I feel like I've had the best summer ever, and it's not even
finished yet. I wanted to share the 5 things that have made me the happiest
these last 6 weeks.
1. Waking up early-
If you know me, then you know that I like to sleep. A lot. I used to think that
the day didn’t actually start until 11am because that was the time I got out of
bed to begin my day. As I’ve gotten older, however, I’ve realized that if I
wake up at 11am, I will only get about 6 hours of “the day” to be productive
before it’s nighttime and I have to start winding down for bed. Despite feeling
this way, I wasn’t willing to forgo sleep to wake up earlier. One reason I was
sleeping so late was because I would stay up until 2am in an effort to get some
quiet time. After my recent yoga retreat, however, I realized that I can get
the same quiet between the hours of 6am and 9am. Waking up at 6am also means
that the days are longer and I’m more productive. And the final bonus is the
great afternoon naps I’ve been having lately.
2. Spotify- I had Spotify Premium back in grad
school, but that was before they’d worked out some of the major issues with the
app, so I deleted it and never thought about it again. On a recent drive to
Northridge to look at the university, my boyfriend downloaded the app so we
could check it out. It wasn’t long after our trip that I decided to give
Spotify another shot, and I have to say how much of an essential it’s been to
my productivity this summer. In the mornings when I’m doing yoga, I’ll put on a
Shavasana playlist, and when I’m writing, I’ll put on something from their
Productive Morning playlist. Spotify has become a big part of my summer morning
writing routine, and I love it.
3. Our French Press- My boyfriend and I finally got tired of drinking shitty Keurig coffee, so we invested in a French press. Not only are French presses 1/5 of the cost of a Keurig machine, they make incredible coffee. Laying in bed each night, I get excited knowing that when I wake up, I get to have quiet time and a good cup of coffee.
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| I especially love drinking out of my badass Harry Potter mug. Albus Dumbledore is a wise wizard |
4. Hiding my cell
phone- Visiting Hawaii last month showed me how much I miss
when I’m on my phone. When I came back, I didn’t want to become a slave to it
again, so whenever I've started feeling like I’m on it too much, I just put it
on a shelf or in my nightstand. Having
my phone out of sight makes me focus more, and whenever I get an urge to
“connect” I have to get up (which usually doesn’t happen because the couch is
so comfortable).
5. Asking for approval-This
is a big one for me. Because social media allows us the ability to compare
ourselves to friends, family, and strangers, it is not abnormal that people
have become insecure. In the past few months, I’ve learned that trying to
conform to other people’s expectations is the reason for a lot of my anxiety.
Plus, allowing people the right to access your personal life means allowing
them the right to comment on and make suggestions about how you should live.
6. Yoga- Yoga has been a game changer for my
mental well-being. Unlike running, yoga allows me to be present and still.
Instead of constantly trying to run faster and chase after a new goal, I’ve
found that yoga has been teaching me acceptance for the body I bring to my
practice, and in turn, I’m slowly starting to learn acceptance for the body and
mind I bring into my everyday life.
Thanks for reading! I'd love to hear what you do to stay happy.
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