Month: November 2021

This week’s blog is going to deal with the self-care or self-love aspect of my blog…I am not really sure which category this would go under. Maybe just self-appreciation or self-reflection?

This week’s blog is about writing down what you are grateful for. I started writing down, or rather typing down, what I am grateful for for the New Year, and I have found it very nice to keep track of little joys. Now one thing to know about me is that I am not a huge journaler, at least a physical one. I would get stressed out if I missed a page or a day or misspelled something. I instead keep track of what I am grateful for in my phone. I have been doing 1 Second a Day since the first day of my junior year, but I just started this year writing down what I am grateful for in my little journal feature.

I was actually with my friends this weekend and I was showing them my little journal entries, and the majority of them said I was grateful for spending time with them. It made me reflect on how much I am truly grateful to have found good friends here. I also had written down other things, and I realized some days I had more I was grateful for than others, or at least new things. I usually never write down things I am always grateful for but sometimes forget about, like my ability to get an education, my health, my family and friends, etc. I am excited to look back on my journal entries at the end of the year and see what some of my best memories were, or even the simplest of joys, like a sunny day.

There is research behind this as well. According to NPR, “Studies have found that giving thanks and counting blessings can help people sleep better, lower stress and improve interpersonal relationships.” This is especially relevant as this is the week before Thanksgiving break, and we have much to be thankful for, especially this year. We are grateful to have graduated high school, made it to college, and for the memories we have made so far, whether it be going to a football game or going out to dinner with your friends. Laurie Santos is a psychologist who teaches at Yale a course on the science of well-being, and I actually took the Coursera course over quarantine. I found many of her teachings to be easy in theory to practice, but sometimes actually hard to follow. It’s hard every day, especially when you have had a bad day, to reflect and find something good that happened. However, I can promise you, you can find at least one thing to be grateful for. I love the power of positive thinking, and I always try to remain positive.

So this week I want you to not even necessarily write down what you are grateful for, but maybe just think about it. Not only may it offer some health benefits, but it has also helped me become more confident and happier, and it is a good practice just in general. I highly recommend it, even though it is something small and simple. Sometimes those are the best things.

This week’s blog is going to deal with the self-care aspect of my blog.

Spontaneity is something that I have been learning to accept and appreciate, especially in college. I am someone who usually has a plan for the week or a day, with a checklist of tasks to complete. However, some of my favorite memories in college so far have been spontaneous decisions, or just unusual ones.

This week I decided I really needed a break from schoolwork, so while I had a short break I invited a friend to go with me to Barnes and Noble. This seems like something small but a) I really wanted to get a book and b) I really wanted to hang out with my friend. It turned out to be a beautiful day, and I was thrilled I got to get off campus and have a little mid-day adventure.

I got the book, How to Stop Time by Matt Haig, and I cannot wait to read it. I have been really sad I have not had the chance to read as much as I did when I was younger, so I really want to make an effort to read more every now and then. We sat at the cute little Starbucks café and I got a rustic apple tart with a strawberry acai lemonade, and we just sat and talked for an hour or so which was so nice. I got a book, food, and time with my friend out of my little adventure.

Your spontaneous or unusual decision for the week obviously does not have to be a trip to Barnes and Noble. I also went to the movies this weekend to see Eternals, which I highly recommend seeing. While I did plan the trip a few days before, I encourage you to take a trip (when you can obviously, like when you have lighter homework that night), and just go see a movie. There have been a slow but steady release of movies being released, especially for Marvel’s Phase 4. Personally, if you do go see a movie I recommend watching Eternals. Little side panel, I am irritated by the critics’ reviews of the film; it was absolutely beautiful, with more emotionality than most Marvel films. I think people are reluctant to change, and this was definitely a change from the usual MCU movies. However, I don’t think this is necessary a bad thing. We had the superhero phase, and while this is still a superhero movie, it is not like Iron Man or Captain America. Also, kudos for the diverse cast. I know this was another thing people were critiquing, but if people are making these comments I feel like they probably never felt the need to be represented. I also love Gemma Chan! Overall, highly recommend seeing!

Whether it is a trip to a bookstore or seeing a movie or doing something else, I encourage you to do something small but spontaneous this week to make you just a little happier. Catch up with a friend over coffee, try out a new restaurant, whatever it is, just allow yourself to take a break every now and then and do something small for yourself. Life is short, and so is college. Do something once a day, or at least once a week, that you can look back and say I am so happy I did that.