ Trisha Gregis ~ Leave a comment

At times, I tend to let shit bother me way more than they should and the only way to get it off my chest is to write. I just want to share my journey and rants with y’all.

Today’s topic: falling in love with your life.

This is something that I’ve been working towards for what feels like all of my life. I always seemed to dwell on the small things and it created a deep unhappiness in me that shouldn’t have been present. It seems that since high school, I’ve fallen more and more in love with my life.

High school brought me down tremendously – probably to my lowest low. Once I got out of there and removed that negativity from my life, things started to look up for me. That’s not to say that it has been easy, because it definitely hasn’t and it still gets hard sometimes. I’ve found that the key is to think positively and remove the aspects of your life that bring you down. But that’s easier said than done, I know.

I’m not the typical 18 year old. I spend my days working or going to school and my nights hanging out with my boyfriend and working on homework. I chose not to live on campus and I support myself because of that. I have no interest in going out or partying; I’d rather drink a glass of wine and play board games with the people that I love. Many people question me and some even look at me as an “old person” or ask why I’m not out “living my life” while I’m young.

Two months ago, I would’ve been ashamed for being who I am and living how I do. I’d question myself just as they did me. I’d wonder why I wasn’t like the others. I’d take the judgment that I received to heart.

I’ve longed to fit in for as long as I can remember. I always wanted to be like everyone else so people would like me. Lately, I’ve made myself realize that it doesn’t matter anymore. You don’t have to be like everyone else, and you shouldn’t feel remorseful for living the life that you want to live.

I have fallen in love with every little aspect of my life and that’s not something that I will be ashamed for.

So, my advice to you is to only take into consideration yourself and your happiness, no one else. Stop dwelling on the feedback that you receive and the judgment. Focus on the positivity that is present in your life and remove the negativity. I know that this all sounds cliche and a few months ago I would think the same thing, but when you actually put it into perspective and integrate it into your mindset, it has a bigger impact than you would think.

Thank you for hanging out with me and reading this whole thing, until next time!

TNG

03/16/2018 | LUSH Haul

December 6, 2018December 9, 2018 ~ Trisha Gregis ~ Leave a comment

I may or may not have spent a tad bit of money on Lush… but the closest store is 2 hours away from me so I don’t get to go often, I had to spend as much as I could afford!!

I’m not sure if any of y’all will be interested in this, but I just wanted to share and maybe you’ll find something you love

Bath Bombs/Bubble Bars

Free Rangers Purple Bath Bomb – ok this is like 2 bath bombs in one so who can resist?

Pink Bath Bomb – I just really love pink, so I’ve been wanting to try this for a while!

Golden Egg Bath Bomb Melt – this smells like HIWTK and that’s like my FAV scent ever except twilight (and it’s pretty!)

April Showers Bath Bomb – i’ve seen so many videos of pretty bath water from this and it’s moisturizing!

Cream Egg Bubbleroon – I’ve never used a bubbleroon so I’m super excited to try this out

Which Came First? Bath Bomb – this has a little surprise in it and you can actually get 3 baths with one of these if you wish!

Shampoo/Soap

Dirty Springwash – I bought this for my boyfriend and he loves it (he’s slowly but surely transitioning into the Lush world)

American Cream Conditioner – I got a little bottle of this last month to see if I liked it and I am in love with it!

Daddy-O Shampoo – I just needed some purple shampoo for my blonde hair but I actually really love the smell of this

Outback Mate Soap – this smells very minty but I really love it and it’s super pretty!

Wash Behind Your Ears Shampoo Bar – this has like a lemony scent which I LOVE and I really love the shampoo bars – sometimes more than the actual shampoo

Skin Care:

Let The Good Times Roll Face Wash – ok I tried this as soon as I bought it and wow!! seriously smells like cookie dough and makes my face SO soft

1,000 Millihelens Jelly Face Mask – I actually like the jelly face masks, and I heard this one was really good for spots – definitely needed

Don’t Look At Me Fresh Face Mask – I already used this as well, and I loved it! made my face super soft and toned it as well

Breath of Fresh Air Toner – I have the Tea Tree Water but wanted to try this as well!

Misc.

Aliens and Monsters Fun – apparently this smells like Lord of Misrule and I’m a semi-new Lushie so I’ve never smelt it, super excited! I loved the Snow Fairy fun

Amelie Mae Solid Perfume – this actually smells like a Lush store to me for some reason?? I love it so much but can’t afford the actual bottle of perfume (ha)

Strawberry Feels Forever Massage Bar – so this is discontinued but it smells so so good and I’m really excited to use it!

And that is it!! I didn’t really know how to structure this, but I love love love reading/watching hauls so I thought I’d try! For all of you Lushies out there, what products do you recommend? I’d also love any feedback that y’all have! Thank you so much for reading ♥️

TNG

03/02/2018 | Crispy Caesar Chicken

December 6, 2018December 9, 2018 ~ Trisha Gregis ~ Leave a comment

My boyfriend and I moved into our apartment in November and this was one of the first recipes we tried. Since then he has asked for this almost every week so the recipe is like second nature to me. It’s super easy and delicious! I usually pair it with some green beans and mac and cheese.

What you need:

¼ cup of grated Parmesan Cheese
¼ cup of Italian style bread crumbs
1 tablespoon of melted butter
½ teaspoon of garlic powder
½ teaspoon of salt
¼ teaspoon of pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (thin sliced works best)
2 tablespoons of caesar dressing

These last a while too. The only thing I’ve had to repurchase since November is the Parmesan cheese (and chicken of course).

Steps:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray pan with cooking spray. Mix Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, and melted butter together in a small bowl.
If you don’t buy the thinly sliced chicken breasts, you will have to place the chicken smooth side down between two pieces of waxed paper and gently pound the chicken with a meat mallet or rolling pin until it’s about ½ an inch thick. This assures that the chicken cooks all the way through without burning the breading.
I usually cut the chicken breasts in half, but that is optional. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Place chicken on pan.
Brush the tops of the chicken with Caesar dressing and sprinkle with the bread crumb mixture. Bake for 10-14 minutes. You can cut the center of the chicken and if the juice is clear, it is done.

This is a quick and easy, but delicious meal! Please let me know if you try it and how it goes

TNG

02/27/2018 | LUSH Bath Cocktail

December 6, 2018December 9, 2018 ~ Trisha Gregis ~ Leave a comment

Just took a quick dip tonight, so I paired a random lush cocktail with a Young Living essential oils lavender bath bomb. It obviously didn’t create much color, considering it’s very small and white, but it did give the same effect that I get when I diffuse my lavender essential oil! Very relaxing and calming; great after a long day. Highly recommend. We like the beautiful bath art that Lush gives us, but the whole point of a bath is to just feel relaxed, and this definitely did that!

TNG

02/17/2018 | Do It For the Children

December 6, 2018 ~ Trisha Gregis ~ Leave a comment

Three days ago, a 19 year old man killed 17 innocent people who were just going about their daily lives at school.
Two days ago, a 15 year old child brought a gun and 100 rounds of amnunition to the school in which I graduated from with the intention of doing the exact same thing, but he got caught. A small town. I graduated with only 100 people.
That nineteen year old bought that gun legally. The fifteen year old had stolen it.
My facebook feed has been nonstop “Kid Brings Gun to School and is Taken Into Custody”, “Kid Makes Threat To Shoot Up A School”, “Kid Kills 17 People; Students and Parents Calling for Gun Reform”, “Guns Don’t Kill People; People Kill People”, “I Have a Right to My Gun”, “Thoughts and Condolences”.
Why are we living in a world where owning an assault rifle is more important than childrens safety? Why is it okay for children and teachers to be scared for their lives to do something as simple as go to school everyday?
Don’t get your panties in a twist, no one is trying to take away your precious guns.
We need a change. Make it harder for people to access these guns. Make them wait a couple weeks to get it, search around and make sure they aren’t mentally unstable before giving them a weapon that could harm innocent people.
A hand gun is fine. A shot gun is fine. People have the right to protect themselves, to hunt if thats what they wish.
What we don’t need is assault rifles or automatic weapons. Leave that for the military, for the police, for the people who will use it for good reason.
Don’t be ignorant and act as if your right to have a gun that is like a “toy” to you is more important than the safety of these children.
Cruz should not have been able to purchase that gun, and the FBI should have addressed the issue when it was first brought up, but its too late now. So, how about we make some changes?
On April 20th, kids will walk out of their schools and protest.
Children. These are children, and they are pushing more for reform than adults, because they FEAR for their LIVES just when going to school, something they are required to do.
Do it for them. Do it for all of those innocent people that are killed by guns everyday.
I was raised around guns. I know how to shoot one. J know where my dad keeps them. But guess what? He only has ONE shot gun and ONE hand gun. He knows that a gun is for protection, and it is not necessary to have a high powered one.
I don’t care if you think guns don’t kill people. To an extent, you are right. It’s the person behind the weapon, but if it was harder for that person to get ahold of that weapon, we could have saved all of those lives.
Those lives could have changed the world someday, and all you care about are the guns sitting in your safe at home. Inanimate objects.
Let’s come together for one simple task; to spare the safety of the children. Put away the guns, put away the ignorance, think about the children.

TNG

10/23/2017 | From the Girl Who Doesn’t Care for the “College Experience”

December 6, 2018December 9, 2018 ~ Trisha Gregis ~ Leave a comment

I’m halfway finished with my first semester of college, and it just hit me that I haven’t done anything that college kids “typically” do. I haven’t been to a football game, haven’t been to a club or a party, haven’t tailgated, and haven’t really made many friends; but then I realized that I don’t really care to do those things. I’d rather hang out with my family on the weekend than go party hopping. I’d rather be able to get up and go to class/work on a weekday feeling great, rather than be hungover. I’d rather stay in on a Friday night and watch movies or go on a date with my boyfriend than try to find a party to go to that night.

I believe that most people come to a big University to get that whole experience, but I came to get a degree. I didn’t take the parties or the sororities or the tailgates into consideration when choosing a college; I had a degree in mind. I have a desire to make everyone around me proud.

There is such a stigma nowadays on how a college kid is presumed to act. It’s a stereotype. They expect you to move into your dorm, immediately click with people, rush for sororities and say its the best decision you’ve ever made, date that frat boy, party any chance you get, etc. You are anticipated to make the most out of your college experience, and while that is reasonable, there are other ways to thrive in college.

I did not come for the parties, freedom, huge lecture halls, beautiful campus, sororities, or even the great academic programs. I came because I wanted a degree, and I felt that a smaller college wouldn’t suffice. I’m not interested in those attributes of college, and that is completely normal. Everyone is different and has different interests. I would rather get this over with and settle down, and you would rather take your time and take it all in. Either way, it is okay.

So, stop judging girls who are different than you. Don’t get mad when they tell you their opinions on the Greek life. Don’t call them a loser because they don’t want to go out on a Tuesday night. Don’t pressure them to go to that football game rather than go home for the weekend.

College isn’t what they call the “best time of your life” for everyone. That’s what they said about high school too. Everyone has contrasting timelines and various aspects of life that make them happy. Not everyone wants the typical college experience, and there is nothing wrong with that.

TNG