Newton’s First Law of Motion states that an object in motion will stay in motion. And so will you. You don’t just stop at your trough, but rather you aim towards your peak. When you experience adversity, it is completely NORMAL to react. In fact, you wouldn’t be human if you didn’t. We all have baggage, and sometimes life just happens. Whether you bombed an exam that separates you between an A and a B, suffered an excruciating loss or just woke up feeling down in the dumps, you will get through it.
Obviously, that’s a lot easier said than done. In reality, no one is happy 100 percent of the time, and if someone says they are, they’re lying. I’m not here to preach at you and tell you to wear a fake smile. It’s tacky. All I’m saying is you have a choice: You can let your struggles set you back, or you can overcome them. Deal with your shit.
So, it’s time to get out of bed and throw away that nearly empty pint of Ben and Jerry’s Half Baked ice cream that you have been priding yourself on for the last week.
Choose your attitude.
The way you feel when you wake up sets the tone for the rest of the day. Don’t “wake up on the wrong side of the bed,” but instead be optimistic. Don’t see the day as a struggle, but rather an opportunity. So what, you have an 8 a.m. class. Instead of bitching about the fact that you have to wake up early, see it as a positive; you are done with class early and have the whole day to do work (or more likely nap and shop online). Is your glass half full or half empty? You can make that choice. Forget about the bad day you had yesterday. Tomorrow is a new one.
Your friends are your friends for a reason.
You don’t choose family. But you do choose your friends. So let them help you. Get your words out and express how you're feeling. It’s not “cool” to hide your emotions. Exit your own personal bubble, because you’re just going to overthink every specific detail. If they truly are your friends, they’ll stand by you and they will listen. Worst case, they’ll just laugh at you for what you did the night before, maybe give you some motherly scolding, but they will always have your back in the end. Listen to their advice and take it. They know you better than anyone, so don’t be stubborn. Write in your GroupMe from high school once in a while, and reflect on the funny shit you did in 7th grade. Sometimes you just need a laugh; the kind that consumes you and has you holding your “abs” afterwards. Use your inner circle.
Eat some damn pizza.
Pizza is not just for late night munchies, which you will regret the next morning. Order a pie of delicious, mouthwatering Mac & Cheese pizza and watch Grey’s Anatomy re-runs. Call some friends and have a binge night. The kind of night when you whip out the bag of Tostitos (with a hint of lime of course) and salsa and stuff your face until your nauseous. There’s an unexplainable comfort in bonding over how good food tastes and somehow it just makes everything better. Forget about your schoolwork for the night and just let loose.
Take a walk.
If you took my advice, you’re going to need to walk like halfway across the world to burn off all the pizza you just ate. But seriously, get some fresh air. Let the sun beat down on your skin and clear your head. I know it’s something that old people would tell you, but this piece of advice is actually true. It doesn’t help to be cooped up in your room, rotating between four different social media sites to see if he liked your Instagram or re-reading your conversation from last night. Just let it go and breathe.
As Billy Madison told Miss Lippy, “If your dog gets lost you don't look for an hour then call it quits. You get your ass out there and you find that fucking dog.” Getting back up after your fall takes time. You can’t snap your fingers and have everything be okay. But you persevere. Keep on moving. Don’t sit in your room with the blinds shut, watching life happen around you. Go get out there and have a day.
