I’m not too proud to say that recently, I’ve been in a funk. Now, I’ve been in funks before; I’m used to dealing with a surge of emotion that comes on out of nowhere and sits on my chest, and crushes me to the point where I can’t breathe. Oh yes, I’ve dealt with the random moments of sadness. I feel like most of us have; the amount of stress placed on us can be overwhelming (school, work, social life). And on top of this stress, there’s loneliness and disappointment. Up until now, I thought I could handle these moments. Normally, I’ll feel this way for a day or so, but when the week ends I’ll go out and have fun with my friends, and surely enough, my mood adjusts. But recently, this funk has been weighing heavier and heavier on me. The feeling won’t seem to go away. Now, don’t be concerned. I’m in a perfectly healthy state of mind. I just can’t seem to shake this feeling of uneasiness. And I know I’m not the only one – my roommate seems to be experiencing the same kind of feeling so I took it upon myself to try to find ways for us to get out of this funk. We’re over it. It’s time to say goodbye to the funk.
1. Force yourself to smile, even when you don’t want to.
The simple act of smiling is known to make you happy. But along with this, most importantly you need to try to think positive. Positive thoughts bring positive energy. And if you think you’re happy, you will become happy. It’s all about the thinking.
2. Keep a gratitude journal.
I know it’s a struggle for most of us to even wake up in the morning, let alone take the time to keep a journal. However, reminding yourself of the things you are grateful for helps you put your life in perspective. For me, I know most of the time when I’m upset my go to phrase is “I hate my life.” But do I really hate my life? No. Try to remind yourself of the good things and when you do so, you’ll realize there’s not much to be upset about.
3. Avoid comparisons.
This is my biggest struggle. In today’s society, I feel as though there is a tendency to compare ourselves to others. Little do we know that this can be damaging to our happiness and our self-esteem. Instead of worrying about others, focus on your own personal achievements, and your own goals. Do what makes you happy instead of worrying about others. You are who you are for a reason – you weren’t born to be someone you’re not (as cheesy as that sounds).
4. Money shouldn’t matter.
As a college student, the past three years here have made me realize how much value our society places on money – it really does run the world. And as a college student, I’ve realized that I have a limited supply of it. Studies have shown the more we seek satisfaction from material goods, the less we find. Researchers have also found people who place money on a pedestal are more at risk for depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. So who cares if you can’t buy that new dress because it’s too expensive? Take something you have and make it new. Or hit up a thrift shop. You can pop tags with only 20 dollars in your pocket (if you didn’t already know).
5. Set meaningful goals.
Right now, my goal is to graduate college next year and try (fingers crossed) to find a job. That is my focus. Striving to achieve a goal puts you at a higher happiness level than those who don’t have a strong goal or aspiration. As humans, having some sort of purpose gives us meaning. And once you accomplish that goal, you get a sense of pride that you will always remember. To be honest, the goal doesn’t even have to be as big as graduating and getting a job. It could be as simple as going to the gym every week or getting an “A” on that next big paper. Achievement brings pride and pride brings happiness. It’s as simple as that.
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