My last year of high school was a mess- a complete and utter mess. I lost my closest friends, I ended a long relationship, and I sat by my mother when she suddenly became seriously ill. I am not sharing these personally difficult times for sympathy but rather as a means of understanding the severity of my point – that remembering “good things are happening” can help a person through any trial or difficulty in life.
I began the school year surrounded by the people I was closest to, my childhood best friends and my family. I was ecstatic about graduating soon and going on to college. I knew that I wanted my senior year to be memorable, and it definitely was. Towards the beginning of the school year, I found myself feeling “burnt out” with schoolwork and eager to graduate. I was even more eager to be done with high school when my friendships with the two people I was closest to ended. Shortly after that, my mom had a near-death experience and was admitted to the ICU where she stayed for a couple of weeks before being admitted to a regular hospital room.
During this time, I was emotionally numb. Like many girls my age, I consider my mom to be my best friend, so when she unexpectedly became sick, I shut down. I went to school, went to work, went to the hospital, and repeat. Other than family and a couple of friends, I felt rather alone during this hard time. The guy I had been with for a couple of years was too busy with his own hectic life to be there for me, both as a shoulder to cry on and to offer kind, encouraging words. As my mother’s health improved, I decided to end things with my then-boyfriend because I had been unhappy for a while and thought we would both be happier that way.
Losing friendships, my relationship, and watching my mother bounce back from a serious illness took a toll on my mental health. I found myself feeling depressed, exhausted, and even more “burnt out” from school.
During this time, I was gifted a journal titled, “Good Things Are Happening.” Owners of this book are encouraged to write down three moments of joy every day. This gift could not have come at a better time for me. Being a positive-natured person, I was struggling to “see the bright side” of my situation. Forcing myself to write down three moments of happiness helped me overcome my anxieties and sadness. I found myself no longer focusing on what could go wrong but rather what is going right. No more consuming, negative thoughts, but intrusive, positive thoughts instead.
Instead of thinking about how I had been treated unfairly, I was thankful for the good that was still there – the good that was happening. I appreciated the big, blue pansy in the garden at my work, and I wrote down how I laughed at my boss’s joke. I added how good it felt when people complimented my new yellow sweater I wore that day. I wrote about my typically standoffish cat snuggling with me and how nice it was to have dinner with my grandma. I talked about finally understanding math class and how mature I felt going to a doctor appointment all by myself. I mentioned how I had confidently worn a bun to school for the first time and how my family was getting a new dog.
Looking for the good in things made me realize that there are good outcomes from bad incidents and that there is still good even when things may seem bad. I encourage everyone, in any life situation and in any emotional state, to write down three good things every day. Life is going great? Write about it. Bad day? Find three things that were good about it.
1.) You woke up.
2.) The sun was there to greet you.
3.) You were not alone.
Good Things Are Happening (Guided Journal): A Journal for Tiny Moments of Joy – $12.78