The end of the summer means something different for everyone. For me, it means WINTER IS COMING and I should probably start crying. But it also means that the carefree bliss of vacation time is over and it’s bACK TO THE GRIND. I’m graduated, but for a lot of y’all in school, this feeling of vague dread is familiar.
It’s easy to fall into bad habits – we all know that, right? Procrastination, neglecting our physical and mental health, or binging Netflix because WE’VE WORKED HARD FOR TEN MINUTES and we deserve a break. I’m all for chilling out* – but resting isn’t very rewarding when there are things you need to take care of. YES, I’M TALKING ABOUT HEALTHY HABITS. They’re easy to start and hard to maintain but SO WORTH IT. I’m not going to copy and paste someone else’s ideas, here. I’m going to talk about five things that I’ve implemented into my daily life that HELP ME SO MUCH. And I hope these habits will help you, too. LET’S GO.
*don’t look at me like that I’M ALL FOR CHILLING OUT. Even though I only Chill Out™ every other total solar eclipse on the fifth day of the seventh month in the year of the dog. I’M AN EXPERT.
What is the difference between a busy person and a productive person? < I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THAT A LOT. And, as much as it may sting to admit, I tend to be more of a busy person than a productive person. See, I have a disorder; something I like to lovingly refer to as Pack Mule Syndrome™. It’s what happens when you’re ADDICTED TO GETTING STUFF DONE. But here’s the problem: oftentimes the “stuff” we’re “getting done” is not actually moving us closer to our ultimate goals. Busy people do a lot – but they don’t necessarily move forward in their dreams and plans.
It’s really easy to get depressed when you lose sight of your goals. Which is why you need to stay focused on your biggest priorities and dreams. There’s nothing more discouraging than plodding through your daily tasks and getting a lot of stuff done, but feeling like you’re stuck, no longer moving closer to your ultimate goal. IS THIS YOU?? BECAUSE THIS IS ME.
Here’s what I’ve done to help myself: I made list of places I want to be at the end of the year. (Not like geographical places because that list would be short: MY HOUSE. End of list.) But I asked myself, “where do I want to be on the journey of chasing my dreams?” Realistically, of course. I don’t expect to conquer the world in a month. BUT NO ONE CAN ACCUSE ME OF SETTING UNREALISTIC GOALS, RIGHT? *crickets*
This is what I recommend doing to stay focused:
• Make a list of the places you want to be in this journey of “chasing your dreams.” For example: by the end of this year, I want to finish rewriting my current novel, write another novel in November, start editing my NaNo novel from last year, record and produce more covers and videos, make progress on my first album, etc. I COULD GO ON BUT I DON’T WANT TO GIVE AWAY ALL MY SECRET PROJECTS.*
• Figure out what is realistic on that list. Under-commit! You can always over-achieve! All the things I just listed are things that I can realistically accomplish in four months. But they’re all rather daunting, aren’t they? That’s why you have to…
• Do one thing EVERY DAY that brings you closer to your goal. Take things one step at a time. Inch by inch, anything is a cinch. Just put one foot in front of the other and pretty soon YOU’LL HAVE MET YOUR GOAL. Boom.
Take the time to stop what you’re doing RIGHT NOW and make this list. Even if you’re not the type to plan things. You have to have a clear focus of where you’re going OR ELSE!! YOU WILL BE SAD!! I PROMISE!!
*such as the one about conquering the world…like…that’s pretty confidential information bro
You might be a seasoned journaler (journalist? uhhh) or you might be like “journaling is NOT for me” but EITHER WAY: hear me out. Because I want to share something important that I’ve learned about journaling. At the beginning of the year, I did a post about being an observer instead of a critic and in that post I talked about this thing called “Morning Pages”. Basically it’s the act of opening a notebook (or word document) and brain-dumping your stream of consciousness onto the page, just to clear your head. I LIKE THIS. It’s a good method, and for a while it worked for me. But one day…it stopped working for me. Here’s why.
I started noticing that my “stream of consciousness” focused a lot on the negative. Not necessarily Bad Thoughts™ but just…STRESS. I would write down whatever was on my mind, and what was on my mind?? To-do lists and schedules and deadlines and things I failed to accomplish the day before, which led to more thoughts of anxiety and self-depreciation. I started feeling like crap after I wrote in my journal and FRIENDS, THAT’S NOT WHAT A JOURNAL IS FOR.
Recently, I heard someone say that writing something down makes us remember it more. Which means every time you put pen to paper and write down an experience, emotion, or thought process, it will automatically become more present in your brain, whether you like it or not. THAT, QUITE FRANKLY, IS SCARY. When I was journaling my “morning pages” at the beginning of the year, I discovered that the process wasn’t helping me, but emotionally hurting me. I only multiplied the stress and anxiety in my mind by thinking about it and writing it down.
So I changed THREE THINGS about my journaling experience:
• I started journaling in the evening, at the end of my day, instead of first thing in the morning. I don’t know about you, but when I wake up in the morning I’m READY TO GO, YO. I’m full of energy and ready to jump straight into my work for the day. Sitting down to write in a journal feels more chill, so I added it to my nightly routine.
• I started writing down ONLY positive experiences and emotions. If your brain has quick access to just ONE POSITIVE EXPERIENCE every day (or every night when you go to bed) I guarantee you will be a happier person. It’s SCIENCE.
• I started making a gratitude list. Don’t have anything positive to journal about? Make a list of THREE THINGS you’re grateful for. They don’t have to be cosmic and scholarly; in fact, BE SUPERFICIAL. Be grateful for your eyesight, or your dog, or your favorite lipstick. Be grateful for the little things that make your life a bit brighter.
This leaves us with a question, though: WHAT DO YOU DO WITH ALL THOSE NEGATIVE EMOTIONS AND THOUGHTS??? You’re human, so you’re bound to have some. But don’t write them down. Don’t bottle them up, either.* TALK TO SOMEONE. Seriously. I know you’re thinking “I don’t want to burden them” but it’s NOT a burden. Find someone who understands you – maybe your mom or your dad or your sister or your teacher or ME I’LL BE YOUR SAGE – and tell them what’s going on in your head. Ask for advice. Or just vent, that works too. In my experience, talking gets things off your chest. Writing things down just keeps them alive.
*brb gotta sweep 2709843353908098 bottles of Emotions™ under the carpet don’t mind me
EVERY DAY FOR AT LEAST 20 MINUTES. I know y’all hate this one, but I just had to say it because! it! helps! so! much! If you’re in school, you’re doubtless sitting around all day. If you’re working, it’s probably a desk job. Exercise isn’t just great for your physical health – it’s also paramount for your mental health, too. Think about it: stagnant body = stagnant mind. But if you’re anything like me and you WORK YOUR BRAIN TO THE BONE* every day, you don’t want to motivate yourself to exercise. YOU CAN’T. See? You’re falling asleep already.
So, set yourself up for greatness instead! I RECOMMEND DOING YOGA VIDEOS. At least try it out before you dismiss the idea. Yoga doesn’t have to be about culture or religion – to simplify, it’s MOVING YOUR BODY AND DEEP BREATHING AND BEING PRESENT. That’s all it is. And the nice thing about yoga videos is that they are 100% free and you don’t have to plan a workout ahead of time. All you have to do is show up, pick a video that matches the amount of time you have, click play, and follow along. I’ve been doing yoga for the past five years and I can’t even begin to tell you how much it has changed my life. My favorite teacher is Adriene because she’s funny and chill and ALL fitness levels can do her videos. TRY IT OUT. DO IT FOR THE WORLD.
*don’t overthink the impracticality of that sentence ok
EVERY DAY FOR AT LEAST 3 MINUTES. If I’m getting way too mystical for you, PLEASE DON’T LEAVE. Hear me out. Meditation isn’t just about forgetting your cares for a blissfully ignorant moment or two – it’s about learning how to control your thoughts and live in harmony with your mind. (Something we could use more of today, in a world full of anxious people…myself included.)
I don’t care how busy you are: EVERYONE HAS AT LEAST 3 MINUTES TO THEMSELVES. I’m just getting started on my meditation journey, but already I can see improvement in my mental and emotional health. I recommend the app Headspace. Their starter program is totally free and totally awesome, with ten days’ worth of 3-minute meditations. You can also search for short guided mediations on YouTube. IT’S AMAZING HOW RESOURCEFUL PEOPLE ARE. And it’s amazing how even a 3-minute meditation can rinse the clutter from your mind and leave you feeling refreshed. DO IT PLEASE. You won’t regret it.
This one can be hard, sometimes!! Especially if you’re like me and have Pack Mule Syndrome™ and would sooner keep working than kick back and enjoy your life. This is the part where you have to ask yourself: why do I work? SO I CAN WORK SOME MORE? NO. SO I CAN ENJOY MY FREAKING LIFE. It’s often harder than you might think. But it’s so important to make time to do the things you love to do. And here’s why:
Happy people are more successful. *drops mic*
I WISH THAT I WAS ALL I HAD TO SAY TO CONVINCE YOU. Most people see it like this: work hard, be successful, THEN you’ll be happy. But that’s actually not scientific. That’s centuries-old corporate workforce indoctrination from the industrial revolution!!! YAY. WHY ARE WE STILL FOLLOWING THIS ADVICE? If we pay closer attention to what actually happens in the brains of unsuspecting humans we would see this formula instead: be happy, and therefore be more efficient and more motivated to work hard…and success is inevitable. Watch this TED talk and be forever changed. BE HAPPY, OKAY? JUST BE HAPPY.
I know from experience that healthy habits are FREAKING HARD to maintain. But when you DO maintain them, your quality of life is so much improved. Do this for yourself as well as all the people who know you. And spread the love! Share this post with someone who may need it. Especially if you’ve gotten this far and you’re like “pfft I don’t need any of this I’m the healthiest habitat EVER THANKYOUVERYMUCH.” If that is you, please email me and teach me how to be invincible. It might come in handy later.
What healthy habits keep you happy and productive? Add to this list in the comments!! HELP ME OUT. Do you already practice some of these habits? Which one is your favorite? What are your thoughts on journaling? And prioritizing? Are you ready for me to shut up yet??
rock on,
abbiee
