Welcome to another installment of Seven Things! This will be a recap of the things that I’ve enjoyed over the past month.
April has been a month of rediscovering favorites, finding work-life balance, and trying out new stuff, and a lot of my favorites revolve around that theme. To add, these items are also helpful for the summer season. Let’s dive in, shall we?
NCT Dojaejung’s debut EP
If you follow me on stan Twitter, chances are that I’ve yelled about NCT for at least five hundred times on that app. I had a massive NCT phase during my early days on K-pop Twitter, which I somewhat regret now. However, being in the fandom introduced me to some great online and IRL friends / acquaintances—which is always a good thing.
Nostalgia aside, I really enjoyed NCT Dojaejung’s debut release. It’s refreshing, pleasant, and fun to listen to. Maybe it’s because I love peppy R&B music, but I’ve listened to Perfume and Kiss countless times in various places. Also, NCT Dojaejung is THE PERFECT platform for Jaehyun and Jungwoo to show their talents as dancers and vocalists.
New Balance 327 Grey Day
Been using my New Balance 327s in the Grey Day colorway for 4 months straight now. It’s super comfortable and versatile! I always wear it out during walks or trips to the mall. I can pair it with leggings, loose pants, or shorts, and it still looks good. Hoping to style it with dressier pieces though, like my blazer, or a pair of structured pants.
Grammarly Premium
I may be a competent writer, but I’ve come to accept the need for extra help. Oftentimes, I have a tendency to write like I’m overexplaining things. Call it trauma, but yes, Grammarly Premium has saved my ass from so many writing-related mishaps. It’s also teaching me to write a little bit better.
Seventeen’s latest EP
To be honest, it took me a while to warm up to their latest comeback release. It paid off though, since their latest EP is full of bops! The title tracks are hard-hitting, and the b-sides sustain that vibe too. Fuck My Life has a special place in my heart now because it encapsulated most of my thoughts about my experiences as a neurodivergent person.
Burnt MNL
As a freelance creative, working at home can feel stifling sometimes. Because of this, I tend to go to coffee shops or co-working spaces to do work or attend meetings with clients. Burnt MNL has now become my go-to work-from-anywhere space for the following reasons: It’s walkable from my house, their internet connection is decent, and they make REALLY GOOD iced lattes for a decent price. They also have a selection of pescatarian-friendly pastas, which is a good thing. My favorite pasta dish from them is their tomato cream pasta with mushrooms.
However, since this coffee shop is very accessible to people in the Annex 41/Annex 35/Better Living area, the space can get rowdy and noisy. Last week, I had to deal with a bunch of noisy high school students in the area while I do work.
Despite my gripes with the atmosphere, I still find the space to be conducive enough for doing things, such as developing copy for work, or writing something for my newsletter.
Dove Advanced Keratin Treatment Mask
Similar to my relationship with lipsticks, I have developed a goblin-like relationship with hair products, specifically towards treatments and conditioners. Maybe it’s because I’m on the constant hunt for a hair product or a routine that can help make my hair more manageable, or that I need novelty in almost everything.
Hair chatter aside, I’ve been enjoying the Dove Advanced Keratin Treatment Mask as a daily conditioner. It leaves my hair soft, smooth, and less frizzy, while also keeping it somewhat full. I don’t shed like Berry that much anymore, and I guess it’s the Niacinamide working.
My only gripe with this is that it’s ridiculously expensive. At Php 649, getting this hair mask is definitely a treat yourself purchase. Nonetheless, I still enjoy it because of the benefits I’m getting.
I Didn’t Do the Thing Today: Letting Go of Productivity Guilt by Madeleine Dore
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One of the most profound pieces of feedback that I’ve gotten from work was that I needed to detach my self-worth from the work that I was doing. Growing up in a household that valued a high level of work ethic and productivity, it has been ingrained in me that having a lot of achievements will give me access to respect, value, and community.
For context, my dad grew up dirt poor. He worked extremely hard to get to where we are now. A lot of that came with control, discipline, and fear, where he would make me feel like I needed to constantly grind in almost every area of my life in order to feel a sense of value. In ad agency speak, I would have to be a piece of content that’s hardworking—whatever that actually meant.
Because I am neurodivergent, taking up space in a neurotypical world can feel like a fruitless pursuit. I’m constantly grinding and pushing myself in order to feel like I matter in this world. I’ve said this once and I’ll say it again—there are times where I would feel like people from high school only valued me now because I went to the best private university in the country and proved to be smart to them, not because I seemed fun or helpful or kind.
Resting feels almost very foreign to me. Taking a leave from work would trigger thoughts where I would feel guilt-tripped about it, or worse, shamed.
This book by Madeleine Dore has been an eye-opener in dealing with the guilt and shame I experienced around my neurodivergence and productivity. Structure-wise, the book felt like a diary full of quotes from experts in various fields. For some readers, it can come across as boring and repetitive, but I enjoy reading books that reveal the thoughts and musings of the author. It’s as if I’m processing productivity guilt with Madeleine whenever I read it. To be honest, I still have a long way to go with this book, but I go back to it whenever I’m consumed by negative thoughts towards resting.
I hope you had a ride with this exhaustive list of summer-related recommendations! Do share your thoughts with me, and feel free to add more recommendations!
Until the next brain dump,
Lea