Towards a capsule wardrobe

Disclaimer: I am very very very far from this goal, but here is a) what I envision, b) what I had before today and c) what I just swapped to.

WHAT I ENVISION

• a capsule wardrobe that fits for work and casual

• every top can mix/match with every bottom

• have 1 special occasion piece that I rewear (probs black)

• have 2 of my fave summer dresses (note: that don't require special bras, i.e., not off-shoulder)

• one pair of boots (for winter + for fall + for rain)

• (when I move, have only minimal amount of stuff to move :0)

WHAT I HAD

tops

• work tops: primarily blouses and work shirts, I have an obscene number of work shirts now that I entirely only partially like. these were hung up in my tiny tiny closet

• other tops (pj tops): I too have an obscene number of tshirts

• other tops (sweaters and non-pj tops and dresses?): this "other" category of "miscellaneous" things that were NOT bottoms and specific to different contexts was all mixed together. needless to say, this wasn't working.

• the problem: other than the separated work tops, the rest of the "indoor" (i.e., pj) tops and "outdoor" (i.e., would wear in public) tops were folded in my below-bed drawers but mixed together. however, I found that instead of having the time to refold things every week, I would just leave it in one large pile and pick clothes out from the large pile, or from the drying rack loool

bottoms

• my other "below-bed" drawer contained "bottoms", which ranged from pj bottoms (mostly leggings), neutral jeans, flamboyantly coloured jeans (including light blue, pink, and purple)

socks

• i have one whole sock drawer and this sparks joy because they're all cutesy and i mismatch them.

• I don't fold my socks I just yeet them anywhere in the drawer. this only works because I've defined my entire personality on mismatched socks so I no longer do the ~konmari fold to match them up anymore

• i like mismatching the socks because I'm inserting that 0.2 ounces of chaos into my life when for the rest of my outfit i gotta be prim and proper.

• this system works

intimates

• yes, I'm going down into the deets

• if this bothers you, you 100% can skip this section

• although there's not much to say, I also just pretty much yeet my underwear in the front half of my intimates drawer and my bras folded and tucked away at the back

• idk if you see the theme of "yeet into drawer and don't fold" but keep that in mind. you'll hear more about it later.

shoes

• I didn't change anything re: shoes but will document here anyways

• I have a moderately reasonable amount of shoes

• flats (3x pairs): they're indoor shoes left @ lab, work, and practicum locations for the winter. my third pair's sole occasionally flaps open but I've taped it back together shh

• running shoes (1x pair): for normal day to day casual wear + if I ever work out, idk

• rainboots (1x pair): my second pair since moving here because I keep buying cheap ones. this one is a boxing day sale from forever 21, worth $10. these keep breaking and leaking and honestly I just gotta buckle down and invest in a pair of good ones.

• snowboots (1x pair): also a cheap pair, got them for $30ish dollars from the men's section (tangent: BECAUSE PAYLESS ONLY SOLD "fashion boots" for women and I wasn't about that life, I'm gonna get my degree and avoid getting a concussion from slipping on ice tyvm). These are weird because they leak but only if the temperature is >-1C and puddles are in slush /semi-melted format. They do not leak if it's below -1C. So, I actually wear my rainboots in the winter if it's in the single digit negatives.

• AS YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE SOME CRUCIAL FLAWS IN ALL OF MY SHOES but for now I'm just gonna make a mental note to save up for the next sales

WHAT I JUST SWAPPED TO

pjs

• all my pj items are now in one drawer, unfolded. unfolded, because no one cares if my pjs are wrinkly, and apparently i care very much about having to fold clothes and I'm about reducing that resistance and increasing efficiency more than ~appearances for something that no one is ever gonna see

• tops: mainly old tshirts, tshirt dresses, tank tops. all stuffed in a pile to the left. tank tops are middle-ish and tshirts are left-most so I can decide by temperature

• bottoms: mostly shorts and leggings and sweatpants, thrown into one pile but lowkey "gradient" style, with winter bottoms closer to the front and summer pjs closer to the back so I pick the warmer ones first and if desperate and laundry not washed, i'll wear the stuff towards the back. when summer hits the switch will be easy, I'll just push the pile to the front

• I actually borrowed this from my bf, who literally only wears white shirts and misc pj pants at home and has one (1) drawer for pjs. my pj tops are more varied but it doesn't matter if they match anything cuz im at home so this is a similar idea

work shirts/ sweaters/ dresses/ commonly worn bottoms

• these are now all hung up, so that even though they're in one location, it's easier to pick them out, and also easier to organize when I first put them in

• specifically, items go straight on the hangers when I first dry them out of the washer, and then when dry, I can insert them quickly into the sequence visually

• order goes: work shirts, "outdoor" sweaters, dresses (summer -> winter), my 3 most commonly worn pants + dress

• I think this is the beginning of my capsule wardrobe, because almost all items here pair with the pants

• there's some odd sweaters that are lowkey pilled/ very strange that probs won't sell on poshmark and probs won't even be thrifted, and I still like them moderately and will wear them to lab, so I'm keeping them for my casual days of writing/ grocery shopping

less commonly worn bottoms

• "the outdoor" bottoms, mostly jeans. now in the drawer that used to be just for bottoms.

• it's actually incredibly empty now but I still sorted them into columns

• column 1 (jeans I'll wear): jeans I moderately like but have small flaws in them, e.g., frayed ends (unprofessional), ripped jeans (too cold for <0C), blue jeans (weird jean texture).

• column 2 (formal/work bottoms): my backup skirt, my summer skort, dress pants. these are all work/prac wear that I don't wear as normal for various reasons (e.g., weather)

• column 3 (???): technically same as column 2, holding only one pair of really warm work-appropriate pants. they won't stand against other clothes and keeps pushing other ones over so it got its own column. the system isn't perfect lol

• column 4 (jeans that do not spark joy): pink jeans, purple jeans, light blue jeans, and the pair of high waisted jeans that constrict breathing because I am no longer as skinny as I was in 6th grade but I love these pair of jeans

• realistically, column 4 is on its way to being donated or sold on poshmark but I have yet to emotionally part with them (the high waisted pair) or I have to upcycle them in some way (the purple jeans have a hole in the crotch so I'll need to turn it into a bag or something)

• these are all folded using the konmari method because I won't be refolding these often and it helps to see what I have and what needs to be moved on into its next life as a donation or upcycled item

socks & intimates & shoes

• no change

• I have a couple of bras that have lost the wiring in the wash (for reals) and I want to get them recycled and I think one way is to donate them in the boxes because what's not sold is recycled (supposedly), but also find it really gross to donate a broken bra and want to do it in a way that it entirely skips the "potentially resold" phase. I'll have to look into how to recycle textiles at some point.

THE ENDING

As you can see, it's not very capsule at all, but I'm slowly moving clothing towards a "to sell" pile on poshmark (once I figure out how to find affordable ways to package things to be shipped). But it's a start. And I think the most important shift of this change this week was streamlining my chore routine so that I can focus on doing the things that I actually enjoy. And that's what really sparks joy.

Self care in grad school: TIME BOUNDARIES

Most recounts of self-care focus on recharging, after the day. It's about bringing back loss after spending time and energy as a currency throughout the day. With my goal of being intentional this year as well (yes, my WORD OF THE YEAR), I also thought about the flip side: intentional spending.

Here are 3 ways I've been trying out to protect time + energy boundaries

[FIRST] Say no to projects that don't align with training goals

• I make this decision based on whether a project aligns with (1) my research interests and (2) my training skills

• Starting out grad school meant my research interests were BROAD so for the first couple of years I focussed on taking on projects that helped me develop training skills (e.g., types of stats, techniques, etc.)

• Now comes the hard part. Once you've figured out your ultimate goals, make sure you're staying true to these goals by taking on projects that fit these goals.

• Remember, saying yes to something (especially something you don't really care about) implicitly means saying no to something else (which could've been THE thing you actually care about). You only 24h to your day.

• As you get into upper years of grad school, develop the skill of asserting your time boundaries. [I say you but honestly this is a long internal monologue to myself, I need to set these time boundaries too] .

[SECOND] Automate + script anything and all things

• Love coding/ scripting? This is right up your alley. Definitely automate as much of your data analysis as possible because friend, you are human, and humans make mistakes, especially humans who don't get enough sleep. Don't play yourself by analyzing ALL your data and realizing that in step 1 you entered 22 instead of 2 in a parameter and have to do it ALL over again

• Automation doesn't only mean coding though! There are websites out there (like IFTTT) that take the coding out of making "If This, Then [do] That" sequences. Definitely try email templates for responding to students as a TA (consider: "read the syllabus" templates + instructions of where to find it; create a template for everything you have to write more than 3 times).

• Automate your citations and references omg please: I wrote a blog post here about using the FREE MENDELEY PROGRAM available out there, and it's something I wish I could have sent to my past self. I mourn all the hours, perhaps days, I've spent on citations and references, it makes me cry.

• Automate your LIFE THINGS: consider meal prep (don't have to decide meals every day or wait in lines to buy meals AND save money); having a capsule wardrobe (minimize the number of decisions you have to make in a day to prevent decision fatigue)

[THIRD] Document your project decisions and details

• Make sure you document ALL your decisions and rationales (so you don't come back to them 2 years later because Reviewer 2 is like Why Did You Do It Like This). Human memory is fallible and even though you think you'll remember it, you'll forget at least one (1) detail

• DOCUMENT ALL THE RESOURCES YOU USED so you can come back to them if you need to check something. There's nothing as painful as having to regoogle a resource/FAQ/how-to and it's no longer showing up in your google search

• Documenting dates + project details also gives you an approximate but tangible look-back on how realistically (and painfully) L O N G projects can actually take, so you can use these more realistic estimates for future planning.

• Why I do it: It's my long term memory outside of my real long term memory. External storage. Searchable (CTRL+F) long term memory is fantastic, trust me.

• How I do it: ongoing Google Doc (dearly nicknamed Research Journal, total # of pages = 180, and I started in MSc2)

Word of the Year: ✨Intention✨

I know, we're more than halfway through January 2020 already so this is KINDA LATE.

ANNOUNCING THIS YEAR'S WORD OF THE YEAR!

This year's word is intention.

I spent too much of last year automatically whizzing through things and not really remembering or being aware of a lot of things I was doing. I think if I continue this for too long, life will just whizz by me without me even noticing.

MY INTENTIONAL GOALS FOR THE YEAR

[1] Intentional Spending

The Problem: I've spent way too much just casually scrolling Amazon or Chapters or Yesstyle. Too much money was spent unplanned because of email offers I got in my inbox, leading to very scary credit card bills oops.

My spending intentions: My goal is to spend money in a more efficient way so I'm putting the money towards things I want (saving up for emergency fund, down payment, etc.) and the things I actually enjoy (e.g., trips to visit my bf, good food and fun experiences).

How I'm going to do it:

• Journalling about all purchases that are not part of the planned budget & reflecting on whether it should be something I should add to my planned budget as a valuable expense OR whether I should recognize how I'm feeling/ what I'm doing/ where I am before I purchase the thing to see whether there are patterns that lead me to automatically spend

• Biweekly check-ins on budget. I bank with 2 different banks and the statements are off sync so I get new statements to download/ enter in my budget every 2 weeks so it works perfectly :) It used to be monthly but I realized that was a long time.

• GROCERY LISTS: I create grocery lists every week from the Food Basics flyers I get to my email. This helps me because too often I walk into the grocery store and just pile on whatever I feel like and it exceeds my budget. Having some sort of guideline helps me focus on making sure I get those Food Groups For My Brain Noodle Fuel first before packing in those treats

[2] Intentional Eating

The Problem: I eat when I'm bored. I eat when I'm stressed. I eat when I don't know what to do with myself. I eat when I'm sad. These are all unhealthy reasons for eating that don't get at what I'm trying to solve (e.g., boredom, stress, etc.)

My eating intentions: I think TOO OFTEN in the past I have tried to go on a restrictive diet as a way of "controlling" these urges but I think that's actually building INTO this habit of eating as a reward or eating as a vice to be allowed if I'm stressed. I intend to make sure I'm eating the planned meals a day and also when I'm hungry, but to distinguish that from eating as a coping mechanism for negative emotions.

How I'm going to do it:

• If I'm eating outside of my planned times or meals, to check in on whether I'm eating because I'm hungry, or eating as a coping mechanism. If I'm eating because I'm sad or stressed or bored, I now have a list of alternate self-care activities to do instead. I might blog about this more in the future, but I realized that my coping strategies are usually based on 2 senses: EATING (taste) and WATCHING TV/YOUTUBE/SHOWS (visual), and that I forget about the calming activities I can do for TACTILE (shower, bath, stretch), AUDITORY (music), and SMELL (bath bombs, candles, baking).

• Track my eating on cronometer 1x/ week. I settled on 1x a week because I don't want to overfocus on numbers every day, but I do notice that with grad school and life getting busy, that I forget that my brain needs nutrients and don't eat enough vegetables. Not having enough nutrients contributes to some of this tiredness too so knowing what kind of nutrients I need to eat more of (LOL usually vegetables or fruits tbh for them vitamins) allows me to more consciously plan and budget them into my next grocery list

• Take on a not-restrictive stance. I think this is what distinguishes this from a diet. If I have a dessert and it actively makes me happy and I didn't choose to just eat it because I was unhappy and needed to fill the void, that's an experience I am enjoying and that is adding to my life.

[3] Intentional Time Use

The Problem: I say yes to a million things and feel overwhelmed and stressed, which I cope by procrastinating (watching tv) or eating, which takes up more of my budget which gets me more stressed about money so I take on more things to afford my #Lifestyle, which in turn means I am MORE OVERWHELMED. (Are you stressed reading this yet).

My time intentions: Really setting up time boundaries and being intentional about what I say yes to. Saying yes to one thing means saying no to other things (we all only have 24h). And I want to make sure that I'm saying yes to the things that align with my goals and values and no to the things that don't energize me.

How I'm going to do it:

• I use calendar blocking to block out my time and learn how long it really takes me to complete things so that in the future, I can plan accordingly.

• I also track my time by the hour to see what mostly takes up up my time. For each hour, I track what I spent most of that hour on, and how energized I felt that hour from that activity: energized (+), neutral ( ø ), and depleting (-). It helps me make sure that I say yes to more things that are energizing, and also to make sure that if there are depleting things I have to do, that I schedule enough buffer around it so I don't burn out.

• I spend up to 30 minutes each day clearing out all emails to be added as tasks to my calendar. I decline anything that doesn't fit into my schedule over the next 2 weeks.

• I do a weekly journal reflection on how I spend my time and whether they align with my goals this year. I reflect on what's working each week that I should celebrate, what's not working that I should abandon, and what I really wish I had spent time on so I make time the next week for these things.

THOSE ARE THE MAIN THREE THINGS!

I'll check back in throughout the year and see how things are going :)

Want to learn more?

• Jenna Kutcher's podcast on the "not-to-do-list"

• Amy Landino's youtube video about how she uses calendar blocking

• Placeholder for how I personally calendar block + integrate with excel + todoist

• Placeholder for post I wanted to write about time boundaries