By Rachel King //
You may be over halfway through the semester, but that doesn’t mean your stress has suddenly disappeared. If anything, it has surged because you’re trying to ace your midterms and prepare for projects, both of which take up the biggest percentages of your grade. If that sounds like you right now, consider making a thankful list. This article will run through what exactly a thankful list is and why you should make one.
What is a Thankful List?
A thankful list is a list of all the things in your life you’re grateful for, and when I say all, I mean ALL. Jot down your teacher for canceling class two weeks ago. Write down Spotify for providing you with playlists filled with your favorite songs. Add that person on the street who complimented your shoes. Whatever it is, if it made you happy and you appreciated it, add it to the list for whatever period it occurred in. This list can be made daily, weekly, monthly, or simply whenever you have the time. If that happens to be only once a year, that’s fine, too. However often you choose, creating a thankful list means you’re being conscious of the positives you encounter.
Why Make a Thankful List?
Good things happen to you almost every day, and when one day seems overwhelmingly horrible, it can be a challenge to look on the bright side. However, in drafting a thankful list, you have something that explicitly tells you what you have to be happy about and that makes your bad day and workload a little more manageable. If you decide to make thankful lists regularly, you can reflect back to your lists from the weeks or months before for a reliable pick-me-up. Plus, it is always fun to be nostalgic for a bit.
In addition to using these lists as ways to ease your stress, you can also use them to be a better person. Seeing what you put on your list and what made you happy can inspire you to do the same for others in the future. Aim to be the person someone else puts on their thankful list. If it helped you, it is likely to help someone else.
Wrapping It Up
Thankful lists are what you didn’t know you needed. Whenever you’re having a bad day, turn to your thankful list to remind you of all the good in your life. It will make the bad seem a lot less bad and help put you at ease with whatever you may be going through, no matter how stressful.
The Spread 