It’s the day of an exam in your class and you stayed up late cramming. Oh no, your alarm didn’t go off; it’s now 9:25 and your class starts in five minutes. Your running around like a maniac trying to get an outfit on so you don’t have to run to class in pjs. You show up to class 10 minutes late, your professor lets you take the exam, but you’re those 10 minutes behind everyone else. When you finish, you walk away feeling lost. The exam seemed impossible, and you question yourself ‘did I even study?’ The teacher grades them almost immediately and you see your grade is a 69. Today just seems like the worst day ever and you feel defeated. We’ve all been there, when it seems like the world is against us. Here are some things you can do today that will make you happier on these days, and any day for that matter.
1. Create a positivity jar. All you need is a small jar and sticky notes or pieces of paper. All you have to do is write down positive things on the sticky note and fold it up, then put it in the jar. Then when your pulling an all-nighter and you feel defeated, all you have to do is take a note out of the jar to remind you to keep your head up.
2. “Start each day with one positive thought.” Those are the words on a sign I have hanging above my door. Before I leave my room to start my day, I tell myself one thing to make my day better. Whether it be a compliment like “your hair looks great today” or just reminding yourself that you are proud of yourself for all the hard work you’re doing.
3. Fill your room with positive quotes. I tend to be on the pessimist side of things, so last year I decided to decorate my room with positive quotes and sayings and it really has boosted my mood on those bad days. Having just one sign to remind you to stay positive is really helpful to having a happier day. I even colored signs that I laminated and hung around my mirror on my door, that way when I’m looking at my outfit for the day I have all these positive signs around me.
4. Set reminders. Set a reminder on your phone that alerts you everyday to keep your head up, to keep a positive attitude, or something that says “you look good today.” I set a reminder to keep my head up, that way when I am in class and just feel like I am not getting anything the professor is saying, and I resort to just using my laptop, that reminder will come up. It reminds me literally to look up and pay attention, but also to keep my head up in that today might be an off day but you can do it.
5. Smile. That is one of the simplest things everyone can do. If you think you’ll forget because who doesn’t, sometimes your walking around and you just have a death stare face going on, set a reminder to smile everyday. You know that feeling you get when your walking around and someone smiles at you? Be that someone who smiles. If you make someone else’s day most likely that will make you happier as well as just smiling can make anyone happy.
6. Leave little notes for yourself. Once every two months, sit down with your sticky notes and write some mini notes to yourself, and hide them in un-obvious places, such as in a pair of shoes you don’t wear often, stuck on a random page in your planner, or put it under a cleaner that you use only so often. By doing this, when you go to put those cute shoes on that match your outfit perfectly, you will get a little positive note that will make your day. When your cleaning your room because you have to, and of course it’s after an already stressful day, you can pick up your windex and see there is a note waiting for you to hopefully brighten your day even the slightest. Do this once every two months and change the spots each time, and its bound to make you happier on those random days when you just need the positivity.