5 Quick and Easy Ways to Boost Your Spirits
I was amazed by how much happier I felt after doing these simple things
If you’re feeling depressed these days, you’re not alone. Try these and let me know if they help you as much as they helped me.
- Play music. I was sitting in silence feeling down and decided to turn on some music. I found a classic rock station on TV and cranked up the volume, and my mood instantly improved.
- Clean something. Anyone reading this who knows me well will laugh out loud at this point, because I hate cleaning. Today, though, I was so tired of looking at the grease splatters and caked on food on the stovetop that I actually grabbed a sponge and scrubbed. It only took a few minutes, but it felt so good to look at the freshly cleaned surface and know that I had accomplished a task I had been avoiding.
- Go on a “love safari.” This tip was suggested by my friend Steven, who was listening to me vent about my problems and told me to stop and picture times during my life when I gave and/or received love, no matter how long ago they happened. He had me think of them in as much detail as possible and visualize them like a slide show. My mental focus soon shifted, and I enjoyed remembering happier times.
- Reach out to someone else who is hurting. Today I came across a Facebook post from someone I don’t even know who shared that she is going through a rough time. Something traumatic had happened in her life that was remarkably similar to something that I experienced, so I messaged her and said I’d love to talk and perhaps we could support each other. We chatted briefly and set up a phone call for next week. Finding someone who truly understands what you’re going through, as opposed to someone who means well but just doesn’t get it and tells you to look on the bright side and realize that other people are worse off than you, is priceless.
- Pet (or at least observe) an animal. Pets can be a wonderfully calming influence. Although my cat is definitely not one who will sit on my lap and doesn’t tolerate being petted for more than a few minutes, she does have moments when she is affectionate and enjoys getting the attention. If you don’t have a pet, try going outside and just watching a bird, squirrel, or other animal. Doing that has helped me focus on the present moment and forget about my troubles.
I hope you’ll share how these tips work for you and add any others that you have discovered in the comments below.
If you found this article helpful, you may also want to read a longer one I wrote with some additional suggestions of ways to cope during hard times.
