With songs like "Happy Now" and "Happier" on the radio (Check both of them out if you haven't already), it seems like happiness is a relevant topic. For me, I've struggled to get those endorphins going a lot more than usual in the past few months. Maybe this is post-Italy travel blues or losing my purpose after graduation or just a stage in my life, but it seems that most days, I have to drag myself through the day and even at moments I am happy, I lose it quickly.
So...I'm out searching for happiness-boosting activities. And I thought I'd share with you what I've found so far.
1. Sleep. Holy cow does this affect every part of your life. I am tired, therefore I am sad. That's just simple stuff. I am working very hard with temperature adjustments and relaxation techniques and technology-free bed zones in order to help improve my sleeep.
2. Gratitude. I have talked about this before on my blog, but being very disciplined about listing what you are thankful for each day is proven to boost happiness. Today, I am thankful for friends, family, and good food on a Sunday evening.
3. Kindness. I know for a fact that my happiest moments are when I do something for someone else, even if it's a stranger, so I am hoping to really plan out acts of kindness to perform regularly.
4. Telling My Inner Voices They Are Wrong. I am, without a doubt, my own worst enemy. I've been bullied in my life, but the things I think about myself are awful. When I think I'm unattractive or unlikable or stupid or annoying, I have to stand up to myself and fight back. I read about someone who would say regularly out loud, "I am important" and she said it made her feel much, much better every single day.
5. Being Outside. Man, is this hard when you hate cold as much as I do and I know part of my funk this weekend had to do with the dreary weather, but if I can get outside, I need to. This is a proven endorphin booster.
6. Laughter. It IS the best medicine. Making jokes with my students or watching a comedian could be the best things to combat sadness.
So, if this fall has got you feeling down, maybe try some of these with me. Make tomorrow happier! 😀
http://www.keepinspiring.me/15-simple-things-to-do-to-be-happier-today/
https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/45-things-you-can-do-to-get-happy-no-matter-where-you-are.html
https://www.realsimple.com/health/mind-mood/emotional-health/things-can-happy-next-minutes
Sunday, September 30, 2018
Wednesday, September 26, 2018
Being the Guide in My Life
When I was in college, I had a job as a tour guide. I would listen to families' stories and help them find their way around campus. I would try to make them comfortable and show them the best places to eat.
Some tours turned out amazing. I saw students fall in love with the university as I had. Parents laughed at my jokes. We were able to observe all the best parts of campus. The weather was nice.
Not all tours were like this. Sometimes, members of the tour would leave, preferring to wander on their own. Other times, no one said a word or acted the least bit excited about what I was showing them. These tours would really bum me out.
What I didn't realize at the time was I had been doing this job my whole life and it's a job that has lasted long after my last official campus tour. I am a person that naturally wants to help and guide people in any way I can. I want to be there with people as to witness their journeys. I want to make people happy.
But sometimes, just like with the campus tours, expectations don't meet reality. Life can bring rain (or snow) and I can't fix it no matter how hard I love those in my life. At times, the people in my life wander away from me, not because I did something wrong, but they found a different path that was better for their needs. Not every member of my "group" is exactly what I expect or hope for them to be.
I think the best thing I can do to combat these disappointments or frustrations in the tours of life is to listen to some advice my boss on campus gave us once. She said, "Just be totally who you are on every tour. You may not like them all the time and they may not appreciate you, but if you show up just as you are and do what you know is your best, you can end every day satisfied."
Some tours turned out amazing. I saw students fall in love with the university as I had. Parents laughed at my jokes. We were able to observe all the best parts of campus. The weather was nice.
Not all tours were like this. Sometimes, members of the tour would leave, preferring to wander on their own. Other times, no one said a word or acted the least bit excited about what I was showing them. These tours would really bum me out.
What I didn't realize at the time was I had been doing this job my whole life and it's a job that has lasted long after my last official campus tour. I am a person that naturally wants to help and guide people in any way I can. I want to be there with people as to witness their journeys. I want to make people happy.
But sometimes, just like with the campus tours, expectations don't meet reality. Life can bring rain (or snow) and I can't fix it no matter how hard I love those in my life. At times, the people in my life wander away from me, not because I did something wrong, but they found a different path that was better for their needs. Not every member of my "group" is exactly what I expect or hope for them to be.
I think the best thing I can do to combat these disappointments or frustrations in the tours of life is to listen to some advice my boss on campus gave us once. She said, "Just be totally who you are on every tour. You may not like them all the time and they may not appreciate you, but if you show up just as you are and do what you know is your best, you can end every day satisfied."
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
10 Best Moments of My School Year So Far
I just needed a reminder of how amazing the job I get to do is today...
1. Getting a hug from a student during open house. He was so excited to be in my class again.
2. This conversation:
Student: Do I talk too much?
Me: You talk when you should be listening, but it's not bad to talk. Talking will help you in life. And I like you a lot even though you interrupt me.
Student: You like me?
Me: Of course.
Student: A teacher has never told me that before.
Since that conversation, that student has moved for apathy to dedicated work for me.
3. Watching a group of students dunk their noses in Vasoline and then in cotton balls in an attempt to move cotton balls across the room. This is hilarious. Highly recommended class builder.
4. Reciting every one of my 65 students' names as they walked through my door on the 3rd day of school.
5. Observing one of my most difficult students from last year immerse himself in a book for 10 minutes without even glancing up once.
6. A student offering to share his jacket when I was shivering one day.
7. A exceptionally self-conscious student's giant smile after I told her how well she did on a test.
8. Walking a student through the halls and talking her ear off even though she definitely wanted to me left alone. And then watching as my stupid chatter about nonsense eventually helped her fall from agitated to calm.
9. Hearing students shout out things they saw and felt while they were reading a story.
10. Sitting in a circle in a the library with my smallest class and sharing stories as we all laughed together.
1. Getting a hug from a student during open house. He was so excited to be in my class again.
2. This conversation:
Student: Do I talk too much?
Me: You talk when you should be listening, but it's not bad to talk. Talking will help you in life. And I like you a lot even though you interrupt me.
Student: You like me?
Me: Of course.
Student: A teacher has never told me that before.
Since that conversation, that student has moved for apathy to dedicated work for me.
3. Watching a group of students dunk their noses in Vasoline and then in cotton balls in an attempt to move cotton balls across the room. This is hilarious. Highly recommended class builder.
4. Reciting every one of my 65 students' names as they walked through my door on the 3rd day of school.
5. Observing one of my most difficult students from last year immerse himself in a book for 10 minutes without even glancing up once.
6. A student offering to share his jacket when I was shivering one day.
7. A exceptionally self-conscious student's giant smile after I told her how well she did on a test.
8. Walking a student through the halls and talking her ear off even though she definitely wanted to me left alone. And then watching as my stupid chatter about nonsense eventually helped her fall from agitated to calm.
9. Hearing students shout out things they saw and felt while they were reading a story.
10. Sitting in a circle in a the library with my smallest class and sharing stories as we all laughed together.
Saturday, September 8, 2018
When You Lose...
This feeling sucks. This post-Husker loss slump can break your heart and suck the life right out of you. You can say "It's just a game" or "It wasn't all bad", but that doesn't stop the bleeding.
Those wounds aren't something we need to hide away though. The only reason we have them is because we dove in with our hearts. Every single time the Husker football players take the field, I am filled with hope and joy and excitement. Sometimes those feelings are squashed, which hurts a lot, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't hope or get excited. A lot of people try that approach. We all know those fans that put up walls before the game even starts. They deflect hope and instead protect themselves by preparing to lose.
Sure, they might not hurt quite as bad as optimistic fans like me do, but they also are missing something hugely important. That heart-racing feeling I get as I walk into the stadium can't be beat. And those feelings don't always get squashed. Instead, sometimes they multiply. Even today, there were moments where I was so excited I was jumping up and down. I couldn't stop smiling. I was so joyful and that joy reflected in every face around me. I was high-fiving strangers. It was contagious and it was amazing community experience.
This isn't an experience only found in sports or competitions. There are so many things to get excited about in the world. There is so much in our world to fall in love with. So much that makes us feel joy. It is so important that we don't avoid those things for fear of a broken heart. We will be let down over and over again. That is a fact. But avoiding experiences or lying about how much we care about something or someone won't make us hurt less. We have to take a chance at losing in order to take a chance winning the best things in life.
Those wounds aren't something we need to hide away though. The only reason we have them is because we dove in with our hearts. Every single time the Husker football players take the field, I am filled with hope and joy and excitement. Sometimes those feelings are squashed, which hurts a lot, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't hope or get excited. A lot of people try that approach. We all know those fans that put up walls before the game even starts. They deflect hope and instead protect themselves by preparing to lose.
Sure, they might not hurt quite as bad as optimistic fans like me do, but they also are missing something hugely important. That heart-racing feeling I get as I walk into the stadium can't be beat. And those feelings don't always get squashed. Instead, sometimes they multiply. Even today, there were moments where I was so excited I was jumping up and down. I couldn't stop smiling. I was so joyful and that joy reflected in every face around me. I was high-fiving strangers. It was contagious and it was amazing community experience.
This isn't an experience only found in sports or competitions. There are so many things to get excited about in the world. There is so much in our world to fall in love with. So much that makes us feel joy. It is so important that we don't avoid those things for fear of a broken heart. We will be let down over and over again. That is a fact. But avoiding experiences or lying about how much we care about something or someone won't make us hurt less. We have to take a chance at losing in order to take a chance winning the best things in life.
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
The Boy in the Red Hoodie
I was driving along 27th Street yesterday and spotted a group of teenage boys walking in a pack on the sidewalk. I would have driven right by without a second thought, but a certain red hoodie caught my eye. A red hoodie I had seen every single day last school year by one of my students. I knew it was him and I actually hit my brakes, trying to slow down and catch a glimpse. Who was he with? Where they headed? Were they getting into trouble?
I sound like a total stalker, right? Or at the very least, an overprotective mother. But honestly, I never run into my former students in Lincoln. Ever. It's one of the worst parts of teaching. I build relationships with students for a year or sometimes two. I hear their struggles. I know what they love. I read with them and laugh with them. And then I never see them again.
It doesn't help that I have insomnia so I slept my nights pondering the most asinine things. Is Livon still playing basketball? And is anyone coming to support him if he is? Is Brooklyn making friends in high school? Does Maday still write in a journal every day? I bet she has a boyfriend. I hope he's good to her. Is Leo's mom still sick? I hope he's able to keep up with school after taking care of his siblings. Does Angel still get in trouble for wearing his hood up? And do his teachers laugh as much at his jokes as I did?
I can't keep track of all the students I teach. They aren't all wearing red hoodies on major streets. And the number I have taught is always growing. Most of the kids won't remember me either. In the years I do have them, though, I want to make sure they know I care. Every day we come in as teachers and plan a lesson and give feedback and ask questions and call them by their names, we are showing we care a lot. I will keep working to make the moments count.
I sound like a total stalker, right? Or at the very least, an overprotective mother. But honestly, I never run into my former students in Lincoln. Ever. It's one of the worst parts of teaching. I build relationships with students for a year or sometimes two. I hear their struggles. I know what they love. I read with them and laugh with them. And then I never see them again.
It doesn't help that I have insomnia so I slept my nights pondering the most asinine things. Is Livon still playing basketball? And is anyone coming to support him if he is? Is Brooklyn making friends in high school? Does Maday still write in a journal every day? I bet she has a boyfriend. I hope he's good to her. Is Leo's mom still sick? I hope he's able to keep up with school after taking care of his siblings. Does Angel still get in trouble for wearing his hood up? And do his teachers laugh as much at his jokes as I did?
I can't keep track of all the students I teach. They aren't all wearing red hoodies on major streets. And the number I have taught is always growing. Most of the kids won't remember me either. In the years I do have them, though, I want to make sure they know I care. Every day we come in as teachers and plan a lesson and give feedback and ask questions and call them by their names, we are showing we care a lot. I will keep working to make the moments count.
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