We all hit that mid-semester slump around this time each year whether we are just sick and tired of doing school work or if we're just feeling lazy. In order to stay happier and make the most out of each and every day, here are ten easy ways to feel happier and thus increase productivity.
1. Make your bed.
Make your bed every morning, no matter how late you are. Just to prove my point, I timed myself making up my bed for 10 different mornings, and the longest I ever spent was 58 seconds. It is such a small task that can start your day off to a productive start.
2. Dig out that iPod.
Create or find a Happy Music playlist on Spotify or Pandora. Music has a lot more power than we realize. Listening to upbeat, positive songs that you love first thing in the day takes your mind to a happy place. Spotify even has a "moods," feature so you can select exactly what mood you want to get to.
3. Take the stairs.
I am the world's laziest person. I avoid extra energy exertion at all costs. I was given a book called "Take the Stairs," and the entire book describes how making hard choices in the short term will pay off in the long term. For example, taking the stairs is not as fun in the short term, but being fit and healthy is better in the long term. The same logic applies to Netflix. In the short term, it feels easy to binge watch; in the long term, you'll regret not studying for that test or getting a few more hours of sleep. The short term hard choices often have the better payoffs in the long term.
4. Stop complaining.
For an entire day, force yourself not to complain even once. To gain some perspective think of someone who has it much worse off than we do. Every time I want to complain about an impossible quiz or task, I think about the 62 million girls worldwide who don't have access to an education at all. Even more people can't find clean water to drink or a place to call home. Not to sound depressing, but when you take the time
5. Treat yo self.
Don't deny yourself dessert. No matter how bad your day is going, having dessert or treating yourself to something you don't always have will brighten anyone's day. If it's cold and rainy outside, get a hot chocolate on your way to class. Spend the few dollars and treat yo self.
6. Pick up the phone.
Call someone you haven't spoken to in a while. Maybe it's your grandma, or maybe it's your freshman roommate. Reconnecting with people is a way to recharge, and you get to give them the "highlight reel" of your recent events. Think of it like a free mini therapy session, with the added perk of real human connection. One of the most common things adults list as their regrets is that they didn't keep up with friendships. Take the time to call someone!
7. Drink drink drink.
Drink more water! If you've been tired, sluggish, or had headaches lately, you are most likely dehydrated. The majority of Americans live each day without enough water intake. Keeping a water bottle with you and staying hydrated will give you results that you can feel almost immediately.
8. Find what fulfills you.
Some of the best advice I've recently received has to do with Iron Mn. Iron Man was awesome at what he did, along with Batman and Superman. One thing these guys all had in common is that they had a life outside of their superhero job. Inside of Iron Man was Tony Stark. Superman worked at a newspaper for crying out loud. No matter what you do full time, make sure you have a "Tony Stark." What is your passion? What drives you? What fulfills you? Go find that thing and start making it a priority in your life.
9. Just do it.
I'm taking Nike's slogan from them and telling you to get over "I don't feel like it," and just do it. Two weeks ago you agreed to go to this new club on campus, but when the day rolls around for their first meeting, you would rather stay in your cozy bed than go all the way to this new place. Fight past the grumpy cat inside of you and just do it. When you don't feel like doing something, just do it anyway. 9/10 you look back and think "wow, that was fun," and you regret ever thinking about not coming.
10. Smile more.
Start and end each day with a smile, even if it sounds cheesy and you don't feel like it. When I am at my most grumpy, angry, mean girl stage around my boyfriend, he always makes me smile against my will and sure enough it makes me just a little bit happier. The act of smiling is powerful, even when everything else is going wrong.
Let me know little life hacks that make you feel better every day in the comments below!
