Sometimes, life sucks. There's no getting around it. You feel sad, whether there's a reason or not. Personally, I tend to get in a sad slump around week 7 of the semester. The routine starts to kick in, classes get harder, and everything tends to seem worse than it is. Because of this, I've made a list of everything I do when I "forget" to be happy.
1. Don't spend time around negative people
Obviously, there are certain people we have no choice but to be around. Rude teachers, people in class, bad roommates, siblings you might not get along with, etc. Everyone is in a different situation. However, there are so many people that can have a negative effect our lives that we don't even realize that we can cut off. People who constantly talk about themselves, search for attention or pity, talk badly on other people, Etc. CUT THEM OFF. It's okay to focus on yourself! And it's 100 percent not your job to make other people happy.
2. Be thankful for what you have
Sometimes all it takes to feel good about your life is a look around. A roof over your head, family that cares about you, friend that are positive, uplifting people, and food on your plate, are blessing that are often over looked the day to day basis.
3. Do one thing for yourself everyday
Balancing school, work, family, friends and any other responsibilities can be very time consuming. However, taking a little time everyday to do something that makes you happy will make all of the difference. Whether it's getting a venti cup of coffee instead of a tall, going to the gym for 30 minutes a day, or taking a nap in between classes, if it makes you feel better, it will make you happier.
4. Binge watch a TV show
Gilmore Girls, How I Met Your Mother, The Office, Grey's Anatomy, 30 Rock, The Hills, The League. Just a few on my recommendations.
5. Remember that school won't last forever
College is without a doubt the most stressful form of education I have ever experienced, Late night study sessions, early classes, 200 question midterms and finals, GPA requirements etc. Taking at least 15 credit hours per semester for eight semesters (if you want to graduate on time, no pressure.) is way harder than it sounds. When I get too stressed with school, I just imagine how amazing getting that diploma is going to be. Being able to graduate and get a job doing what I love will absolutely be worth all of the head aches the four years at college might cause.
6. Listen to music
A simply thing that can change a mood in an instant.
7. Rant
Call your mom, boyfriend, best friend, sister, brother, ANYONE who will listen to what you have to say, and relate to how you're feeling. Resolving unhappy feeling won't happen if you keep them to yourself!
8. It's a bad day, not a bad life
No matter what's going on, how bad you think it is, or how bad you think it will get, things are NEVER as bad as they seem. Tomorrow is right around the corner, and thing will get better.
9. Get as much sleep as you can
Way easier said than done. However, how much sleep you get is a huge impact on how you feel! It's okay to sleep in on weekend, take a nap in between studying, and catch up on sleep after class. Balance out with your schedule so you do get the 6-8 hours needed to properly function!
10. You've already won the game of life
As corny as this might sound, my child development professor said this to us on our first days of classes: "Whenever you're having a bad day, just remember that there are a billion things that had to happen in order for you to be created. Hundreds of generations had to meet, marry and reproduce with just the right person to get the gene poll. Out of the millions of sperm that tried to get to the egg first, you are the one that won. And out of all of the things that could go wrong in the birthing process, baby process, and adolescent process, you made it. You made it here out of all the things that were trying to stop you. Don't you think there's a reason? As far as I'm concerned, if you get to wake up every morning, you've already won the game of life."
