Little Things

I woke up this morning on the right side of the bed, feeling the most well rested I had for weeks. It honestly felt like nothing could go wrong for the rest of the day. I should be feeling super stressed because so much has been going on, especially with school starting soon as well, but I guess being busy has been good for me. I've been doing a lot of cleaning up in my room, answering emails, and running errands; being productive spurs on more productivity. Here are a few of the things I've done that put me into a good mood, to share with you, as well as for my own future reference.

»Improve Your Sleep
I find that every time I change my sheets, I fall asleep much faster and get a better night's sleep. I'm not sure why, but it just feels more clean and comfortable. Finding a good configuration for the pillows is also a very effective way to sleep better. I've spent countless nights lying awake late at night trying to get the pillows just right, but I finally seem to have found a good way to stack them.

»Treat Yourself

The thing about shopping is that you never end up just getting what you had on your list. Instead of feeing guilty about little splurges, set aside a certain amount of money that you're willing to spend on random things each time you go out. Makeup shopping always cheers me up somehow. I validate it by saying that if you don't have to worry about what you look like on the outside, you can focus more on who you are on the inside. I also find that office supply shopping is also quite therapeutic, but maybe it's just the illusion of productivity.

»Eat Well
At Costco, on a whim, I bought a bag of bagels. They were plain, fresh sesame bagels, but I had forgotten how good bagels could be. My favorite way of eating them is with creme cheese, or with vinegar and olive oil. It's filling and healthy and convenient. If you couldn't tell from the a lot of recent posts, I'm also quite obsessed with smoothies. I actually had frozen a whole bunch of strawberries that were too sour, a few bananas that were almost black, and some other fruits in little Ziploc bags, which is extremely convenient any time I want a quick, cold, refreshing drink. I simply toss in a few pieces of frozen fruit, add some juice, and blend. It satisfies my food cravings but is also super healthy.

»Shake It Up
If you ever find yourself aimlessly browsing the web, closing a tab and then opening a new one only to find yourself on the same website, just get up and do ten jumping jacks. Even that little bit of exercise will make you feel a lot better. Other things you can try are some fun, new, alternatives to sit ups, or go to Youtube and search for some quick Zumba workouts. It's the easiest thing ever, and you'll feel a lot more energized afterwards.

»Take Some Time
Whenever I'm feeling really stressed, I like to just lie flat on my back, listen to one or two songs, and do nothing but take deep breaths. I might also work on a small side project, such as customizing the appearance of my blog, which is always gives me such a great sense of fulfillment when I get it just right. By taking about ten minutes for a little reset, I finish more work later on and end the day feeling satisfied with being productive.

Of course, you can't always be on top of the world. I find that after every high point, there is the inevitable crash. Instead of dreading it, accept the fact that it's going to happen and just enjoy the happiness while it lasts. The low points don't last forever either, and there are always little things you can do to insert some happiness into your day. ◊