We all live busy lives – between school, work, internships, and extracurriculars, it can be difficult to find time for ourselves, much less time to stop and appreciate the beauty and opportunities around us. Throughout my collegiate career, I struggled with an appreciation for where I was at in my life and the opportunities I had been given.

I became chronically competitive and obsessed with my progress in comparison to others. I saw every roadblock as the end of the world and blamed those around me for why my life is so difficult. This mindset ran me into an emotional race to the bottom, and depression ensued. My lack of appreciation for the opportunities I had going for me led me to sabotage said opportunities out of a pathetic martyrdom.

It wasn’t until I lost everything that I began to understand the need to appreciate the little things in life – friends, family, blue skies, rain on my face, good food, and a roof over my head – because that’s all that I had left.

And the result was surprising; although I no longer had a job, school, or many other opportunities I had thrown away, I became happier than I had ever been before. My depression and anxiety faded away, and I began to see life through a new set of lenses.

I began to practice daily gratitude – to make a list every night of the things I was grateful for. Family, friends, and health were the more obvious and immediate answers, but I challenged myself to find three new things I was grateful for every day.

And so the list grew to include things like dancing in my car, air filling my lungs, almond pastries, that fresh car smell, and other little things we overlook that seem too insignificant to notice.

As my life has fallen back into place and my world is spinning faster again, it becomes increasingly difficult to stop and take time just for gratitude.

However, I make it a priority. Whether it’s before bed, in my car on the way to work, before my next obligation, I take a few minutes to focus on what I am grateful for in that day, at that moment in time. Without those few minutes, I begin to lose sight of what’s important in my life and what has propelled me back to my job, my life, and Georgia Tech.

So, while it may seem silly or even juvenile, I urge you to take a moment every day to stop and “smell the roses." Start with one or two simple things you’re grateful for; before you know it, you’ll be adding gratitude lists to your daily routine.

It really works; just a brief moment to change your mindset can help ease the stressors of daily life. And when you remember that simple gratitudes like a nice cup of coffee during a cram sesh can serve as an excellent coping mechanism, the stress of that big exam the next day seems a bit more manageable.

So grab a pen – or just your brain – sit for a minute or two and count the things you’re grateful for. Before you know it, you’ll be practicing an attitude of gratitude!