Now that October has passed, we have officially moved into November and clore to the season of giving. As college students, it is often difficult for us to look past our current everyday stressors and see the things that contribute to our betterment as people. The season of gratitude that is commonly associated with Thanksgiving and Fall Break is especially important this year. We need to make sure that we are still practicing gratitude and mindfulness.
Show appreciation for the people around you.
Saying thank you is a staple of kindness that we all learned as children that still carries weight into our adulthood. Remember to show appreciation for the people who care for you and who help to make your day better. You can do this easily by sending a text to a close friend but a little handwritten note can give someone a big smile. My roommate and I used to leave each other little messages on sticky notes, wishing each other good weekends or good days when we were on differing schedules and they always made me smile.
During a time of such great isolation, it is important that people know that they are cared for. We like to feel good and it should make us feel good to make others happy as well. Sharing your happiness and care for others can make our society more compassionate and understanding towards one another, two things that further contribute to the gratitude of what we have as people who belong to our communities.
Count your blessings.
You do not necessarily need to make a list of everything wonderful in your life (though I hope it would take you forever to do that). You can instead practice mindfulness every night before you go to bed and list five to ten things you are grateful for either in your personal life or in the wider global sphere.
If you are a list making kind of person, some people find it fulfilling to start a gratitude journal. Everyday they can take the time to express gratitude and write down things that they are thankful for. Taking this time to practice mindfulness and reflect upon your day can help you relax and think positively. Leading a more positive life will make you happier overall and will contribute to the betterment of your emotional well-being.
A gratitude journal would also allow you to have something of expression to look back upon. If you are having a bad day or feeling sad in a moment, seeing a visual representation of things in your life that are happy or helpful can help pull you out of that slump. Giving yourself time to work through your feelings while reminding yourself that there are still good things to look at will help you refresh.
Do not feel guilty about looking forward to things.
I think during times where there are so many scary and dark things happening, we feel guilty expressing emotions of discomfort and excitement. What is important is to remember that our feelings are valid and so are we. We need to continue to feel free to express how we feel, even if sometimes that means we can step away from how the world is, and focus in on ourselves.
We should not feel guilty for looking forward to things. It is good that there are good things on the horizon and just because we are experiencing something bad or neutral does not mean we should ignore that there are good things on the horizon. I am not proposing ignoring what we are experiencing in favor of looking past them, but it is helpful to look towards goals and rewards.
For example, Thanksgiving break is coming up soon and for West Chester students, this will be our first break from classes where we can spend a bit more time with family or friends (safely still, of course). In preparation of this break, I have a bit of a countdown running with my family because I have not been able to be with them for several months. This countdown also includes the understanding of all of the tasks I have set out to accomplish before the promise of a break so that when that time comes, I can actually relax for a bit and have some separation from my work and assignments.
