April 5: Happy

There are many simple things I could do to make my life happier and less stressful. I go through short periods where I actually do these things, but they eventually taper off. I am not sure why I let that happen, but now I am going to make a special effort to do the following because I could always use less stress.

1. My days always go so much better when I get up early enough to take my time getting ready. Whenever I have time to watch an episode of Will & Grace while I eat a bowl of Cheerios or time to dress up in a cute outfit and fix my make-up, I just feel good. I have gotten into the bad habit of getting up thirty minutes before I'm meant to leave, throwing on sweatpants, and rushing out the door. It's not a good way to start the day, and I feel bad all day because of it.
2. When I make time to exercise–not even everyday, but at least a couple of times a week–I feel better. Exercise is supposed to make you feel better, and being sore is a good thing when you know you've worked for it.
3. Honestly, one thing that makes me so happy is to turn up some Glee or Team StarKid and just dance around my room. When I was at Cisco, I literally did this daily and it never got any less fun, but it did make me less stressed. Next time you're feeling overwhelmed, I implore you to just turn up some music and dance like crazy.
4. I have also found that, regardless of what I'm doing, if I stop and take the time to watch The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, I feel better. He is so hilarious, and it's a nice release at the end of a long day or a good break from studying.
5. And, of course, reading. If I have time, even just a fifteen minute break at work, to read for pleasure rather than for school, I am instantly happier. It's like I get my fix or something.

Do you subconsciously do things to make your life more difficult and less fun as well? Make a list, and make a point to change that. There is no reason not to, after all.

-Maggie

P.S. If you have any suggestions for posts, questions you would like answered, etc. please leave them in a comment! I want my BEDA posts to be interesting and actually worth reading. I don't want to just ramble aimlessly for the next month like I did when I first did BEDA. Any ideas would be much appreciated!