To be honest, being a second-year student and looking back at some pictures and Snapchat memories from recent years makes me nostalgic and almost a little sad. In my opinion, it’s one of the worst feelings when you feel that parts of your life have gone downhill, and you’re not the same as you used to be. The truth is, we’re always evolving, and that’s good. While feeling like you’re in a rut is common, the feeling does suck sometimes. We’re at that point of the semester where going to class may be difficult, or we spend so much time (indoors) studying. It’s definitely way easier to say, “I’m going to turn my life around and be happier” than it is to actually do it. It’s something that takes a lot of work and mental strength to be consistent and truly do things for YOU. I took the past week and a half to briefly document how I got out of my funk and hopefully it may be helpful to anyone reading this.
To me, romanticizing life is just being appreciative of the little things. For example, these little things might be waking up and going to class when it’s sunny and cold out so you can breathe in the fresh air or treating yourself to a nice coffee. But like I said before, it’s one thing to want to actively try to improve your wellbeing, and it’s another to actually do it. I’ve heard people say many times: “be the person you wish to be.” Essentially–fake it till you make it.
So, I did exactly that. I started acting like I have the life I’ve always wanted. I’ve been trying new things as if someone was watching me like a vlog. I’ve found this is something that honestly really motivates me. I scroll and scroll on social media watching people who are doing exciting things, not in an escapist way but more to get inspiration because I know it is just a highlight reel. S*** still happens, but trying to live my life in a way where I do things for me is exciting and fun. There may be down days, but those are experiences that just make me stronger in the end.
I’ve used the past couple of weeks to reflect and think about who I want to be. I took myself on dates. I did things like going to the Boston Common and reading a book, going on walks around Back Bay, and just going to the gym to clear my head. I may sound crazy for this, but some days, I even woke up to watch the sunrise from my window with a cup of hot coffee. It was truly amazing. I realized that I used to just go to class in a rush because “I didn’t care” amidst the busy midterm season. But this week I properly got ready for my classes so that I felt good about myself. I pushed myself to do things that prioritized my mental health. I felt like I’d had the busiest week of my life, yet I was content and not stressed at all. That had never happened before; it was an odd feeling. In the past, I used to make myself so busy to distract myself from feeling off, but being present and focusing on my needs has weirdly been the most rewarding. Being able to spend time with oneself first and then others is a quality that I used to envy in other people, but now that I have gained independence, I feel stronger. Don’t get me wrong; there are still going to be days where I feel awful, but I’m going to continue these small things to make sure I don’t fall back down into a hole. To me, the key to getting out of a funk is truly being your own best friend first and foremost.
Here are 5 things you can do to boost your mood:
- Go for a walk.
- Watch your comfort show or movie.
- Find a new recipe to try on Pinterest.
- Call your family.
- Find a new playlist, and clean your room.