Not every season of life of the best and brightest. In fact, the majority of days we spend on this planet will be not as good as other days. It’s just statistics. But just because today isn’t the best day of my life, or this season isn’t the one I will gush about to my future grandkids, doesn’t mean I shouldn’t do everything to make the best of it.

I realized that I am going through this really hard and exhausting season of schooling one way or another. So how can I do better to take care of myself and see the sunshine? I came up with a few things that I’ve been doing or plan to do to keep my head up.

1. Remember the little things that give you joy.

If you are going through a hard time, chances are the little things you take joy in won’t just roll off the tongue. Something that has helped me realize all of the little things that I enjoy is looking back through social media and seeing what was important enough to talk about. A couple days ago I had a Tweet pop up on my Timehop (also a good resource!) where I said something about watching a Ted Talk. I then remembered that I absolutely love Ted Talks! Why haven’t I been watching them lately? Little things like this are hard to remember off the top of your head, but when you rediscover them, they can greatly improve day-to-day life in the here and now. Try it out!

2. Journal

I know of lot of people do not journal, but it is something I will always advocate for. Journaling isn’t just for people who have great ideas. It isn’t simply because you need to pour your heart out to your diary. It’s documentation. It’s writing history. I try to journal because I know the value of reading what I was going through six months ago, a year ago, two years ago. Life for us in this current age goes so fast. So many more things and events happen to us. I cannot remember everything that happened to me last week. My philosophy is that if I don’t write it down, how will I ever know the life lessons I’m learning along the way? How will I ever see my personal progress? Writing down your thoughts, feelings, and reflections about this season of life will give you perspective in the future. Investing in your future in little ways like this is a hopeful act. And hope is something we can all use a little more of.

3. Draw closer to God

God isn’t oblivious to what you are going through. He knows the majority of our days will be spent holding onto past memories and hope of a better tomorrow. Knowing that, let us draw close to him to see what he thinks. He created us and this life. He knows everything in our hearts. We can only find out his purposes if we draw close and trust in him. He might not tell you that the events in this season are the important things, but how you as an individual learn and grow from them. You can only find out if you let Him near.