You will learn so much about yourself and the people and places you surround yourself with.
The simple steps are so easy and they will make you feel 100 times better about yourself!
1. Smile :) Smile at a stranger, or just smile for yourself! Think positive thoughts and you will have no choice but to smile and be happy. The people around you will be influenced by your attitude as well. You never know what kind of day someone passing by you might be having, so if you're smiling, it could send their day in the right direction!
2. Put your gosh darn phone down! I get it, it's 2014 and you absolutely have to check your e-mail right this second. NEWS FLASH: it can wait! There's a 95% chance it's an assignment from your teacher that you're not actually going to do until tomorrow. If you're out to dinner with friends or at the library rushing to do that assignment, put your phone down and enjoy or focus on the moment you are in. There's nothing more frustrating than trying to engage in conversation with someone who has their phone up in their face.
3. Go for a walk. This is the best way to clear your head and take a breather. Whether it's a walk up the street, a stroll around town or even a hike up a mountain, you are sure to clear your mind. Exploring the environment around you is the best way to get your body grounded and connected with nature.
4. Clean your room. No, I'm not your nagging mother, but YES she is right! If you can't see your floor it's definitely time to do some damage control. Be courageous and break out that vacuum you bought at the beginning of the semester and still haven't taken out of the box. When personal areas, like your desk and room, are clutter-free, your stress levels will automatically reduce. This benefits both you and visitors because really, no one wants to see that pizza box from last weekend.
5. Call your mom. Even if you're not homesick, just do it! She probably misses you more than you think and it's good to get an opinion from someone who can tell you if you're being realistic or actually acting like a nut case. She knows you better than you will ever know yourself so suck it up and give her a ring because she is one of the most helpful people you can turn to.
6. Learn something new. A language, your town's history, anything!! Find something that you are genuinely interested in and run with it. When you expand your mind, doors open up all around you and force you to be more aware. Share your new interest with a friend, or when you make that phone call to mom, you will feel intelligent and your friend will have learned something new too!
7. Travel. The best advice I can give is to study abroad. I have not heard one bad experience come from studying in a foreign country. The classes are just the beginning - aside from the food, culture, people and day trips, traveling will expand your horizons and leave you with some good pictures and even better stories. If you're unable to study abroad, take the time to plan out a weekend adventure! Go to a city you've always wanted to visit and take your best friends on a road trip. Leaving your every day environment will make you feel refreshed!
8. Treat Yo'Self! If you're dieting, go for that cookie from King Street. If it's been a long day and all you want to do is curl up in bed, buy that pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream and it's guaranteed to make you feel better. Take a moment and step back from what is stressing you out and put time aside to treat yourself to something you know will instantly make you feel better.
9. Celebrate! Something. Anything. Birthdays, Fridays, Mondays, whatever! The best pick-me-up is to surround yourself with people you care about and just have fun. Go out to happy hour and then dinner, or go downtown and eat pizza at 2 A.M. Take any time you can to enjoy things other than school and your attitude will improve drastically.
10. Connect with someone new. Making friends in classes can seem awkward at first, but it will be the best tool you use throughout the semester and you'll have someone to study with during finals when your brain becomes fried. There are so many other clubs around campus besides Greek Life and the types of people vary from year to year. Join a new club and you will be connected with people you never met before and they can introduce you to a whole new set of friends.
Start off slow by following only a few of these steps, or jump right in and do as many as you can. Either way, you will notice that your weeks go by faster and your weekends will much more fulfilling.
