By: Emily Oberg
Over the past two weeks we’ve all gone through a rollercoaster of emotions. From sad, to scared, to worried, panicked, fearful, thankful, grateful and so on. Now more than ever do we need to stay positive and optimistic that this isn’t going to last forever and that there will be an end to all of this madness. If you find yourself feeling negative and losing a sense of hope, you’re not alone. Here are a few things I do everyday that help myself stay happy and hopeful.
-Daily gratitude: every day I write down three things that I’m grateful for. Sometimes it’s the littlest things that we overlook, and when you really think about the good in your life- there’s a lot of it and most of us are in very fortunate positions right now.
-Meditation: Meditating has been proven to reduce stress and anxiety. It helps you to be present and live in the now. When you meditate, you’re quieting your mind of any thoughts you may have.
-Do things that make you happy. We’re all stuck at home but that doesn’t mean we’re not able to enjoy our favorite activities. Start cooking or baking, have a dance party on Facetime with your friends, do FaceTime group workouts, go for a walk, read a book, learn a new language, have a nap, do a face mask or hair mask. There’s plenty of things we’re still fortunate enough to do even though the world has shut down for a while.
-Write someone a thank you email. I like sending people thank you emails out of the blue. When you think about all the people in your life, there’s so many to be thankful for. And making people feel appreciated and loved always makes you feel good.
-Stop reading the news. You can read some of it, but when you’re constantly scrolling through headlines that are negative and fear-provoking, it does more harm than good. Stay updated with what’s going on but don’t be too invested in watching or reading it everyday.
-Get rid of anything you don’t use. I do this every 3-4 months. Physical clutter causes mental clutter. Go through your drawers, closet, storage areas, and all rooms. If you haven’t used something in 6 months or more, you probably never will.
-Make your bed everyday and keep your house clean. Making your bed makes you feel like you’re starting the day off right. When you’re stuck at home, it’s important that your surroundings are clean and organized because it will affect your mindset and productivity.
-Work on projects you never had time for. Use this time to be productive and get as much done as you can. There’s so many things that pile up but we never get to because everyday life gets in the way. Now is your opportunity to accomplish them all and come out of this with a clean slate.
-Stay thankful! If you have a roof over your head and are able to buy the food you want right now, you are very fortunate. There are so many people out there who cannot afford to stop working and still care for themselves or their families. They are going through an unimaginable stressful time and need the support and love of their communities.
Try to practice these things all the time and not just right now. It will help you increase your baseline happiness which is something we should all be working on all the time.
