There are plenty of things that annoy us every day, and whether we notice it or not, it can make us act a bit more bitter in the process. While there's almost nothing we can do to eliminate the stress we feel in our everyday lives, there ARE ways you can reduce the stress you feel to counteract it.
1. Smile at the people you see.
Several studies show that you can "fake it till you make it" with your attitude, so it is psychologically possible to make yourself happy by pretending to be happy!
2. Work out in the mornings.
Personally, at the end of the day, I'm too tired or Netflix is calling (okay, it's always Netflix) and I never seem to be able to make myself workout. After working out in the mornings, you have a feeling of satisfaction that sticks with you all day, and it also increases your mental alertness.
3. Be spontaneous.
Nothing gets the heart pumping like something unexpected happening, so why not keep that feeling as open as possible? By being spontaneous, either alone or with friends, you will usually find that you have plenty of things to be confident about (how's your singing voice in your friend group?).
4. Don't obsess over the past, or future.
Even if it's tough to get over something, just realize that your sadness should not inhibit you of having a good time. Just remember that what's done is done, and don't schedule your life around past failures. Grow from them. And rather than obsess over something you have no more control over (Finals Week coming up), just prepare as best you can while not forgetting to enjoy life in the process. Everyone be sure to be with friends/family for Thanksgiving, no one should be alone Thursday.
5. If your friends are toxic, end it.
If your own happiness is being affected negatively by someone else consistently, it's not healthy. Even if they're your BFFL, your own feelings shouldn't be negatively affected by one's friends often. Maybe the occasional smack talk, and definitely through the fights, but true friends never maliciously hurt you. It may seem hard, but just save yourself the time and effort to use towards other things. Like finding a new, better friend; or a new significant other if you're single.
6. Don't get upset if something doesn't go exactly as planned.
When I started writing this, I had planned to write this week's article on the topic of Netflix or something else just as frivolous. And while this still may be frivolous, I at least had a smile writing it. Also, when the articles have to be over 500 words and not 485, you always find a sentence in a story that just seems like a filler to make the paper longer. You've just seen an example on one, actually!
