The Three Things That Instantly Lift My Mood

Whenever I get stressed or get overwhelmed (which is more often than I'd perhaps like to admit) I really like to have my space be perfect. If my surroundings are organized an decluttered, then I instantly feel better and more relaxed. When I do get stressed or feel down I try to limit my screen time because I find that if I'm not feeling great, scrolling through Instagram and inevitably comparing what I'm feeling to the perfection that people are projecting out into the world is just not good for my state of mind. That's not to say I don't like Instagram or social media, believe me I do (just ask my boyfriend who constantly finds me scrolling through my Instagram feed), I just like to be engaged yet relaxed when I get overwhelmed and I've found that screen time can just put me on autopilot.

One thing I always like to have in my tiny apartment that always lifts my mood is flowers. I think I get this trait from my mom, who usually has about five vases of flowers in our house at any given time. Given that my apartment is so tiny and my window looks out to a parking lot, it's nice to have some greenery in my space and some colorful flowers always make me feel so much better and like I have my shit together. I also love to light candles whenever I feel stressed. I'm a big lover of Diptyque candles, but given that I'm a student I don't exactly have the funds to shill out $60 for a candle. Some of my favorite candles are from PF Candle Co., of which I am currently burning the Black Fig scent, which smells heavenly and like the perfect combination of fruity and woodsy scents. I also am a big fan of the Teakwood and Tobacco scent and the Amber and Moss scent, but I tend to burn those more in the colder months. The final thing that always makes me feel better is reading. I read so much for my college classes that I often forget to set aside time in the evening to read for pleasure, but this year I've set a challenge to read at least one book per month. Reading a book before bed makes me sleep so much better, and like I mentioned before its nice to get a break from screens when you're in a crappy mood. I am currently reading The Disappointment Artist by Jonathan Lathem, which is a collection of essays about the process of being a writer. I really like this book because it being a collection of essays means that it's really easy to dip in and out of.