- Practice gratitude: I cannot stress this one enough; there is a lot of science behind gratitude changing one’s perspective. From personal experience, this is one of the best things I can do to immediately improve my mood.
- Keep your goals in mind: I don’t care what they are, keep your specific goals in mind. This can be big like: be a doctor or small like finish this assignment so I can watch my favorite show tonight.
- Find small things to be excited about: if you look for things that are interesting or exciting in every day, you will find more of them. To me, this looks like really paying attention to when I find a concept interesting or thought-provoking.
- Find a few people who are positive about the experience: If you can find them, it is great to have at least a few people who you can vent with but also who are willing to look on the bright side of things. If you have not found your squad yet, that is okay too!
- Find something to look forward too: either small (a movie night) or big (a vacation), finding something to look forward to can do wonders for my mood.
- Great electronic backgrounds: In graduate school, often people spend a lot of time on their computer. when I fill my electronic backgrounds with colors, quotes and people I love, I believe I am happier because I am focusing on the things that matter. See these examples, and go ahead and screenshot if you need a place to start.
bold brookings & brews 