Last week was the best week ever! You had a great dinner with friends, all is great with the spouse, your boss gave you a compliment with a holiday bonus, or maybe your child just turned one year old. Why do you feel sad or blue today? You got eight hours of sleep, and next month is the family Caribbean vacation; you have no reason to feel the blahs. But, ever since you woke up, a heavy cloud has been hanging over your head for no reason. When I have one of those days, I ask myself, is it just me? I’m not a doctor and have no degree in this area. I am a gal who hates days that make me sad for no reason and wanted to share my “go-to” pick-me-ups.
Move!
When feeling blue, the first step is finding the motivation to pick yourself up from the blahs. This is half the battle, as your brain is helping fuel the funk. Tell yourself it’s time to pick yourself out of this gloom and turn this blah feeling around. Go to the gym, stroll a bookstore, or do a jigsaw puzzle. Put on some music or watch a funny sitcom. If you let yourself wallow, you’re fueling that dreary feeling, so motivating yourself is the first step in the “blue” battle. You must move! Try to change your thought pattern or find something to occupy the sadness on a loop over and over in your brain.
A little dirt can help
Walking outside will help. Find a trail, hit a park, or brave the road to your corner store. Fresh air is one of the biggest up-lifters for anybody. Lack of oxygen or not taking deep breaths can take a toll on the body, so anything you can do to get those lungs pumping is uplifting. Also, stretching the body for a few minutes can make a difference, loosen you up, and hopefully get the brain to calm down for a few moments.
Have a drink
Forget about everyone else and take a break. Go to your favorite bar, coffee shop, or restaurant. Ask for the table by the window or sit in that corner booth with few people around. Have no purpose but to sit by yourself with a newspaper, novel, or some earbuds with your favorite relaxing music. Keep the computer with the work proposal due in two days in the car. Just relax with a cup of coffee, iced tea, or my drink of choice, champagne. Surround yourself with a beautiful atmosphere like a hotel lobby lounge and relax, checking every thought, good or bad, at the door. Read about Self-Reflection when Traveling here.
Top 10
I mean life-changing, significant moments. Write them down. Take the time and list what has shaped your life. Forget the bad stuff: death, divorce, etc. Only the things that make you smile. Your marriage, children, graduating college, buying your first car, etc. Life’s moments have shaped you, and you should be proud of at least ten things in your life. Unless you take the time to recall and reminisce, you will not remember how instrumental they were in getting you where you are now.
Every day cannot be perfect, nor can we be upbeat and bubbly all the time. We all have days when we may need to take time for ourselves. It’s normal, and you are not alone. Allow yourself to sit back and take a moment. Please take a few or ten deep breaths and know this shall pass; we all have melancholy days.
Check out the Follow a New Path® Self Discovery worksheet here.
