Natural ways to turn your frown upside down
College can provide some of the greatest times and memories of our lives but it can also be some of the most stressful. Maintaining friendships, romantic relationships, grades, and finances can leave anyone feeling tired and defeated. If you’ve fallen victim to the sad face because of these many demands, here are a few simple tips that may help.
1. Exercise – Exercising is not only good for your health and appearance. It is a great way to relieve anxieties. There are so many different forms of exercise that it’s almost impossible to not find one you like that will also work well with your schedule.
2. Speaking of schedules, some of those timing frustrations you have can be eliminated, or at least lessened, by investing in a planner. You can write down what needs to be done and set brackets of time to work on the tasks listed. Not only will this help to evenly distribute your time, it will also make you feel more accomplished and feeling more accomplished often leaves a person feeling much more pleasant.
3. Writing down more than your daily tasks can help you even more. Keep a journal and use it to write down how you feel. It’s a great personal way to vent. Also, it can lead you to discovering what is bothering you the most, allowing you the clarity to understand and correct the troubling issues.
4. If personal affirmations are not enough, talking to someone that you trust is among one of the best ways to feel better. Just be sure that the person you confide in isn’t a “Negative Nancy.” This can be a tricky one because Negative Nancy just may be your best friend or roommate, but understand that pairing misery with misery only leads to more miserable people and feelings and nothing gets solved. You know those overly optimistic people that make you roll your eyes at times? Well, you would be surprised how much better they might help you to feel when you are down.
5. Find positive distractions – Of course, this should not be done in excess because it could lead to neglect of other important responsibilities. Still, in times of feeling blue, treating yourself to something nice, listening to your favorite upbeat music, taking part in a hobby you enjoy, or watching something comical is a great way to boost your mood.
6. Remind yourself of the positives in your life – There are many ways to do this; some may do it by simply reflecting on past achievements. Others do it by visually creating a “happy space” full of awards and the things that have led to successes in their lives. Either way, this approach can serve as a reminder of good times and give you the inspiration to create even more moments to be proud of.
Opt to use all of these methods if just one doesn’t do the trick for you. Sure, you can worry, but you can also be happy.
