Every now and then, maybe more often than not for some people, you mentally aren't feeling good. Sometimes, it's something more serious. Sometimes, it's a series of events that lead up to you feeling this way. Either way, everyone at one point in their life needs something to help them feel good again. Unfortunately, for many people it can be hard to find something to give them a boost, and sometimes they can't even find the motivation to do something to give them that boost. If you can't find that motivation, then more than a few pick-me-ups are necessary, and there's no shame in seeking help.
However, if you do have the motivation to find something to do to help, then here are 12 things to help put you in a good mood. Not all of these will work for everyone, but at least give one a shot!
1. Do something you love.
This is obvious, but go back to doing the things you love. Dedicate time to your hobbies, whether it be playing Ukulele, writing poetry, playing basketball, cooking, or whatever - setting aside an hour of your time or more to doing something you love will go a lot longer than just that hour.
2. Take a bubble bath.
By take a bubble bath, I mean do more than just sit in a tub. There are countless products out there meant to help you take a relaxing bath, so utilize those. Put on your favorite music as well. Go ahead and put your phone on the toilet as Spotify plays, and take this time to simply relax.
3. Meditate
Meditating is more than just humming, closing your eyes, and sitting on top of a tapestry you bought from Gypsy Rose. You can sit on your balcony, your bed, or even in the bath rub. Sit in a relaxing position and if a bad thought enters your mind think to yourself, "I will save this thought for later." Then recount the good things that have happened to you in the past few days. Repeat a mantra in your head slowly. Make a list of things you want to do and how you're going to do them. There are countless ways to meditate, but taking even just a twenty minute meditation session can go a long way.
4. Go for a walk.
Maybe you have a market district in your city that's really quaint and cute. Or maybe you have a park you haven't been through yet. Either way, walking is good exercise, and exercise can help with putting you in a good mood. Take time to go on a walk, enjoy the scenery in front of you, and you could even take some of the tips from #3 and implement them as well.
5. Treat yourself.
Go buy yourself something you really want, like a new outfit or a giant bread-bowl from Domino's. You can't treat yourself all the time because you might be low on money, but every now and then it's good to buy something just for yourself. Maybe you can buy something to go with that favorite hobby of yours like new guitar picks or a new tennis racket.
6. Spend time with people you care about.
Sometimes, when you're feeling down, you might close yourself off from the people you care about. You might not like having them see you feeling down, but go get a cup of coffee or watch some Netflix with them. Just spend some time with them and go back to doing the things you love doing with them. You don't have to talk about what's stressing you out, or you could if you wanted to. Either way, spending time with the people you care about can always make you feel better.
7. Learn a new skill.
Learn a new language, how to play a new instrument, how to sew - whatever it is, take the time to learn something new. By doing this, you can distract yourself from your worries but dedicating time to accomplishing this goal, by learning this new thing. You'll put time and effort into it, and once you've accomplished it not only did you have time spent well, you'll feel proud for achieving a goal.
8. Exercise.
Now, I'm not one who really exercises, but simple physical activity can be good for you. Go on that walk mentioned above, go on a bike ride, hit the gym, maybe play some volleyball. Either way, getting some physical activity in has been proven to boost your mood for the better.
9. Make stress-relieving glitter jars.
You may have seen on Pinterest or Facebook, but many people have been turning mason jars into beautiful glitter. All it takes is hot water, glue, food coloring, and glitter. You can make them in any color, and when shaken up it's a like looking into a mystical lava lamp, and they're known to relieve stress at the same time too.
10. Breathe.
Deep breathing exercises are very helpful to calm down and relieve stress. Breathing through one nostril slowly at a time is known to help calm anxiety in a similar way acupuncture is. Take deep breaths.
11. Do stress-relieving exercises.
Roll your foot over a golf ball, hand and foot massages, stress balls - find some stress relieving exercises that can help you physicall relax, which will make you mentally relax as well.
12. Write
Take some time to write down how you're feeling. Maybe you're not one to talk to others about how you're feeling or you don't want to come off as complaining. Write down how you're feeling, because it's good to let it out some way and writing it down can help you understand your own feelings even better, too.
Got any other suggestions on how to give yourself a pick-me-up? Share them in the comments below!
