MY 5 GUIDELINES TO LIFE

1. Stay busy

It may seem like a weak argument to be happy and stay positive, but if I've got a busy schedule, I feel like I do more with my life. If I'm able to squeeze in a haircut, a workout and meet a few friends in a day, the day feels better than if I watch Netflix for 7 hours only to ask myself what the hell I'm doing with my life. Keeping busy and making a plan for my days and weeks makes me feel more accomplished and happy with myself.

2. Caffeinate yourself

I love caffeine (even if it leaves me shaking for 30 minutes and make me wanna run across the world 15 times). Coffee gets me going in the morning and help me get through my endless to do-lists. 

3. Make sure 'productive hours' are actually productive

I work best with music. However, if it turns into a karaoke session instead of a study or work session, it doesn't help. I've got a playlist specifically for working, studying or writing, and if any song turns into that dreaded karaoke session, it's excluded. Also, I always get dressed when I wake up in the morning. Hanging around in joggers never get me in a productive mood.

4. Realistic goals and rewards

Reaching a goal will seem very far unless your goal is realistic. A main goal is great, but realistic smaller goals to get there will make the road towards your main goal easier. As for rewards, it can be both bigger and smaller rewards, like a 10 minute break after 2 hours of studying, or finally buying something you’ve wanted for a while after finishing an assignment or a term.

5. Be naive, but not too naive

Hope that things work out, but ALWAYS have a backup plan.

Most situations can go two ways, if not three or four. Hope for the best result, but also make sure you've got a plan B-Z if you don't get the result you want.

THE JOURNALIST WHO DOESN'T WRITE

I'm staring at blank pages a lot. I'm a journalism-student who's sometimes struggling to even understand what I want to say. The result is this blog post. At least for now.

The other day, I wanted to write a happy post about my day in Oslo with my best friend. Then all this shit keeps happening in the world, and it can be really hard to write about my life in this happy little bubble when the world desperately needs a wake up-call.

I could talk about my day out, or I could be speechless about the recent tragic events that’s been going on. In times like this, I’d rather be speechless. There’s been a train crash in Italy killing 27 people (an accident, but still), the awful act of terror in Nice killing 84 people, the coup-attempt in Turkey killing 290 people and injuring more than 1,400, the shooting in Baton Rouge... All tragic events happening within a week. There is so much to say, but it's so hard to say it.

There might be more people like me out there. As we're watching the news from the comfort of our own homes, we get angry. We want to say something. It's just very hard to say anything when you think too much or feel too much.

Writing used to be the most important thing in my life. I could write for hours. I could write about everything going through my head. It was simple.

Now, every time I open a document on my computer, or open my notebook, I usually close it again. There are too many things going through my head, so I can't even find the words. To be honest, I don't even know what I just wrote, I just needed to write something. I told myself I'd write more, and maybe all this thinking will soon make sense in writing.

Only time will tell.

UK SUMMER

I spent almost two weeks in the UK, driving around, seeing new and old places.

England can be truly beautiful.