The various news outlets these past few months have drained me of much of my positive energy. The news this past week has left me depleted.

On top of the events following Donald Trump’s ludicrous executive decisions, I have been spending my weekdays learning my responsibilities as a counselor at my new job. For exactly one month I have learned the hectic hustle of being a part of an agency that works with mentally ill adults to assist them with living independently.

Then, add in the fact that I, a lover of the sunshine and warm days, am surrounded by snow and freezing temperatures, minimal sunlight and zero desire to leave my heated blanket cocoon almost six months out of the year.

Winter is my least favorite season, and I can tell you with complete confidence that living in Upstate, New York, my entire life has never given me an appreciation for bundling up in puffy layers just to endure the air that makes my face sting and my lips crack with dryness.

I don’t have the official diagnosis of Seasonal Affective Disorder, but I am highly certain I can self-diagnose this one.

So, in my month-long slump of feeling drained, heavy-hearted, easily distracted and just plain insipid, I decided I needed to make more of an effort to improve my mood. This is not to say that everyone who feels like they’ve been stuck in a haze of negativity can just “snap out of it”. I know that there are circumstances (i.e. depression) in which these feelings go beyond just a bad few weeks of stress. I am speaking solely on behalf of my personal needs/perspectives.

This is a list of the simple things I enjoy that typically help make me feel more positive. I know we could all benefit from a good dopamine boost in these dark times.

Forcing myself to clean and organize my space.

This is such a difficult task for me keep up with and to initiate until I can’t possibly stand the consequences of my own clutter. I am an all-or-nothing type of cleaner, meaning I let my personal space become so unorganized until I get fed up with myself and clean every room at once. This is a great concept unless you’ve seen how unorganized I truly am. I always joke that the way my closet, desk area, work area or living areas look are physical representations of what my mind looks like (I prefer to describe it as an "organized mess"). I can’t help that my thought processes bounce around my brain and lack any kind of priority.

I also don’t really enjoy the tornado of disorganization I leave behind; I just get overwhelmed and take too long to motivate myself.

I am trying to get myself into the habit of just cleaning for a few minutes in one room so that eventually I will dread it less. I definitely think this will help keep my mind a tad calmer.

Listening to music more

I'm not necessarily slacking on staying up-to-date on my Spotify and Pandora playlists. I listen to music constantly each day. I just happen to listen to music more so while in my car. I am one of those people who can’t stand silence and needs good background noise to keep me focused. I know “listening to music” is a typical answer to almost any positive coping skill, but what I mean is that instead of heading straight for the television remote after walking through the door, I sit and relax to some music first. Music calms me, motivates me and above everything else, keeps me focused. I love television if I am in the middle of a great show or find a good movie to watch and wind down, but I find myself wasting more time trying too hard to find something to watch when I could just hit the “discover weekly” category on Spotify and remain motivated enough to organize my space.

Watching, reading and/or listening to “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On”

This one is odd.

My mom and I actually were just talking about “Marcel the Shell” and she mentioned how she watches the short videos (created from the mind of former SNL actress, Jenny Slate) to give her a bit of a boost in positivity. We quote the strange, little shell excessively and always try to imitate the voice (which I am proud and embarrassed to admit I have down almost perfectly). He’s just a small shell that wears shoes and shares his daily life and adventures with his human cohabitants. Marcel is probably the most positive character you may ever encounter.

There are only 3 videos of my pal, Marcel, but I never get sick of them and I am not ashamed to admit how often I watch the same videos over. I also am the proud owner of both children’s, picture books Slate wrote, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On: Things About Me and Marcel the Shell: The Most Surprised I’ve Ever Been. There are even audio recordings of Slate reading the books in the voice of Marcel, and it is gloriously adorable and uplifting.

Sometimes you just need a positive shell with a googly eye and pink shoes to keep you present and grounded.

Spending quality time with my cats… and Dom

Nothing puts a smile on my face more than watching the strange, endearing habits of those psychotic fur balls. Chai and Dexter are quite the trouble-making duo and they make me raise my eyebrows in disbelief and confusion, daily. Pets in general are entertaining and these cats sure are hard to get bored with.

Plus have you seen a cat fall through raised ceiling tiles, despite your best efforts to stop them? They never learn the first few times.

Anything can account for spending quality time with Dom. We tend to enjoy simple things, such as breakfast dates or planning a shopping day. We also like to make time for weekend trips occasionally, Montreal, Quebec, being our usual getaway (beautiful city, two hour drive and very affordable).

I do also love spending time with my friends or alone and do that as often as I can. Adulting gets busy and tiring, so I don’t see all of my friends as often as I want to, but I will always do my best to make the time. Also, Dom and I live together, but we still find time to ourselves because we both understand each other’s desire to work on a project in our own space.

Getting myself motivated enough to do some yoga and eat healthy more often

No, I’m not saying I need to lose weight and go into a crazy diet-mode. I don’t even want to do these things for weight loss or the anxiety inducing “bikini bod” that seems to be an annual panic for many. I am also not saying that I don’t already eat healthy. I try to eat as healthy as possible, but some days I just don’t care. I don’t want my days taken over by obsessing over every bite and enduring sad hunger.

I just know when I am maybe slacking on my protein intake (because I cut meat out of my diet 9 months ago, almost entirely) or when I need cut down on my sugars (I am a major stress eater, and my go-to stress foods are anything loaded with sugar). I don’t have the same metabolism I had in college and that’s okay.

I genuinely enjoy yoga and Pilates, even though I am terrible at them, and actually, have many choices of yoga instructors I subscribe to on Youtube. I planned to join a neat boxing gym close to work, but I chose to buy a new car instead. So, now I need to get creative and not waste my money on a gym membership that I know will be a waste of money for, considering basic working out bores me.

I honestly just feel so much better all around if I am eating a decent diet and doing some physical activity. I don’t need to make myself stress over food and working out, just remain balanced.

All I need is balance.

Talking to my best friend

I need you all to understand that I will never stop using the term “best friend”. Some find it childish, but I take that title very seriously. We have been through life’s emotional roller coaster together since the 6^th grade. We were awkward, round tomboys throughout most of our younger years and got to experience most of our college years together. I have watched Minnie* become a resilient, intelligent woman with more strength than she realizes. We both have busy lives in separate states, but even a quick, funny text or a simple tag on a hilarious tweet/instagram meme that made me think of us is enough some days.

Either way, if I need a good pep talk I go to her and vice versa. Life would be pretty lame without a best friend to share it with.

Coffee (or tea) time

I am a major coffee snob. I have been a regular, avid coffee drinker since I was probably 13 years old, and would sometimes get a treat of a splash of coffee mixed with mostly milk when I was younger.

Tea is equally as satisfying as coffee for me and I feel like not much else can lift your spirits like the perfect cup of coffee or tea.

I like to say that tea feels like “a hug in a cup” because it is so soothing.

Coffee made just strong enough, freshly ground, and balanced perfectly with the right cream/sugar ratio has the ability to touch my soul and keep me focused on what I need to do that day.

I’m sure I sound a little too enthusiastic, but take 5 minutes out of your day to prepare a good cup of coffee or tea, and then take that first sip and you will automatically let out a sigh of relief and feel your body become less tense. I do this twice during my workday and it genuinely gives me the boost to process my stress and prioritize my day.

I even took the initiative to get an electric teakettle to boil water, a French press, decent coffee beans and the right fixings to keep next to my desk at work. This was the best idea I have had in a long time. This is much better than those Keurig coffee breaks and the prepping process feels therapeutic, too.

Just try this out over one week and let me know what you think.

Watching stand-up

Dom and I have started a habit of watching stand-up comedy from our favorite comedians while we settle into bed. Something about watching a person tell jokes, without much of a script can really be the perfect way to end the day.

I love movies, especially comedies, but watching a funny person on stage in the comfort of my own bed is so soothing.

Laughter really is the best medicine and you can discover how funny some of your favorite actors are by watching their stand-up.

I felt like I needed to share these simple things I have done, and are currently doing to boost my positivity. Lately, we have been bombarded by negativity and had our fair share of heated debates with all types of people. I wanted to take a moment to recognize how glum and weighted down I have felt these past few months.

If we can all just take a second to stop and breathe while enjoying one small thing during our day, then we can move forward with a clear head and a better attitude.

I also have plenty of other ideas I want to become better at implementing into a daily routine that I don’t always do, or ever do.

I refuse to continue to let the hate of one person bring me down any longer.

*Name has been changed