Having a bad day? Don't worry we all experience those, but they don't have to last forever! Here are some simple things I do in order to brighten a gloomy day.

1. Yoga

I have just recently gotten into yoga, and I am NOT a naturally flexible gal, however I LOVE the way it makes my body feel! It relieves stress, loosens my tight muscles (from weight lifting and tennis throughout the week), and is just relaxing in general! The best part is doing a 10 minute savasana at the end and detecting how much looser and relaxed you feel.

2. Journaling

I know I have written about the importance of journaling previously, but I stand by the fact that it has drastically improved my mental health. Now, it is not a magic anxiety antidote, however it is extremely helpful to me to write my feelings down and just get them out of my head and onto paper. Once I have written them down, it's like I don't have to worry about them any longer.

3. Cook with Friends

I am so lucky to have a close-knit group of friends, whom I call my family, here at Hastings College. Whenever I am feeling down, I usually hang out with them and am able to feel better almost instantly. Doing something with them to get my mind off of whatever is causing my bad mood is quite effective for me and one way I've done this is by cooking a meal with them. It is so nice to have a "family dinner" with close friends and who doesn't like food?

4. Spontaneous Photoshoot

One of my favorite ways to get out of a bad mood is to give myself a little confidence-boost, and a fun way to do that is to dress up and have a spontaneous photoshoot. Wearing something that you feel truly good in and posing like the confident, gorgeous human-being you are is a fantastic mood booster! So put on your favorite outfit and go have a ball!