As college students, we experience an immense amount of stress and often question why we are working so hard, taking classes that make us miserable. In times like these, it is not outrageous to ask yourself if you are happy here and heading in the right direction. After taking a creative writing class with an absolutely amazing professor who made us all meditate before the start of class, I found myself walking away with an extreme appreciation of the life I have been given, feeling inspired to be and do better. If you find yourself lost looking for your happiness, meditate on the following questions.
Do you like the person that you have become?
First and foremost, you need to have self-love. It’s a common cliché that if you want anyone else to love you, you need to love yourself first. But it really is so true that in order to be happy you have to like the person you have become and the decisions that you make on a daily basis. If looking back you realize that you don’t like the decisions you have made, then your morals are not aligning with your actions and some adjustments need to be made. It’s impossible to be happy if you don’t like the person you are. There is nothing anyone can do for you to fix this. You need to find self-acceptance.
Do you feel loved by others?
Watching the current season of The Bachelor, my heart broke for Ben H. when he expressed his feeling of being unlovable. This fear definitely plays on one’s sense of worth and self-confidence. In order to be happy, you need to love yourself and allow yourself to be loved by others.
Do you take time to reflect and appreciate all that you have been given?
I often think about how lucky I am to go to such an amazing university and have such a wonderful, caring family. Reminding yourself of all that you are grateful for will lighten your mood and can seriously turn your entire day around. Meditate. At first I felt a little goofy closing my eyes and breathing so loudly. You don’t have to go to a yoga class or a workshop on meditation and self-reflection. You can simply write down all that you are grateful for, or just think about it while you are out for a run. Figure out what works for you and when you are most comfortable. To start out, I suggest trying to think of at least three things a day that you are grateful for. I guarantee you will be much happier and positive by the end of the week.
Do you enjoy the majority of your classes?
Obviously we all have to take core requirements that we really aren’t interested in to graduate on time. So this question might not apply to undecided freshmen or sophomores who are still trying to find their way. But for upperclassmen with major-concentrated schedules, do you generally enjoy the topic being taught in those classes? If the answer is no, this is a red flag that you may be heading in the wrong direction. After all, your major corresponds to a career later on in life, and if you aren’t happy with it now, chances are that feeling won’t change after graduation. Meet with an advisor and sort out your priorities to steer your major into a happy career.
Are you surrounding yourself with people who lift you up?
Are your friends constantly there to support you in times of need? Do they push you to go after what you want in life? We all have those friends whom we only see on the weekends that are really just there to have a good time. It’s okay to have friends like this because we all need to let loose and have a little fun, but you also need the type of friends who drag your hung-over butt out of bed on Sunday morning for a run and a trip to the library. You should surround yourself with people who push you to be better.
Do you make time for things that make you happy?
Whether this is setting aside 30 minutes a day to go on a nature walk, meditate, knit, read or watch your favorite TV show, it is super important to set aside some time to do things that you really enjoy.
I found my own happiness by surrounding myself with amazingly supportive people (family included), loving others and allowing myself to be loved, meditating and reminding myself of all that I am grateful of, and making time for things that I love. I hope this helps you find your happiness, too.