For months, I felt constantly bored and disengaged from hobbies I used to love. Then, I started saying yes to everything.

Once I forced myself to say yes to plans and new experiences, I began to enjoy life more and learn about myself.

Alicia Simba

• I encourage my students to say yes to trying new things, but I wasn't following my own advice.
• Burnout and boredom led me to start saying yes to new plans, activities, people, and places.
• This helped me build a circle of friends, get off my phone, seek out opportunities, and enjoy life.

As a preschool teacher, I'm constantly encouraging my students to try new things.