We’re heading into the worst of the gray wintry months, and sometimes a change in routine is necessary to liven up the slushy, cold first months of the spring semester. After all, something new and exciting every day keeps the SAD away. The key, I’ve found, is to give myself a little project or goal that will help me stay connected with something I enjoy— whether it’s music, astrology, or even just keeping up with friends.
- Listen to “Astrology Today” on Spotify
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You can find a quick astrological reading to start your day by searching “[Your Zodiac Sign] Today” on Spotify. These podcasts are around two minutes long and are perfect to put on while you’re getting ready for the day or walking to your first class. If you’re someone who wants to learn more about astrology, it’s also a great way to spark that interest and keep it at the front of your mind. Hopefully, as you go you’ll even learn a little something about your sign and yourself!
- Take a BeReal
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BeReal is one of my favorite apps at the moment. Once a day, it sends a notification that it’s “Time to BeReal,” and you take a picture of whatever you’re doing at that very moment (regardless of whether it’s an aesthetically pleasing brunch or just you laying in bed playing Animal Crossing). The idea of BeReal is to take the careful curation out of social media and to show people’s real daily lives. It’s also a great way to remember to take a picture every day, and since everyone is meant to post at the same time, it’s a lot of fun seeing what all your friends are doing at the same moment you post.
- Listen to a new album every day
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If you’re a music lover or someone whose playlists have felt tired lately, this could be the perfect addition to your routine to find new music that you love. Whether you collect a list of albums that friends love or find an online list of albums everyone should listen to, you’ll get to expand your music taste. It also helps you to take time to do a creative project that’s just for fun, which can be hard to do when you start getting bogged down by schoolwork.
- Make a TikTok a day
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This challenge might sound a bit more involved effort-wise, but it’s meant to push against that a little bit as well. TikTok isn’t so much about making a perfect video that takes you three hours every time, it’s about consistently posting. Even Taylor Lorenz, one of my favorite NYT journalists, films most of her TikToks in bed. It’s a great way to document your life, even if you just post a quick one-take selfie-cam video every day about a random thought you’ve had. It’s especially a great challenge for perfectionists (this is a self-subtweet) who want to try to create something and challenge themselves to let it not be perfect.
- Reach out to someone you haven’t spoken to in a while
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Now you might be thinking, “Do I even know that many people?”, but I promise that’s part of the fun of this idea. The first few days you might just text friends you haven’t spoken to in a while. But after that, it might look a little more like calling your grandmother, writing an email to your favorite teacher from high school to let them know how you’re doing, or reaching out to your freshman year roommate to grab coffee together. Get creative and reconnect with people who bring joy to your life.
If your February is looking a little gray, try to add one of these ideas to your daily routine, and who knows, maybe it’ll even stick around past this month.
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