5 Things I Never Would've Thought To Love Until I Tried Them

If you have read one of my blogs before, you probably know that I am not the biggest fan of change. I like keeping things the same and simple, and when that gets thrown off I get stressed out. During this extreme time of change, I've found myself retrying and falling in love with things I either used to hate from experience or just plain judgement.

1) Taking Walks

I have never really been a fan of going on walks my whole life, no matter the circumstance. I would rather just scream into my pillow to blow off steam, but because my whole family is home all the time due to quarantine I can't exactly do that. So recently, when I am angry or upset, I just walk it off… and it's surprisingly therapeutic. Something about the fresh air and car noises ease my mind. I love switching up the places I go to, so it's not the same thing every single time. If you have never tried just "walking it off", I highly recommend it.

2) Having a To-Do List/Using a Planner

Every time I have ever tried to be a "planner person" I would ultimately give up a month in and forget it even existed. Same thing with To-Do lists. But this year I've been trying my hardest to stick with it, and it's been helping with my stress so much. I quickly realized that having a plan ahead of time instead of just winging it is so beneficial, especially right now when my motivation to do anything other than socializing is at a low. It helps me keep track of what I have and haven’t done, and my anxiety towards due dates is a lot lower than it normally is. I also learn best when things are in color, so now I can put all my classes in certain colors so I know exactly what needs to be done. If you have a lot of stuff going on, it is a perfect idea to make a list, get a planner journal, or even write out a simple plan for yourself to be productive.

3) Eating Somewhat Healthy

Growing up I never was the best eater, but because I was a competitive cheerleader with 20+ hours a week of practice, my body never really showed it. In 7th grade due to an unfortunate wrist injury, I made the decision that it was time to move on from cheer and focus more on school sports like field hockey and lacrosse. That's when it really started to show. My body felt gross and weak all the time, and I was constantly nauseous. I decided that it was time to grow up and start putting my body first. Initially I started with cutting out unnecessary sugars and carbs like sodas and processed snacks, which was really wasn’t a difficult as I thougt. But if you know me, you know how much I love goldfish crackers. Like, I really really love goldfish. But now instead of having those things almost every day, I eat them maybe once or twice a month. After that, my body instantly started to feel better. I changed my horrible snacking habits to things like hummus and carrots or apples and brie, and I instantly noticed a change. I have started sticking with water at restaurants instead of Dr. Pepper, and only getting dessert when I go to Bartlett's (because their hot fudge is actually impossible to resist). I have also added more protein and fiber into my diet because I am working out a ton for school sports. Now my body feels better than ever… It's the simple things that you can easily cut out that make a world of difference.

4) Handwriting My School Notes

I have always been a computer note-taker for as long as I can remember. I'm left-handed, and all lefties know the struggle of trying to write in notebooks with your left hand. Plus, writing for so long makes my hand cramp, which no one likes. I've noticed that sometimes when I type my notes, I don't comprehend the notes as well as when I write them by hand. I know it's crazy annoying to write everything, but it works so much better. This year I also have a lot more time to read and write my notes because school is online, so I don't feel rushed when I take them. I have noticed so much of a positive difference in my papers and projects detail wise because I remember a lot of the smaller elements now. Though it can be irritating, it definitely pays off in the end.

5) Staying Home on a Friday Night

This one was really hard for me at first. I'm a really social person and I love being around people, but we can't really do that right now. At first I felt lonely and bored, but I have kind of grown to love it. It's nice to have a night to myself to relax, reset, and spend time with my family. It took me a minute to realize that FOMO shouldn't stop you from spending time with yourself. You need time alone, whether you want it or not. It's really given me time to think about life and enjoy my time with my friends even more. I'm not saying this is a weekly thing, but every once in a while I simply choose not to do anything, and it is very refreshing.

Past judgment is called past judgment for a reason... It's behind you. Times change and opinions change, so my final word for this week is to retry things you thought you hated, or didn’t try because you thought you wouldn’t like it. You never know how life now will impact those old feelings.