10 things to do when you're feeling down

Life is not always moonshine and roses. There are those days when you feel really down and despondent, when you feel your family is the worst one in the world, when you have no money and you've had a fight with your boyfriend/girlfriend.


Things that will make you feel better

Get some exercise. Get that heart rate up – you will also cause your serotonin (the feel-good hormone) to rise and then you will definitely feel better.

Phone a friend. You don't always have to suffer in silence – a kind voice on the other end of the telephone can sometimes make you feel a thousand times better.

Eat something. A sandwich, a cup of tea or a piece of fruit might make you feel better instantly, especially if your blood sugar levels are low.

Bury yourself in a book. There's nothing like a really interesting story to take your attention off your own troubles. Borrow from friends or look in the library – and don't judge a book by its cover.

Get out into nature. A walk on the mountain, a visit to the beach or to a nearby forest – even a pretty sand dune (depending on where you are) are all things guaranteed to lift your spirits.

Spend time with someone you like. There's nothing like a friend who likes you and is kind to you to make you feel better. Talk about what's bothering you, but then move on to other things after a while.

Buy yourself something. This does not have to cost a fortune. A magazine, or a chocolate will do the trick. Spoil yourself – but not to the point of weight gain or bankruptcy, or both.

Make an appointment to see a counselor. Just making the appointment will make you feel better already. Talk to the school counselor or phone Lifeline where there are trained counselors on duty 24 hrs a day.

Take a nap. Often you just need a little sleep to perk you up a bit. Chances are, if there have been problems in your life, that you haven't had enough sleep recently. Bond with that duvet.

Have a good cry. There's nothing like a good cry to get painful things out of your system. Don't bottle it up – it will only make you feel worse.

 

17 Ways To Cheer Up When You Feel Down

Sometimes it’s just not your day or your week, and all of life’s daily obstacles—the problems that you usually handle without blinking an eye—seem to have the power to drive a dagger into your heart and make you want to give up on everything.
Everyone feels vulnerable, sad, and lonely from time to time but if you know how to cheer yourself up, then you’ll get through many of those tough moments just fine. In fact, you’ll learn to appreciate the sad moments because when you experience them, you know you’re alive and life has both ups and downs. That’s what makes life so great.
Here I’ve listed 17 different ways that can cheer you up when you feel sad, and you’ll be sure to find at least one way that will put a smile on your face when everything else makes you frown.

1. Breathe

Take five minutes and consciously breathe. Count your breaths, inhale and exhale. When you focus on breathing, you will notice that you become more relaxed and your worries and troubles melt away.

2. Take a long walk

Even if you have big troubles, usually a long walk through a scenic environment like a forest, park or mountain will take your mind off your worries. Nature is beautiful. Let it soothe you.

3. Watch an episode of Friends

I have probably watched every episode of Friends, the sitcom series from a few years ago, ten times and it always gets a smile on my face. Feeling down? Just watch an episode or two and your mood will lift.

4. Listen to Arnold Schwarzenegger

Just Google “Arnold Schwarzenegger switchboard” and you’ll see what I mean. It’s an online switchboard with recorded clips from Arnold and his awesome accent. Guaranteed to make you feel better!

5. Browse Saying Images

Since I found this site I’ve been in love with it.
No essays or articles, just unique and original pictures with a message. Very cool.

6. Pig out on ice-cream

Stuffing yourself with your favorite flavor of ice-cream always does wonders. It might not be healthy, and it might not be a solution, but damn, it tastes good—and makes you feel better!

7. Play with a dog

Dogs never seem to have big troubles. They are always energetic and up for fun. Ask someone who has a dog if you can borrow it for a couple of hours, or the day, and take your new best friend for a run.

8. Take a bubble bath

Draw a nice warm bath full of bubbles and bath salts. Relax and soak your troubles in the water—and leave them behind when you get out.

9. Paint

Get a canvas or a wall or something that you can paint on, and let your emotions flow. Let the paintbrush and colors flow freely and your mood will lift.

10. Sing

You may not be in the mood to sing, because generally people only sing when they are happy. But put on your favorite song and sing along. You will begin to feel better, and it might even change your mood completely!

11. Create something

I mentioned painting earlier, but you can do anything you want. Pottery, drawings, carpentry, paper-mache, a song, and Lego are just a few ideas. Be artistic and just make something with your own two hands! I wrote a post on how to be creative if you need inspiration.

12. Make a list

Get a pen and paper and make a list of something. It can be a list of why life is awesome, a list of goals you want to achieve, a list of your favorite things in the world … you name it.

13. Bake a cake

Even if you never bake, baking a cake once in a blue moon can be fun. It can be cool to whip up all the ingredients and create something delicious—especially when you are feeling a little down. And you can devour it to make you feel even better (or at least get a sugar rush…)!

14. Enjoy friends, food, and movies

Ask your best friends to come over for the night, get some good movies and great food, and just hang out. You don’t even have to say anything to each other—just enjoy the movies, food, and each other’s company.

15. Buy yourself flowers

A fresh bouquet of beautiful flowers always cheers me up. They smell amazing and look so pretty. I can often notice a big lift in my mood when I have flower in front of me for a few hours.

16. Blow bubbles

It’s so simple, and yet so fascinating. Dip the little stick in the soapy water and blow on it to make a bubble that floats through the air. See how effortlessly it floats and let that take your mind off whatever is bothering you.

17. Happiness comes from within

Even though many of these suggestions will cheer you up and put you in a better mood, true happiness comes from within. The only person who can ultimately make you happy is you.
If you feel down because of other people, remember that it is you who gives those other people the power to let you be down. If you allow them to hurt you, they can … but not always. I find that the less I rely on other things or people for my happiness, the easier it is to be happy. Don’t you?

 

We have all been there, at least I know I have. You come home from a stressful day at work, or maybe you felt too depressed to even get out of the door.

Everything just went wrong, your girl left you, your favourite sports team lost an important game; It doesn’t matter.

The thoughts just swirl around in your head, and you can’t really focus on anything. Even the easiest tasks seem impossible, and at least for now, you just can’t enjoy life.


When I feel down, here are some of the things I do to drag myself up:

Problem solving:

More than often, what’s getting your down roots out in some kind of problem. If it’s concrete, I advice you to follow these 5 steps:

• Stop doing whatever you are doing, and sit down. Breathe slowly and controlled, and think about what it is that gets you down.
• You need to identify the problem(s). Without a problem you can’t really make a goal, and without a goal you can’t take action. In this case, no action means no mental healing. And that’s what we want, right?
• Write it down. Make a list of what’s depressing you. Take out a paper and pen, and start writing. It’s that simple. This is done to physically get it “out of your head”. Now you can look at your problems in a more objective way.
• Once you have it out of your head and in a different perspective, start thinking about solutions or positive things about what’s bothering you.
• Take massive action. Do whatever is necessary to solve your problem. You know what to do, now you just need to actually do it. Start now!

Be happy:

Sometimes you can’t seem to identify a problem, or there are just too many to overcome. In these cases, I advice you to focus more on being happy than anything else. This have to come first, as you will get a whole new outlook when you really feel alive. So follow these 12 tips, and you’ll be up again in no time.

• Understand that it’s okay to feel sad. Don’t ignore it, just don’t let the feeling take over you.
• Once you can do that, start focusing on what makes you happy. Do what you enjoy, go see a movie, walk the dog, whatever. And whenever the bad feelings start popping up, acknowledge them, clear your mind, and think about something else. Don’t ever think negative thoughts for more than a few seconds.
• Again, lists can help you. Write down some of the things that you like to do, and hang them up on your fridge. Do at least one of these things every day. Look forward to it, and enjoy it while you do it.
• Use fantastic words. If someone asks you how your day was, and you answer with a “fine”, that fine is going to define your day. If you instead tell him that you had a marvellous, amazing or incredible day, that is what your day was or is going to be. Keep this in mind!
• Think in opportunities. Remember that every failure is one step closer to success.
• Think about what you really want to do. Maybe this is a golden opportunity to try a new challenge or new direction in your life. If you really always wanted to be a stock broker, a teacher or a marketing guy, check out what you need to do or learn to get there. Enroll at the university, go to evening classes, seek out profesionals in the industry. Whatever it takes, your only limitation is your imagination.
• Look good. While you feel a little down and depressed, remember to take good care of yourself. It’s much easier to feel sorry for that sad bum in the mirror, than it is to feel the same way about a well groomed, and well dressed young man.
• Get out. You have probably heard this hundreds of times before, but a little exercise and some fresh air can do wonders for your mood. Be open and positive, and a trip to the park can be amazingly beautiful. Look at the birds in the trees, the couples walking around having a good time.
• Surround yourself with happy people. Don’t hang around negative types, sooner or later their mood will affect you. Sad but true.
• Music is medicine for the soul. We all have a favourite band or song, so don’t be afraid to play it! Play it loud, dance around, sing along. Suddenly the burdens on your shoulders seem to lighten a little. Play another wonderful song, and soon they will be far away.
• Smile. Smiling at yourself or to other people is an instant happiness booster. You could say that you trick the body to think that you are happy, and naturally, you’ll also become happy.
• Laugh. Just like smiling, laughing is tricking the body and mind to think that you are happier than you are. So put on your favourite show, and laugh – even if it’s not funny.

All this might seem a little too simple and maybe even a little silly, but I will challenge you to do everything described here the next time you feel down and depressed. As my guarantee, if it doesn’t help, I will personally send over a box of cookies.

Stay happy!