Operation: Happy

I’ll be totally honest with you. 2020 wasn’t the greatest…

In the middle of March 2020, I heard crazy rumors floating around the teacher staff lounge about a new disease, COVID-19. I rolled my eyes at the rumors then, but sent my little 1st graders home that Friday with homework: “WASH YOUR HANDS!“

They giggled as we chanted it and then I sent them home. Little did I know that was the last time I would see my 2019-2020 class in person. We were launched into Spring Break with stay-at-home orders.

After two weeks, teachers where I live in Southern California were informed that we were going to be finishing out the school year with Distance Learning. It was extremely stressful.

Now I have two very different “modes” that I switch into during these types of super terrible situations. Either I (1) give up. I become a couch potato and push off everything that has the slightest chance of stressing me out further. Not a viable option considering my job & livelihood was on line… which brings us to option (2) buckle down and attack everything all at once.

I went into attack mode and not only embraced Distance Learning as much as I could under the circumstances, but I determinedly pushed myself to finish the book I started writing seriously in February 2020.

My self-determined dead-line was December 31st, 2020.

Then I hit a rut.

Just before summer hit, things began feeling off. Off personally, off with my 3 kids, off with my husband – and I was stuck at home. I was going a little stir crazy and couldn’t figure out what was wrong.

I quickly realized, I just wasn’t happy.

My husband and I were struggling to connect even though we had more time than ever together thanks to COVID-19. I felt like a terrible mom (for no particular reason – mom-guilt, folks), and it really didn’t help that my connection with my religious beliefs felt strained because I was no longer allowed to meet in person with my church. On top of all of those factors, I was still trying hard to meet personal goals – like writing my book!

Before I launch into my rant about a great, helpful & uplifting product that helped me during a difficult time, let me point out a few other things that I did to help me find happy again.

1. My husband & I had a heart to heart. We determined that while we had more time together, the time meant nothing if we didn’t do something meaningful with it. For some, this might sound like we were planning frequent dates, but it’s much more than that. We both made the commitment to TALK – to be present, for one another. Things did not miraculously heal over-night, but it’s been 5 months since that initial discussion and our marriage has never felt stronger.
2. I wrote down specific goals for myself to help my family. Things like, “play together” or “eat family dinners (NOT just In-N-Out) together around the dinner table often”. As the mom, I have to be willing to DO things to make THOSE things happen – like at the end of a long day, PLAY WITH MY KIDS. Or actually MAKE DINNER other than go through the In-N-Out drive through. I committed to doing those things.
3. I promised to strengthen my relationship with God. Not everyone is religious and I respect that, but I know that for me, if I don’t feel like I’m doing my best to connect with the man upstairs, I’m unhappy. This means reading scriptures, saying my prayers, but probably most importantly, living in a way that makes it easier for my family to know Him too.

With those 3 things already in mind, I then stumbled across The Five Minute Journal through a friend’s recommendation who swore by it. I investigated it. I purchased it. And I started trying it out.

Here’s what I found:

• Beginning the day by thinking about what would MAKE it a good day, makes all the difference!
• Daily affirmations feel ridiculous at times, but actually build you up to be a better you.
• Focusing on the good that happened during the day instead of the bad makes your day seem a lot better than it actually was … LOL.
• Evening reflections help us analyze how we react to different situations and maybe handle them a lot better the next time we encounter that situation again.

This Five-Minute Journal took some time to get use to and is definitely something you have to make a habit of, but if you do, I promise that you’ll find that it can not only make you a happier person with a happier outlook on life, but has a tendency to rub off on those around you.

With the New Year right around the corner and mental health being MASSIVELY important as we continue to manage the new-normal COVID-19 has brought on, I’m hosting the Operation: HAPPY Giveaway! If you win, you’ll get your own Five-Minute Journal along with a pack of my FAVORITE Flair Pens so you can get started on your own journey to happiness this year. *You can earn an extra entry by making a comment on this blog post, liking my post on Instagram, and by sharing it in your Instagram stories!

Whether you’re a parent, a son or daughter, a teacher, a writer, an artist, an engineer, a student, single or married, or anything else in between, I hope you find your happy in 2021.

Thanks for being here!

– Allie