Sometimes people become caught up in the chaos of their busy schedules and forget to remember something very important: showing and giving gratitude. As the emotional support dog on campus, I think that humans could really learn from my kind. Let鈥檚 face it: when it comes to showing appreciation, I鈥檝e got that puppy in the bag. Here are some ways you can bring gratitude back into your life.

Identify Things You鈥檙e Grateful For

One way to make a habit out of practicing gratitude is to start each day with a list of three things you鈥檙e grateful for. Keep in mind it doesn鈥檛 need to be anything major. It can be as small as being grateful that you had a yummy breakfast to as big as being grateful a friend was there for you in a difficult time. For me, I鈥檇 list toys, treats, and belly scratches!

Praise and Support Others

Nothing makes a person (and a puppy) feel great like hearing praise from their loved ones. So take some time to say kind things to the ones you care about. It will make you both feel good and will strengthen your relationships as well.

Don鈥檛 Forget to Say 鈥淭hank You鈥�

This one is so basic and simple, but really goes a long way. Saying 鈥渢hank you鈥� to a stranger can make their day, and maybe remind them to pay it forward and say 鈥渢hank you鈥� more in their own life.

Spend Time Together and Be Present

Like I鈥檝e said before, people tend to have really busy lives and get caught up in them. But no matter how busy and hectic your life is, it would mean a lot to everyone if you made sure you made time for people. With how popular video chatting is nowadays, you don鈥檛 even need to meet up in person anymore to still spend some fun time with your loved ones. This is especially great to utilize when you have family or friends that are far away.聽

Not only does spending time with your loved ones show gratitude, but also being present in the moment. Showing the person you are spending time with that they have your full attention can mean a lot, especially in a time with so many distractions.

 

Accepting Gratitude Given to You

It certainly feels good knowing that someone has shown you gratitude, but sometimes it can be difficult to understand how to respond. Some people prefer to be humble and feel like they need to be dismissive, or some people feel they don鈥檛 deserve the kindness. Here are some ways you can accept gratitude shown to you.

• Allow yourself to receive kindness. You do deserve it! You can even take it on an opportunity to reflect on your actions that made someone grateful.
• Say 鈥渢hank you鈥� in response to gifts, compliments, etc.
• Take a moment to pause before you reply. This is crucial if you are a person who is typically dismissive of compliments and gratitude. Take a moment, consider why this was said to you, and give a genuine response.
• Show how their gratitude really makes you feel. Don鈥檛 be afraid to show the joy that you feel when someone shows you gratitude. Having a vulnerable moment with a loved one will strengthen your relationship.

Final Thoughts

Gratitude is an important thing. It can be used to strengthen your bonds with people and grow your self image. I hope this pup has inspired you to show your loved ones gratitude. And if you ever see me around 91色情片, be sure to show me some love too!

 

We all know how easy it is to be distracted from accomplishing tasks. This is especially true when the weather is warm (I mean, have you seen those birds out there?) I鈥檓 Sydney, the emotional support dog, and I鈥檓 here to share tips on how to maintain focus during finals season.

Though I don鈥檛 know much about taking finals personally, I know that finals season is a busy time for me since so many students seek out my comfort. It鈥檚 an overwhelming time where students face a lot of pressure to perform well, whether these expectations are set by themselves, their professors, or their families.聽

Fortunately, there are ways that you can prepare yourself to stay focused and ready for those final exams.

Take it one exam at a time

The easiest way to lose your attention is to overwhelm your mind with too many tasks at once. Take a look at each class and each exam and consider how much attention you need to spend on each one.聽

Prioritize the exams that you have first, as well as the subjects you have struggled with the most. Try your best to pace yourself so that you have efficient time to study for each exam.

Set a schedule

On the topic of pacing yourself, setting a schedule is the easiest way to accomplish that. Structure is a really helpful way to maintain focus. Ideally, you should plan out every part of the day. It鈥檚 crucial that you eat enough meals and get enough sleep. Without this energy, you won鈥檛 be able to focus on the curriculum. It鈥檚 especially important to take care of your body during finals season so you can be in shape to succeed.

Find your perfect study space

Everyone has different requirements to keep their attention sharp. Some people can study with music, others can鈥檛. Some people thrive in groups, others get too distracted. Think about your preferences and cultivate an environment that meets it. The library may be a good place to start.

Make sure this space is free of clutter and distractions. Log out of social media or turn your phone off if you have to.

 

Get help from outside resources

Even if you try your hardest, you may find that you need extra help from outside sources. You might need to email your professors or other staff members for advice, and that鈥檚 perfectly fine. It may also be beneficial to reach out to a student in your class to help understand anything you鈥檙e struggling with.

Reward yourself

Yes, it鈥檚 important to reward yourself even before you take the exams and know the results. I can confirm how helpful treats are when you do something good鈥揳nd studying as hard as you can is definitely good behavior.聽

Treat yourself to a snack, a break with your favorite TV show, or go out with your friends for a few hours. You鈥檝e worked hard, you deserve a treat!

Final Thoughts

Finals season can be stressful, but trying your best is the most important thing. If you ever need a furry friend to soothe your stress, I鈥檒l gladly support you!

 

Since I鈥檓 an official emotional support animal around campus, I see students with a wide range of feelings about their studies: excited, focused, and鈥搘orst of all鈥搒tressed. Though I don鈥檛 understand anything about books and reading, I know that it鈥檚 not always easy. Setting goals is a great way to balance the load of school work.

Let me share with you some tips on how you can set goals and stick to them.

The Benefits Of Setting Goals

Setting a goal is how people hold themselves accountable, especially when these goals are written down. My owner once read . In this study, five different groups approached their goals in different ways: some of the groups wrote down their goals, and some groups wrote down their goals and gave a trusted friend goal updates.聽

The overall result was that the groups who wrote down their goals had a mean goal achievement of 6.44, while those who did not wrote down their goals had a mean goal achievement of 4.28.

The Psychology of Written Goals

So why does writing down your goals work so well? If you think back to when you were in school, you wrote down lots of notes of what the teacher was saying. It helps you to remember what you learned in class that day when you could look back in your notebook and recall the lessons.

Since humans have so much information in their brains, it can be hard to sort through it all when they have to make decisions. .

 

Making Your Goals Realistic

People always say that dogs can be stubborn when they want something, but humans can certainly be too. It will probably be tempting to regularly set huge goals for yourself. In reality, that can make your situation worse.聽

Let鈥檚 say you really want to have good grades this semester. An example of an unrealistic goal to have would be: 鈥淚 want to ace every exam I take.鈥� Sure, you could do it if you really tried, but it would be at the expense of your free time and mental health. Instead, it would be better to set a goal towards one hour of study time each day.

 

 

Giving Yourself a Timeline聽

Sometimes it鈥檚 easy for people to prioritize what they need to do and set goals. The harder part is sometimes giving yourself a timeline to accomplish these goals.

If you鈥檙e a student at 91色情片, your goal is to graduate with good grades. That is considered a long term goal, and while it鈥檚 a good goal to have, it won’t be attainable for about two years. Instead, it would be better to set goals per semester.聽

It鈥檚 still good to have your long term goal, but you should also give yourself smaller goals that are stepping stones towards your overall goal. For example, you could set goals of completing your clinicals, and passing required state exams.

Share Pupdates With Friends

If there鈥檚 one thing I know, it鈥檚 that companionship can do wonders for a person. One of the biggest issues that people have with their goals is struggling to hold themselves accountable for them. That鈥檚 where a friend comes in.聽

Sharing your goals with friends/accountability buddies is what can keep you headed towards your goals even when you burn out of steam.

By the way, I鈥檓 always around to remind you to keep going. I always take love and head pats in exchange!

Final Thoughts

Goals can help you accomplish any dream that you have, especially when you write them down. It鈥檚 especially important to not feel discouraged if a goal of yours falls through. Keep trying and don鈥檛 give up! Sometimes failures happen for a reason.

If your dream involves a career in funeral service, 91色情片 would love to have you. You can learn more about applying on the Admissions page on our website. I hope to see you around campus!