Hi, I'm Sophia Stueven
I'm the newest pixel in the bakery. I'll be helping the team as a Post-Production Specialist and I'm jazzed to be here! I'm an upcoming junior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, majoring in Emerging Media Arts with an emphasis in Cinematic Arts and Virtual Production.
Here's a quick rundown on me:
- Taco Johns over Taco Bell. YAH. I said it.
- My favorite way to take the edge off is listening to my Audrey Hepburn getting ready playlist.
- I make killer banana ice cream.
- I like to stir the pot by making my PB&J's open faced.
- I'm really empathetic which makes me really great at understanding a brand and building off of its aesthetic, but that also means I cry often at Disney movies.
- I have a thing for scheduling and organizing. ❤️
- My biggest goal in life is to have fun with it.
While I love finding new ways to make my life exciting, I've noticed I've been stressed lately. Chances are, you are stressing about something just like I am. So I'm gonna tell you my most favorite secret to de-compress. I do this one little thing that always changes my outlook on life, grounds me, and makes me feel warm and fuzzy. And it literally takes 3 seconds. Okay... are you ready?
Take a deep breath
One, two, three. Observe what it feels like to have a nose.
That's it. 🙂 Okay. You might be super disappointed, confused, annoyed. Or you're smiling at the screen right now. Either way, did the feeling surprise you?
This is a great meditation technique for centering yourself. Focusing on my nose reminds me how precious my body is, how it's doing its best to keep me here. It centers me back on my breath and helps clear my mind. Okay, so your nose isn't working. Don't freak out! Have you ever felt your left pinky nail? Or the little crease in the back of your knee? Your experience might be different from mine, but the way mindfulness switches so easily from one thing to another always intrigues me.
Having better control of where your attention switches to is life-changing. Being mindful can help you notice when you begin flushing yourself down a toxic thought spiral. Then, you catch those moments and bring yourself back to the present.
Keep Working At It
Not gonna lie, meditation can be so frustrating. One thing that I think helps is if you observe your feelings like you're watching a movie. Like a wide-angle, aerial shot. Just observe, no judgments. Then, if you observe harmful behavior, you're more likely to catch them before they happen again or at least understand the deeper reasons they come up.
If you want to keep practicing meditation, a few of my favorite apps are Simple Habit, Calm, and Head Space. Insight Timer and Youtube are great free options too. (Not a sponsored post, but I wouldn't be mad if it was...)
I'm stoked to be working with Pixel Bakery and can't wait to get editing. Stick around for more projects coming From the Desk Of yours truly.
Follow me on LinkedIn and check out my portfolio.
-- Sophia Stueven