Hannah Eberle
Photography by Greer Diaz
If you're reading this, practice gratitude.
Hi! My name is Hannah Eberle, and I am a junior here at UW Madison. Like many of you reading this, I came to Madison freshman year with wide eyes full of excitement and anticipation. I was taken aback by all the amazing things this campus has to offer and fully dove in headfirst. However, I would be lying if I said I did not have any setbacks throughout my experience here. While college is full of exciting experiences and adventures, it can very quickly become overwhelming when looking at it as a whole. As the excitement of the first couple of weeks of my freshman year started to fade, balancing midterm season, social life, and the craziness of the dorms started to feel impossible. All of these factors often come together to create a perfect storm for us that can feel incredibly overwhelming. In the midst of this perfect storm, we are often blind to all the good details in our lives. I have found that a little bit of gratitude can go a long way when trying to silence the craziness within these “storms.”
I can easily say that practicing gratitude has been one of the most beneficial practices that I have learned in my college experience. I like to remind myself that if you only focus on the negative, you will always see the negative. By practicing gratitude, you can quickly change your outlook on any type of situation. For example, when stressed for an exam, I remind myself how lucky I am to be receiving an education. When I am stressed in social situations, I thank the friends who have stuck by my side through everything. When complaining about cold winters, I am grateful to have a warm place to hang out with friends. All this being said, I know that at times it can feel almost impossible to find the silver lining in a situation. I encourage you to start small, even if it was the funny meme you saw on your morning scroll, be grateful for it.
The practice of gratitude can feel silly at first, but I can attest that when you implement it into your routine, you will see dramatic changes to your outlook on life. If you are still reading this letter, I challenge you to list three things you are grateful for every day. We have so much to be grateful for in this life, don’t forget it!
Hannah E., University of Wisconsin
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