Remembering Your Gratitude

Happy Sunday everyone! As we all know, Thanksgiving is right around the corner. So it’s only right that I focus on gratitude this week. Unfortunately, sometimes it takes a holiday to remind ourselves what we are thankful for, when really we should think of it often. I’m going to give you a short writing exercise that you can use to remember your gratitude on a more frequent basis.

This exercise is short and sweet so it won’t take up too much of your time. In this exercise, you’ll write 3 things you are grateful for, 3 things you are looking forward to this week, and 3 things you love about yourself. To get the ball rolling, I’ll share mine!

3 Things I’m Grateful For:

  1. My health
  2. A loving fiancé who pushes me to be better every day
  3. Being able to spend Thanksgiving with family

3 Things I’m Looking Forward To:

  1. Getting a break from school work
  2. Catching up with close friends
  3. Seeing family members that I haven’t seen in a while

3 Things I Love About Myself:

  1. How I put others before myself (Nick thinks it too much sometimes lol)
  2. My creative abilities
  3. My eyes because the change between brown and green

So I encourage you to grab some paper and get to writing. The ingredients for this exercise is a cup of gratitude, a dash of mindfulness, and a sprinkle of self love. Have a great week!

Kindly,

Ken

Gratitude, Forgiveness & Happiness | Youth Empowerment
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5 Ways to Stay Motivated Before the Holiday Break

Happy Sunday everyone!

This week, I am focusing on the topic of motivation. Somehow we have already gotten to the middle of November. How can that be?? Although it’s exciting to think about the holidays coming up, we can’t daydream about it too much because there is still work to be done! During the weeks before holiday breaks, I always tend to lose my motivation and get lazy. It’s consistently an inner battle because I’m striving for that 4.0, but my brain is fried after a couple of months of strenuous school work. And why do teachers/professors make all the big projects due at the end of the semester when we are feeling the least motivated? I currently have 3 projects due in one week!

Today, I am going to share helpful ways to tackle your work. Whether its wrapping up a semester or getting a break from your 9 to 5 so you DON’T get burned out.

1. Celebrate Small Victories – Whenever you complete a task, whether it be a problem on your homework or a full paper, celebrate those accomplishments! Something that I do to help me with this is making a to-do list with check boxes. I don’t know why, but I feel SO good when I can check something off or cross out a task I have completed. You can also reward yourself when you complete these tasks. Indulge in a yummy snack or give yourself a small break!

2. Take A Break – Now when I say this, I don’t mean to take an hour long break where you end up watching tv for the rest of the night. I mean for you to take a 5-10 minute break. Get yourself some brain food, go get some fresh air, do some stretching. Whatever it is, give your mind and body a little break so when you get back to work, you feel recharged.

3. Set Goals – The end of the semester is typically when the big, daunting projects are due. Like a 10 page paper or an assignment that makes up majority of your grade. Instead of getting intimidated and losing motivation, try setting attainable goals. For example, if you have a 10 page paper, break them up into smaller parts over multiple days. This will help ease the weight of those big tasks.

4. Switch Up Your Scenery – Obviously a lot of us are working from home nowadays, so if you’re tired of doing your work or studying in the same old spot every day then switch it up! Move to a different spot in your house or apartment, go to your local coffee shop, or even work outside. Personally, I have basically been doing all my homework or attending my zoom classes while cooped up in my room. Nick has been working from home so he has the living room on lockdown while I have the bedroom, but it’s always nice to change things up every once in a while.

5. Remember Your Why – This one is probably the most important of all. Sometimes when we get lazy or lose motivation, we forget about the bigger picture. The reason why we’re doing what we’re doing. As I’ve mentioned in my “about me” page, my end goal is to be a play and art therapist for children. In order to get there, I need to work as hard as I can in my current classes. During times like these when I’m burning out, it can be SO hard to remember that. Especially when my brain is tired and I’m dreaming of eating pumpkin pie or opening Christmas presents. But, in order to really enjoy my holiday break, I need to know that I did my best before the semester ends.

I hope these tips come in handy during the home stretch of the semester, or the end of the fiscal year, and I hope everyone is taking care of themselves. Just know you’re almost there. So work hard and give yourself a break every once in a while!

Kindly,

Ken