being happy

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To be completely honest, I’ve had a pretty rough past few days. Last week was emotionally difficult as someone really important to me had to move away from the CU. I’ve had trouble adjusting and for the first few days after they left, I felt like I couldn’t stop sulking, which was really frustrating because I’m usually a pretty upbeat person. I didn’t feel like myself for the whole week.

I debated on whether or not I wanted to talk about going through this transition, and although I believe that finding time to reflect on the negative is necessary, I have come to realize that life really does go on. There is so much happiness that we are able to create, find, and share in our world just by allowing ourselves to accept it. So, for this post I’m going to talk about how I stayed happy this week, in hopes that you will also find comfort and joy in reading this. No matter what type of day you’re going through, I believe it’s always important to spread love. So here we go!
1. Unplug

I found that going outside and getting off my phone was one of the best ways to clear my mind. I’m quite easily distracted, so whenever I spend too long on social media I end up not only wasting my time, but also my energy. Being all caught up in other people’s lives through your screen can honestly be emotionally taxing, and you start getting into this cycle of checking your phone, comparing yourself to other people, and potentially being upset. So I turned off all of my notifications for Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter, and my mom and I took a walk outside on a sunny afternoon instead. My phone was no longer buzzing and I could just focus on myself. With the gentle breeze in my hair and the sunshine falling onto my face, it felt so nice to just breathe. Sometimes, that’s all you need. A breath of fresh air.

2. Drinking water/Eating healthy

Okay you’re probably like, “when did Grace become a middle aged soccer-mom daily blogger?” and the answer is I have always been a middle aged soccer mom on the inside (just no blog until now). I truly believe that drinking water is one of the most important things to do! Just like fresh air, water allows your body to refresh - it helps with your energy levels, brain function, digestion, circulation, and maintains your body temperature. When your body is happy, it helps your mind to be happy so it’s important to be healthy. Have you ever thought about how good fruits are? They’re so good. It’s not cherry season anymore (very sad) but blueberries and blackberries taste so good right now! Also have you ever had carrots and cucumbers with pine nut hummus?! Or like! Steamed broccoli and corn! So good:)

3. Not eating healthy lol

Just because I enjoy some good fruits and veggies d e f i n i t e l y doesn’t mean I don’t indulge in some good desserts. In fact, on Saturday I was feeling down again so I went out of my way (with my bff Katherine Ahlgren) to get cookie dough and premade sugar cookies at County Market. I still have no regrets, although I might have contracted salmonella (jokes! Mom if you’re reading this I’m joking I’m fine). Having a few sweets always turns a frown upside down, especially when you get to share those sweets with people who are willing to listen to you and spend quality time with you! (Love you Kat.)

4. Writing

I spent a lot of time journaling over this past week. I often go to my journal when there’s something big on my mind that I don’t want to speak to other people about, and this week was no exception. My journal knows all my secrets, biggest worries, happiest memories, and everything in between. Being able to write down what I’m thinking is like just like confiding in a friend who will never tell a single soul anything that you say. It allows for a lot of introspection and I can physically see all the rollercoasters my mind does, but on paper instead of confined in my head. It allows me to grow from what I’ve been through, and is really therapeutic. 10/10 would recommend:)

5. Music

My blog post last week was about how much love I have for music, but I have to include it on my list of happy here. I mentioned in that post that music is my therapist, and boy has it helped me through this week. I made two new playlists, one named “it’s gonna be okay” and one named “i am calm and happy”. It’s easy to giggle at these playlist titles, and it’s okay to. I have chosen to be transparent with myself and listening to just the right music allows me to think deeply and/or positively in order for me to grow through experience. The first playlist is made of chill, ballad-type songs that get me in the #feels but rightly so - I listen to this when I’m feeling down and want to think about it. I think it’s unhealthy to ignore the negative and fake the positive, so listening to music that reflects how I’m feeling allows me to be honest with myself and address the sad before I explore the happy. The second playlist are songs that are also chill but make me really happy, and while listening I oftentimes am filled with a feeling of gratitude. Trying to explain the feeling won’t do these songs justice, so here are a few songs on that playlist:

Saturday Sun by Vance Joy, Loving is Easy by Rex Orange County, Seventeen by Troye Sivan, Make You Feel My Love by Adele. If you ever need a smile - turn one of these songs on:)

It’s inevitable that we are going to have bad days, and I know that a lot of seniors are going through the stress of college apps and juniors, I know it’s rough… But there’s a lot to be thankful for in our own little worlds. So if there’s anything to take away from this blog post, I hope you remember to stay honest with yourself, take a breath from time to time, and find joy in the little things.