New Year, New Outlook
Written By: Payton McKelvey
Starting a fresh new year can look pretty intimidating to some people; I can even say that I was not looking forward to hopping into a new year just yet; it felt far too quick for the year we just had to be over. I have come to realize that a new year equals a fresh start for you and everyone around you; this is the time to start anew and leave the things that were bothering you in the past. I know that this isn’t always the easiest thing to accomplish and that sometimes it feels like issues will follow you no matter what, but even if you can’t change the things happening in your everyday life, you could instead change your mindset.
Starting every day off telling yourself that you’re going to have a bad day because A, B, and C are going to happen today is just starting you off on the wrong foot for that day and will probably turn your day bad in the end. The best way to go into a day is to think to yourself that today is going to be a good day; one of the best ways to solidify that idea in your mind is to say it out loud to yourself. Saying things out loud makes them feel more real for us, helping to ingrain that thought into your brain that this day ahead of you is going to be a good one. Despite telling yourself you’re going to have a good day, I know it doesn’t always happen, and we have to remember that that’s okay because everyone is going to have their bad days. The best thing to do on a bad day is to think back on the day you had and look for the glimmers of positivity and goodness that shine through. For example, I experienced a day over the break where I woke up and told myself it was going to be a good day and then experienced a debit card fraud scare and slipped on a patch of ice and landed pretty hard on the ground. I don’t know about you, but I can definitely say that it soured my mood quite a bit. All I could think was how bad of a day it had turned out to be. Then I took a moment and remembered that I got to spend some time with my family shopping that day as well, and that was a part of the day I had really enjoyed; my bad experiences had just overshadowed the good ones. Therefore, I say always remember, especially on the bad days, to try and think of the things you enjoyed throughout your day.
Try to remember your positivity and all the good vibes throughout this upcoming semester students, because that is what’s really going to help you through; and remember that when things get busy, take a break and save a little time for yourself so that you can relax, enjoy yourself, and hit the reset button before you get back to things. Good luck to all in the fresh new semester and have a great New Year!
