Life in quarantine hasn’t been great.

Lately I’ve been hit with some disappointment about my 3rd year and being at home for so long. My mood has been so low that sometimes I don’t really have the desire or energy to do anything. The good news is my internship and summer classes are done. But the bad news is I won’t be moving back to school until September.

We were already going to lose some time by going home and staying home after Thanksgiving, basically 2 weeks of in person class time is also being lost. This means time apart from friends and that we’ll have to move in while the school year has technically already started. Starting school in the pandemic was going to be weird but things just got weirder.

Sorry for the long tangent – I just needed to update you all on what’s going on. Back to the post for today.

Given my mood lately, I’ve taken it upon myself to fix my mood and lift myself up.

How to Get Through a Hard Day

Clean your room

I feel like I mention this tip with every list blog post that I write but I genuinely mean it. It’s effective and it’s the best first step you can take to feeling better. Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life actually lists cleaning your room as one of the rules. 

Cleaning your room can lead to the feeling of control in the chaos of the world. When your room is messy, it’s more than likely that your mind is messy. Cleaning your room feels like cleaning your mind – you compartmentalize. You don’t spend so much energy thinking about where you left your favorite sweater – you’ve hung it up. You feel less stressed because controlling the mess made you feel in control and you have restored order. 

If you’re feeling up for it, you can do a mini room makeover. You can buy decor at your local thrift store and move around furniture to make the space feel new and refreshed. Also, scents are key. You may not want to buy new decor, but you can get a candle and light it for a fresh smell.s

Cleaning your room is one of the best things to do when you’re feeling down.

Take a shower

Since we do it everyday, it doesn’t often feel like self-care but it is. The right soap or body gel can make you feel special and amazing. If you’re feeling gross or out of sorts, get in the shower. You can spend time picking out your favorite lotion, spritzing your favorite perfume and putting on new clothes. 

Taking a shower is symbolic of washing away stress or negative emotions off your body. It is also good if you feel stuck in a creative rut. When your mind wanders off in the bathroom, you can get fresh new ideas just from washing your body.

Do your self care habits

I know I just mentioned taking a shower as a self-care thing, but when it comes to self-care habits – I mean, things that are nice to do but you easily neglect when life gets too busy or overwhelming. Some good habits – skin care, lighting candles, reading at night, sitting outside on your porch, and exercising. 

Some people are better at skin care than others. I am never consistent and my skin fluctuates over time. Take some time and sort out your skincare routine. Maybe you want to buy new products. Maybe you want to minimize your routine. Whatever you do, be consistent. And wear sunscreen. Why did I believe that black people didn’t need to wear sunscreen? Everyone needs sunscreen!

Lighting candles – this may not be safe or possible where you are – but there are ways around this. If you can’t have candles, buy an essential oil diffuser, buy some air fresheners, get a fresh pot of flowers. Do something to add a new smell or color to the room.

Reading at night is SO GOOD to do. If you want a good way to fall asleep, just read at night. It doesn’t have to be a super big business book with lots of investing terms, it can be a story about dragons and the main character is a dragonhunter. Read something enjoyable and relax.

When you have nothing better to do, sit on your porch. Grab a glass of water or tea, and sit on the porch. Listen to the chirping birds, watch people pass by, just feel the breeze and sit until your mind is calm. 

Exercise. I know! This is the last thing you want to do when you feel awful. When it’s been hard, you do not want to move your body in any way that would require intense concentration and lead to discomfort. But if you want to feel good and get those endorphins flowing, exercise is the way to go.

Dance around 

While life can suck sometimes or maybe you’re just in a bad mood, there’s something about your favorite song that gets you moving. Even if everything else has got you down, your song can get up out of your seat and kick off to the beat. Sing along and dance. At the very least you’ve done some exercise. At most, you’re a happy camper making a new banging playlist.

Side note: Listen to Dance Around It by Parachute!

Go on a coffee date

In the time of COVID, you might be wary of doing this. But maybe you can make coffee at home, sit in a park 6 feet across from a friend and have a coffee date. Sometimes having someone else hear our feelings is enough. We don’t need advice or solutions. Feeling heard is just what we need to get out of a hard day into a better one.

Look at memes

If all else fails, and it just might, scroll on Pinterest for memes. I have a GroupMe with girls from several universities and it’s a group chat for memes. It is hilarious and I have laughed out loud S O  M A N Y  T I M E S ! It’s worth it. If you can’t turn your day around, one laugh is enough.

I hope you’re hanging it there, friend!

Signing off, 

Gigi

What’s going on? What have you been up to lately? Comment down below.