"The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts" - Marcus Aurelius

The quote above does not take into consideration the lack of freedom some people in this world have. Not everyone has the privilege to simply change their mindset and determine a better outcome. But in America, we still have the power to live by this quote, despite systematic racism. The past few months have felt very heavy for many people all over the country, especially people of marginalized communities, most recently due to the election results. I too have struggled keeping myself motivated as the semester ends and I find myself generally being upset, tired, sad, and overall very unhappy. My campus is located in a county where many of the students here have seen Trump signs in lawns, and even on school property; although most of the county voted for Hilary. Many of us have reported feeling very unsafe but unfortunately, because some still view the election as a political thing in which people should be unbiased, not much has been done to help these students feel safer. I imagine other minority students feel the same way at other institutions. While I don’t want people most affected by these results to just move on and ignore how they have been feeling, it’s also very important to take care of ourselves mentally and emotionally. Here is a list of 10 things to do as this year ends to feel safer, and overall more comforted:

1. Play music on your walk to class.

I would rather not hear the n-word being yelled at me from a giant moving truck, so I like to put my headphones on and listen to Solange. If you choose to do this, be extremely alert of your surroundings since you can’t hear anything.

2. Be alert at night.

This is definitely a time you don’t want to listen to music. Have your keys ready and keep moving forward with your head up.

3. Surround yourself with your closest friends.

I have found laughter in a safe place, with safe people is very healing and needed even more now.

4. Do more things that bring you joy.

Whether you like arts & crafts, playing guitar, playing with Legos or painting, taking time to enjoy the things you love most will ease your mind and bring you peace. It will also give you something else to focus on other than the negatives.

5. Write a letter to your fears.

If you love to write, writing about what scares you, then tossing it away could be great therapy. Not every writer enjoys thinking about and therefore writing about their fears, but this could be something to help you get out everything you have been holding in.

6. Download Companion.

Companion is an amazing app for iPhones and Androids where you can track where a friend, colleague, family member is going. If they are traveling at night, this is especially nice and you get notified when they have arrived safely. It also notifies the police if you have been stagnant for too long.

7. Capture the good times.

I love photography, so taking pictures of the things that matter most has been something I’ve been doing this whole semester. I love the app Parabo where I can put these non-Facebook and Instagram photos on my wall to look at and keep. They are great reminders of the joy and beauty life can bring.

8. Check off things on your to-do list.

If you’re like me, motivation has been hard to keep. Deadlines just seem to roll past and next thing you know you have a bunch of back-work to do and deadlines approaching. Checking off things on your to-do list is a great way to keep an account of the things you have accomplished, ever during hard times.

9. Watch cartoons.

Although I love How to Get Away with Murder, Bobs Burgers has just been life right now. It’s been hard for me to watch live-action films and shows because I’ve needed things so ridiculous and far from reality that cartoons have just been the most comforting to watch.

10. Indulge in comfort foods.

It hailed the other night, so we are definitely in cold weather right now. Drink tea and hot-chocolate and foods that make you feel warm and good inside.