10 Things That Make Me Feel Better
1. Buy a plant. Succulents are hard to kill and they are really cute. Buy one that flowers because it’s so exciting to see it blossom because that means it’s a happy plant. (Protip: Buy a small tube of liquid plant fertilizer or food. I bought a small spray bottle and I spray it once a week when I water mine. It makes for a very happy plant.)
2. Make a list of all the things you need to do, even the small everyday things like brushing your teeth and making your bed. It is so satisfying to cross it off and at the end of the day you see all the things you did and it will make you feel like you accomplished something. Take pride in those small victories because it can be hard to do them sometimes.
3. Make your bed whenever you can. I never used to do this unless I washed all my bedding. My karate instructor says no matter what she has to do in the morning she will always make her bed because it is the first accomplishment of the day. Since I got to college I decided to give her advice a go and it has helped so much. I come into my room and despite my life being a mess I know there is one thing that isn’t, my perfectly made bed. It is so reliving to slip between the covers of my nicely made bed and it’s so much more comforting than anyone gives it credit for. Plus, the fact that you accomplished something already can sometimes help you get motivated to do whatever else you need to do.
4. Don’t ever underestimate the power of cute animal videos. I know life can be stressful but take a moment to watch that video of that puppy. It’ll make you feel better.
5. Face masks. These are actually a weekly routine for me because it helps with my acne, but its also really fun. Make it your stress free spa moment. Take a nice hot shower and pamper yourself and then do a face mask. It is really nice to just take that time to relax. I use it to clear my head so I can come back and tackle whatever was stressing me out in the first place.
6. Scribble down all your thoughts in a notebook. I write letters (that I’ll never send) on my really good or really bad days telling whoever I choose about my day and how I feel. It can be really cathartic to pretend your having a conversation with someone when you can’t get a hold of anyone or the person you want to talk to is unavailable. Just write it all out. write is as a poem, a slam poem, as a story, as a letter and a jumbled mess of thoughts. Get it all out.
7. Take a walk. I didn’t do this because what even is exercise but don’t think of it as exercise. Sometimes it can be really hard to get out of bed, I know, but use the walk as a way to clear your head, see some wildlife, see some pretty flowers or trees. I have found a lot of really cool places on campus because I just wandered around. If you can’t take a walk then open your window to get some fresh air. It’s worth it.
8. Treat yourself when you can. Life can be lonely sometimes, especially college. No one told me how lonely it can be. But it’s nice to buy that Starbucks or that cookie or that really cool shirt as a way to feel like you have been appreciated. Like hell yeah my body appreciates that I try and take care of it so I am going to treat it to that delicious strawberry drink hell yeah.
9. Get your friends together and do something fun together. Watch a movie, have a Bob Ross painting party, play some would you rather. Socializing can be hard sometimes but it’s a lot less daunting if you do something you will have fun doing. I go to my poetry club meeting once a week and we always do an activity together. We all participate so we can write something interesting, or most of the time, ridiculously funny.
10. Call a friend or someone in your family. I am not one for talking on the phone but I realized that sometimes a phone conversation can be more calming than texting. I has really kept me connected to some of my closest friends that are far away. Sometimes you need to just cry it out to your mom, so just do it.
These may not help everyone, but I know they help me and they could be useful to someone else.
