With a Twist: Five Places to Put Some Positivity in Your Life

 

We made it – we are in the home stretch of school. With only a few weeks left and some big projects, papers and exams due soon it is easy to slip into a stressed mood and a negative mindset. However, do not be discouraged, because all it takes is a reminder of the importance of positivity to change your day, week and, hopefully, the rest of your semester. Therefore, this blog is dedicated to providing five places to put some positivity in your life – with a twist.

Your phone.

Admittedly, I love social media and know firsthand that my phone is a blessing and a curse. While it may provide me with endless hours of entertainment, it can  also be a source of negativity in my life. More specifically, it is easy to compare oneself to others when scrolling through social media feeds. Remind yourself that you should never compare yourself to another person and that in many cases, happiness is different than the screen suggests.

Your eating area.

Whether this is your desk, a table at EVK or a spot outside in the Campus Center, remember to have a positive mindset when it comes to food. As always, it is important to eat healthy, but don’t think of eating healthy food as a challenge, but rather a way to promote positivity in your life. If you eat clean, you feel clean – it is as simple as that. Incorporating healthy foods into your diet will promote a positive mindset and fuel your body with the nutrients it needs to keep your energy and spirits up.

Your mirror.

As cliche as it may sound, placing sticky notes around your mirror with some words of inspiration will actually make a difference. You don’t have to put a cheesy phrase on the note to promote positivity, but do pick an aspect of your life that you want to improve – from posting about having a positive body image to recalling a source of motivation to keep up your studies.

Your gym.

If you have been reading my blog, you know I am a huge advocate for working out, but it is not always easy to motivate yourself to go to the gym (check out my previous blog post for some inspiration!). Nevertheless, it is critical for your emotional wellbeing to get some exercise, whether it is going for a walk around campus or taking a workout class with a friend. Use exercise as your excuse to take some time for yourself in your day and don’t view it as a way to lose weight, but rather as a way to get in a positive state of mind for leading a healthy lifestyle.

Your home.

Whether you are living with your family, friends or roommates, spread some positivity to those around you by encouraging positive behavior. The past four steps will help your personal wellbeing when it comes to promoting positivity, but now it is time for you to teach these tools to others.

Carly Price is a freshman majoring in journalism. Her column, With a Twist, runs every week on Wednesday.