“Life is a repeated, endless kick to the nuts. And then when you think you’ve got the hang of it, life is like, ‘Hey, I’ve got these new boots I’d like to try out on your nuts!’ And you say, ‘Well, you’ve been kicking me for so long that I’ll be able to see it coming and avoid the kick,’ but life says, ‘Actually, I’ve been training in a new form of nut karate, so I can kick you in ways you didn’t even realize were possible.’” – Dan Avidan
In college, when you’re doing thousands of different things at the same time, it’s inevitable that all of those things will come crashing down at once. And you will want to do nothing but stay in bed and watch Studio Ghibli movies until the wave passes. I’ve been there! But there are tons of ways you can make your day from hell just a little bit better, and sometimes that’s all you need. Here are a few that I use:
-
Listen to a podcast. It can be informative or funny (or both!), but it’s a great distraction while you’re walking to class, cleaning your room, brushing your teeth, riding the bus, or eating breakfast. Over winter break, I started listening to “Badvertising”, a comedy podcast that takes well-known brands and uses them in “viral failure” ad campaigns. If you’re a gamer like me (can I even call myself a gamer anymore when the only games I’ve played this year are Mario Kart and mobile rhythm games?), let’s play videos and Twitch streams also make great makeshift podcasts.
-
Exercise! If hitting the treadmill or the weight room sounds daunting, have no fear! Taking a walk and getting some fresh air is just as valuable, especially if you’ve been sitting in the same spot for a few hours.
-
Make a playlist of music that’s guaranteed to get you pumped up. There are some songs that just make you happy no matter the situation (mine include “Mr. Brightside”, “Shut Up and Dance”, and anything by Doja Cat) so put all of those onto one playlist and shuffle it up whenever you need it.
-
Write things down! This can go a lot of different ways. You could write down a to-do list of everything that needs to get done during the day and enjoy checking things off. Or you could write down three things you’re grateful for or three good things that happened every day. Or you could start writing down whatever thoughts you have, like a diary but with less pressure. I’ve started a folder on my Google Docs where I just write down random thoughts, and some of those are far from personal. Yesterday I went on a rant about how Cytus 1 is better than Cytus 2. (Which it is.) Anything goes!
-
Find something to look forward to every week. Maybe the new episode of your favorite show comes out every Thursday, or you grab lunch with your best friend every Monday, or you FaceTime your sibling back home on Friday mornings. You’ll anticipate it throughout the week, and then when it happens, you’ll think “Wait, it’s Friday already?”
-
Eat your favorite food (preferably something containing chocolate). If you always have too many points like me, splurge a little! Get that ice cream bar you love and #treatyoself.
-
Carve out some time for Dog Therapy! In case you didn’t know, Dog Therapy is a cozy little spot in Waltham where, for just $10, you can play with puppies. It helps them learn to socialize with humans and other dogs, and (I cannot stress this enough) you get to play with puppies! The last time I went, two puppies fell asleep on me. Top ten best moments of my life.
-
Clean your room (even if it’s just some of it). Whether it’s organizing your bookshelf, vacuuming the floor, or taking out your trash, every little bit helps.
-
Go to sleep earlier. This is harder to do when you have lots of work to do, but set a time when you can say “I’ve done all I can do for today” and get some rest. Even if you just go to sleep half an hour earlier than usual, it’ll make all the difference.
-
Don’t underestimate the power of the Internet. There’s a reason we all love Vine compilations as much as we do. Cute and funny videos always help, and if they’re less than a minute long, you won’t feel like you’ve wasted any time. This one’s a classic. So is this one. And this one gave me a good chuckle.