7 Simple Ways to Improve Your Week

By Carolyn Shields, a senior who is currently bored out of her mind  in the back of her freshmen thesis workshop

The Three Keys to Long Term Happiness states that as income increases, so does our happiness, but the three main keys to long lasting happiness are a healthy, committed relationship, volunteering, and practicing our faith. It's not all about money, but Michael Norton reiterates in "Don't Indulge. Be Happy," a NY Times article published in 2012 that "The notion that money can’t buy happiness has been around a long time — even before yoga came into vogue. But it turns out there is a measurable connection between income and happiness."

But Norton goes on to claim that it's not necessarily the amount of money but how we spend it.  He states that if we truly want to gain happiness out of our wallet, then it's not about spending money on ourselves but on experiences.  

I'm all about indulging in little things. Splurging a little can improve our mood in the short run, and sometimes that's all we really need. So I recommend a few simple ways to indulge this week to make it a little bit brighter:

1) Treat yourself to a fancy latte

Whatever type of weekend you are leaving behind, a full week is ahead. Start it off on the right foot and spend that extra dollar on the new Lavender Latte or French Toast Cappuccino. Better yet, make it a twenty minute breakfast date with a girlfriend.

2) Bake

Put aside an hour one afternoon and try your magic in the kitchen. Try a new recipe for dinner. If it's goodies, make a small package for a friend and spread the love, win a fellow employee over, or enjoy the rest throughout the week.

3) Call a friend

When was the last time you dialed her number? Ok, maybe never, but when was the last time you actually called her?  Stop putting it off. Make a conceited effort once a week to call a friend, and if phone tag is getting a little tiresome, maybe instead

4) Write a letter

Like, with paper. Studies show that letter writing decreases symptoms of depression.   I'm plagued with the sin that I write a letter in a day, and then it takes a week for me to put it in an envelope, address it, and stamp it. Knock it out in one day. Have your desk fully stocked with the necessary tools. Words from my Gaga: Written with a pen, sealed with a kiss, I love the one who opens this.

5) Say a rosary

Waeohhh, I just pulled a Catholic one. This is fifteen minutes of your week, and as women we should all desire to model the Blessed Mother. What better way to spend our time then telling her fifty times that we love her?

6) Pleasure read

I can't stress this one enough. Trending articles on facebook (such as this one?!), headlines on MSN, and emails don't count. A magazine, an old journal, or a novel will make you marketable to a new crowd. Try reading about different worlds. Try an investment magazine. Just, try, ten to fifteen minutes each day. 

7) A bubble bath

Why? Because every woman deserves one at least once a week, if not every day as we handle thesis papers and cocky bosses and baby spillages.