13 Things We Tried In April To Make Life A Little Bit Better

Life is rough, busy, messy, and all together difficult to navigate. Sometimes it’s hard to take a moment for yourself, be it because you don’t have time, you don’t have motivation, or because you just forget to. We asked our writers what they did this month just for them, and some of the responses were small moments, tiny routine additions, personal challenges, or mega life make overs. Here are a few things our writers tried this month to make life better, even just for a few minutes.

Listened To The (Artificial) Rain

“Work has been understaffed and crazy, and it’s hard to focus through the stress sometimes. I bought a pair of wireless bluetooth headphones and downloaded the rainy mood app, for a total of $38. It was one of the best investments I’ve made in awhile, and the amount of calm it brings me while my office explodes around me is incomparable.”

– Hope R.

Read A Lovely Book

“I took myself on a paddle boat excursion and read ‘The Secret Loves of Geek Girls’ on a bright Friday morning. It was lovely.”

– Raven S.

Cared For Myself

“I have a couple of on-going things that I started in previous months that I’ve really felt the value of this month: 1) I started antidepressants and WOW I did not realize all the good sleep I have been missing out on. Also, it’s amazing to have energy again. 2) I finally stopped biting my nails! Every Tuesday I take some time to paint them a different, fun color. 3) I’m putting more effort into brushing my teeth and I even got one of those Crest Whitestrips kits. I guess it’s mostly just taking a little more time to do stuff to care for myself and feel good and loved.”

– Maggie S.

(No) Netflix And Chill

“I gave up TV this week for Wellness Wednesday and I actually am really loving it. I sleep better, wake up easier, I’m more productive/actually have time to read now!”

– Kelly M.

Started A Health Regimine

“I joined weight watchers with the goal of actually, truly sticking to healthy eating, and getting back to a healthier weight since my poor post-graduation eating habits have really caught up with me (even if it may not look like it to the average person, it’s true). I want to start getting into the habit of exercising regularly but so far I’m failing. I’m also using my essential oils more regularly to help me manage stress, unwind before bed so I get better sleep, and support my overall wellness. And I’m trying to spend more time reading and less time watching TV!”

– Allie W.

Branched Outside Myself

“I spent some truly quality time with friends and in the out doors the past week and a half. They were some of the most beautiful days I’ve had in a long time, and I feel like they showed me where my priorities lie.”

– Katy H.

Went On The Best Date (With Myself)

“I’ve been trying to take myself on “dates” more. Twice this month there were special showings of movies I wanted to see at my local cinema on weeknights. Before I wouldn’t even have considered going if I didn’t have someone to go with, or because it was a weeknight and I thought I needed to just go to the gym or be productive. Now I make a whole night of it, getting dinner at my favorite coffee shop after work, and then treating myself to a movie I know I’ll love without any distractions.”

– Rachel G.

Got Some Killer Zzz’s

“I took a really long nap (which doesn’t sound like a lot) but I’m in the middle of finals and hella sleep deprived and it made me feel like a slightly less broken human.”

– Molly W.

Baked Some Bread From Scratch

“I started my own sourdough starter which requires a lot of care and attention. It has to be fed twice a day and checked regularly to make sure it’s developing properly. It’s a strange thing to focus on, but it makes bread that is entirely of my own flavoring. When it finally was ready to make a loaf from, it tasted of months of wild yeast released in my kitchen from previous bakes that helped it grow. I was absurdly proud of the fact that I didn’t have to buy a starter and it felt like a small little accomplishment.”

– Katie R.

Gave My Wardrobe A Workout

“I did an All Dress April challenge, and forcing myself to make use of my ridiculous clothing hoard has been good. It got me out of a style rut and helped me feel less like I had wasted money collecting all these dresses. Also, it helped me cull my closet a little bit by forcing me to accept there were some items I would just never reach for! So, overall, a pretty good choice. but I really want to wear leggings right now.”

– Natalie B.

Focused On The Good Things In Life (Food)

“I’m eating more falafel and shawaerma #mideastsolutions.”

– Rashi N.

Had A New Experience

“I went to my very first concert!”

– Angel B.

Discovered A New Skill

“I stood up in my college bff’s wedding this past weekend and in an effort to save a little money, I opted to do my own makeup. I didn’t have time to practice leading up to it, so the morning of the big day, I made sure I was perfectly organized and took my time on each step of my ~winging it~ process before I moved on. My makeup actually turned out REALLY well and not only was I impressed with myself, but I also felt amazing all day. And I saved $90+!”

– Kim C.