Happy Sunday! Today I had this great idea to start my own “Happiness Project” to add to my blog. This first installation of my Happiness Project is going to be a “mental reset”. I’m planning on making some time every day this week to do something that makes me genuinely happy. I think personally, I’ve been neglecting my happiness to go with the flow of my everyday life. Monday through Friday I wake up, go to my job from 7:30am – 5:00pm, go home, eat dinner, and sometimes I work out at night. I spend my week going through the motions, and only look forward to the weekend. I’m done living that way – it’s depressing when I think about it. We shouldn’t have to waste weeks, months, and even years of our life looking forward to the two day weekend that we are “so graciously” given. I am a firm believer that two days isn’t enough time off, but who am I to change the work schedule of our society (haha). I miss the spontaneity of what my schedule used to be and how much fun I used to have doing things in the spur of the moment. This week will spark a new chapter.. I can already feel it.
I’m calling it “The Mental Reset” because I’ve gotten into the groove of being miserable throughout the week, and prizing the weekends like it’s the only time I can do something for myself. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate everything that happens Monday through Friday, but I know that I can be doing more to help myself and bring more happiness into my life. It’s been tough getting used to working a full-time schedule and I truly think that it’s the office mindset that’s holding me back from enjoying every day of the week. It has been internalized that we work through the week, and look forward to our days off because that’s when we can escape from work. We even say, “ugh Mondays”, or “Happy Friday!” so effortlessly. Are Mondays really that bad? If you think about it, it’s a day of the week that we have learned to dislike. Then we come to Fridays and the work environment is lighter and more full of energy because we know the weekend is near. But why wait for that small fraction of time? Why not find joy in every day? It’ll take a lot to consciously shift my mindset, but I know that it’s doable.
This week I will do something each day that will bring me happiness, and I will document it with a picture. The picture may be simple, and it may not even make any sense, but it will be in the moment. I’ll follow up my day with a journal to keep track of my mood and to remember what exactly it was that I did to spark joy. At the end of this week, I’ll report on my mood, what I did, and what I gained from this first segment of my Happiness Project. I haven’t planned anything in particular yet, so I’m going to make these decisions as I feel like it. I’m really excited to see what I come up with this week and how I’ll feel by Friday. See you on the other side!
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