As of last week, it’s officially spring, but the cold winds (not to mention snow in the forecast!) make it clear that winter is holding on. Not only is it chilly outside; it’s getting to that point in the semester where you have a million and one things due at the same time. Amidst the cold and crunch time, here are a few things you can do to bring a little bit of happiness into your life.
Unplug
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I know, I know — you need your laptop for that sociology essay, for that design assignment, for watching This Is Us on Netflix… but hear me out for a second. Remember that time your phone died and you didn’t have your charger and you had to spend some time without it? Remember how that actually felt kind of… nice? Put your phone on Do Not Disturb, or put it in a drawer for a while. Unplugging has a whole host of benefits — and it might just let you focus on that long list of assignments.
Do something nice for someone else
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I recently came across an article about the reason it feels so good to bake things for other people (spoiler: it’s a form of self-expression and mindfulness). Reading that article made me want to bake all of my friend’s favourite foods, and while I didn’t do that (yet) I was reminded that random acts of kindness can bring you happiness, too.
Inject positivity into your life
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I’m a sucker for a good inspirational quote; the cheesier, the better. My mom gave me a daily quote calendar for Christmas, and I love reading each day’s quote. I also like to make a particularly poignant quote my phone or laptop wallpaper, so I can be reminded of it throughout the day. And if quotes aren’t really your thing, you can’t go wrong with listening to your favourite song. I recently made a playlist called “Happy Songs” that makes me smile and dance everytime I listen to it, no matter how I’m feeling.
Spend your time doing what you love
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Usually “do what you love” is big picture advice — and I certainly advocate picking a career that you love. But you can also make this practice a smaller-scale activity. If you have some spare time in your day, instead of using it to scroll through Instagram try using it to do something you used to love and don’t usually have time for, whether that’s picking up a book that’s not a textbook, or playing an instrument.
Practice gratitude
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I’ve already confessed my love for quotes. Some of my favourite quotes are ones about gratitude; quotes that remind me to look at my life, and the people in it, and feel grateful. I don’t keep a gratitude journal — I already have two and, while I love notebooks and writing, I feel like three might be pushing it a bit — but I do try to make mental lists of things I am grateful for throughout my week. If you’re feeling particularly stressed or overwhelmed, it helps to remind yourself that you have lots of reasons to smile!
Make a small change
Denyse via Giphy
You know those days where you do one little thing differently, and then everything else feels different, too? Maybe it’s wearing a new shade of lipstick, choosing a new location on campus to study or hanging out with a new person; all of these small, seemingly insignificant changes can help you try new things and feel happier because of it.
All in all, there’s no scientific formula to be happy. Everyone is different — but we can all take some time in our busy schedules to do a few small things to make us happy. Tweet us @HCRyerson and tell us how you’re staying positive despite the cold weather and impending deadlines!