Bullet Journaling:
I started bullet journaling in my second year of college. At first, I found myself watching tons of YouTube videos of people drawing and making their monthly spreads. Watching these people’s videos this was very relaxing to me because it felt like they had their life together. It motivated me to start organizing my schedule so that I would be able to manage my time better. When I was bullet journaling, I felt less anxious, especially about school. If I do not map out my assignments, I get overwhelmed. I do not set out a specific time frame of when I should be doing things. When this happens, I fall behind on my schoolwork and social life. To avoid this, I will start off my months by making my spreads. These include a big monthly spread (A calendar where I can note due dates, holidays, birthdays, etc.), a monthly habit tracker (This helps me keep track of things I should be doing daily: reading, working on assignments, writing, working out, etc.), a mood page (where I keep track of how I’m feeling that day. This motivates me to find ways to cheer me up for the following day and/or week.), and my weekly spread (This is where I write out my days. I include daily activities, work hours, class hours, and social activities). Lately I haven’t been able to bullet journal, and my God, have I been stressed out to the max. In fact, writing about bullet journaling encourages me to go do that tonight (thank you for this prompt for reminding me how relaxing and motivating it is to do this).
 

Read for Fun:
I know. As an English major you’re probably thinking more reading? Yes, but this is for fun! Having to read novels for a class takes the fun out of the actual reading. Professors make us read a specific number of chapters before a class session, which just stresses us out. Sometimes, we forget why we even love literature. It is essential to read for your own pleasure to remind you why you are an English major. You’ll also just enjoy it more. I scroll through “Book-Tok”, which is a community of Tik Tokers that focus all their content on literature. They make TikToks on their favorite books, books they recommend, or books they will be reading. I will scroll through these TikToks until I find a novel that has a huge fanbase (based on the comments) with an interesting plot. I take an hour out of my day to read these books. Reading has always taken me out of reality, which helps me cope with any depressing thoughts I may have. Sometimes, I even try to connect with a character to help encourage me to persevere through my rough times.
 

Taking a Walk:
A lot of people use working out to cope with depression or anxiety. It helps cut off your emotional thoughts and focus on the action you are doing. However, that does not work for me. All it does is make me forgot about my problems. Then, when I am done, all those feelings come rushing. Instead, I like to take walks around my neighborhood. If I am on campus, I will go on walks around any of the scenic routes and sometimes sit in these areas. Taking a walk helps me to think about how I am feeling and helps me overcome any negative vibes. The natural sunlight and smell of nature help give me a sense of peace. This encourages me to confront what I’m feeling, which makes me a bit happier. I can also think of better ideas on how to overcome my issues while I am walking. If I am just simply unhappy for no reason, I will put on music or an audiobook to take me out of my feelings and focus on something else.
 

Writing my Feelings:
This is one of the simpler things that I like to do. However, I like to set the mood in the room before I do so. I keep the lighting at a minimum, so it isn’t draining on my eyes. Next, I light my favorite candle, usually a smell that isn’t too overwhelming for my senses. Finally, I open my journal and write out anything I am thinking. I don’t focus on my grammar, spelling, or penmanship. Anytime I focus on these things, I get distracted. This causes my anxiety to build up because I feel like I must write a specific way. I write why I am feeling stressed or depressed. Once I feel like I have gotten all my feelings out, I begin writing happy things. Lately, my negative thoughts have been leaning towards “Why am I in school?” and “Why do I care about any of this?” I write down all the reasons why I am in school and why it is important to me. This can be applied to anything I am feeling. Writing helps me get a better insight on my feelings.
 

Cuddling with my Dog:
This is probably my favorite activity to do when I am feeling sad. My dog senses whenever I am in a poor mood, so when I’m sad, he immediately comes to me to cuddle. He’s like my emotional support dog. We simply just lay there and, sometimes, cry it out. When I am all done, he immediately jumps up and starts wagging his tail so we can play. He is an older chihuahua (he’s been with me since I was around 10 years old. I am almost 24 years old for context), so he is always tired. However, he is never tired when I’m in need of some positive energy. It is like he listens to me and tries to cheer me up when I am too sad for words. It sounds silly, but his bark and face just always cheer me up, even when he is doing his little pout. Animals are the best way to cope with any anxiety or depression because when you are with them, all the bad thoughts just go away, and you feel more at peace. Here is a picture of my dog so you can all look at him if you are ever feeling sad or you don’t have an animal to share your feelings with.