my little daily smiles

Anyone who knows me will say I'm always happy.

Honestly, it's pretty much true nowadays. That's not to say that I don't have my lows - of course I do. But, after twenty years of living life, I've become really fine-tuned with things I like (and don't like, for that matter). So, whenever I am feeling down, it's not that hard to pick myself up again if I do things that make me happy!

Today I'll be discussing the five ways I cultivate happiness in my daily life :).

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1) Food is fuel and comfort.

I am DEFINITELY a comfort foodie. Minus the comfort, too. Okay, I'm just a huge foodie. But that's why the first thing I do when I'm feeling down is think about what kind of food I'm craving. Will it be ShareTea's handmade taro almond milk tea, vegan nachos from Veggie Grill, a Carls Jr. Beyond burger, or whatever vegan Salt & Straw flavors are swirling this month? Whatever it is, you can catch me at one of my favorite vegetarian/vegan food places in L.A. if I'm feeling blue that day (or, if it's really bad, I might even Postmates).

I don't know what it is about food, but it ALWAYS manages to make me feel better, no matter what kind of funk I'm in. Leave me a comment on what your fav comfort food is, and maybe I'll try it next time I'm not feeling like myself :).

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2) The sacredness of mornings.

I'm a morning person, so for all you night owls out there, this one probably won't apply to you :). I, on the other hand, LOVE my mornings. I love waking up to bright sunlight flooding through my curtains. I love browsing through my phone first thing in the morning (don't kill me) and catching up on very non-important social media updates. I love drinking my oat milk French Press coffee with my breakfast, which rotates between peanut butter & banana oatmeal and a toasted Everything bagel with vegan cream cheese. I love looking out my wall-to-wall window and seeing the sun shining over Royce hall every morning. I love starting my days on the right foot, every single day.

These are my sacred mornings, and I love them :').

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3) Giving back.

So simple, yet so effective. I love volunteering so much. It warms my heart to know that just a few hours of my day can have such a large impact on communities in need. I am a volunteer coordinator / site director for Hunger Project, which is a student-lead organization here at UCLA that primarily serves housing insecure, food insecure, and homeless individuals. The site that I lead is called PATH (People Assisting The Homeless), which is a temporary transitional shelter for individuals who are waiting to secure permanent housing. I take four volunteers to this shelter every week, where we cook lunch for the shelter residents and get to sit down and enjoy the meal with them afterwards.

Volunteering at PATH is such a great way to spend my weekend mornings. I love going to PATH, and since I go there so often, a lot of the staff and residents know me personally, which is a great feeling. I'm always left smiling when I leave the shelter every week, as even a small action like cooking lunch can make these residents' days, just knowing that there are people who are looking out for them. It never gets old :).

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4) Evaluate your thoughts.

Human beings are undoubtedly driven by our thoughts and attitudes. So, whenever I'm feeling down, I try and make the situation into a positive one. I talked a lot about this practice in my last blog post, Privilege & Positivity, but as a quick summary, I try and think about how fortunate I am to have certain issues in my life. If I'm stressed about a midterm, I think about how fortunate I am to be at the #1 best public university in the United States and to have the opportunity to take a hard midterm at UCLA, even if it makes me want to rip my hair out in the moment (lower div math classes reacts only).

Still, I recognize that happiness isn't a choice, and depression is extremely valid. I went through cycles of depression during high school, and it really consumed me. It wasn't a choice, and I want to make that very clear. Sometimes, you're sad and you simply can't control it. But, I try and be as positive as I can if I can, but that just isn't the case sometimes, and that's okay.

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5) Love, love love! <3

I saved the best for last: love! I always turn to my loved ones for comfort and support when I'm feeling down. They are the ones who truly know me the best out of everyone, and they are the ones who know what will make me feel better. Whether it's talking with my roommate / best friend for hours about whatever's bothering me, letting my boyfriend wipe my tears away and make me a vegan grilled cheese, or video-calling my sisters who are both hundreds to thousands of miles away, my friends, partner, and sisters will always be there for me, and I know I can always lean on them for support during the roughest of times.

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And that wraps up the five ways I cultivate happiness in my daily life! They're not perfect, but they're mine, and that's all that matters :').

Warmly,

Kienna