When You're Down And Out, Lift Up You're Head And Shout

I started this list a while back but figured today was as good as any to post it. 

Just a few little things I try to remember (this will hopefully serve to jog my memory in the future) to do when I am having one of those grouchy, grumpy, tears just randomly falling down my face, blue blue, not happy, nothing is going right, bad days.

1. Meditate.  Sit in the middle of your bed, in your office chair, or in your (parked) car in a parking lot.  Close your eyes.  And breathe deeply.  In...one...two...three...four...five.  And out...one...two...three...four...five.  Repeat.  Repeat again.  Now concentrate on NOTHING.  I often need to think about a blank piece of paper or a white wall.  Now the rest, is up to you.  Sometimes I concentrate on one thing I am truly grateful for.  Sometimes I pray.  But I always do so in a way that clears my foggy thoughts and leaves me feeling lighter.  If you don't feel lighter, keep those eyes closed and keep breathing. 

2. Stretch.  Or any exercise.  But since this is me and I am not a fan of exercising, stretching is often the most I can bring myself to do.  Sometimes I just hang out upside down on my big yoga ball. 

3. Clean.  For me, it's usually vacuuming or cleaning the bathroom.  Because both are fast to accomplish and make me feel worlds better.  So to clarify, I don't like cleaning.  Who does?  But I like the feeling I get after I have finished cleaning.  A little project like cleaning the bathroom (my home is very small) or mopping the kitchen can have a big moral boost for me.

4. Walk the dog.  We walk a specific route every evening.  Depending on the weather, it takes us 30-50 minutes (it takes us a LOT longer in the summer than the winter because of the heat and her achy joints).  But I take in the beauty of my city, breath fresh (city) air, stretch my legs and get a little exercise in. 

5. Drink water.  On bad mood days I am tempted (and often give in) to drink Diet Coke.  But I feel better when I drink water.  I just forget that in the middle of an "I need a band aid for my woes" moment.  Those Mio water flavor thingys help to change up the flavors a lot.

6. Eat a healthy meal.  Again, I am tempted to eat crap when feeling blue.  But even if I just make eggs or a baked potato with homemade salsa, I feel better than eating fast food.  Plus, not eating enough can often be half my mood issue. 

7. Cry.  Allow myself the space to get those tears out of my system.  This usually happens while driving from point A to B.  I just wallow for 10 minutes and get it all out.  I can feel a difference in myself in a month when I have not had a good cry.  I need that release.

8. Take a drive.  Sometimes I do this while singing at the top of my lungs (I am an AMAZING singer in my car).  Sometimes I do this in silence.  Sometimes I talk it out (yes I talk to myself).  Sometimes I cry it out.  But it nearly always helps to relax me to just take a little drive.

9. Watch Lifetime.  I don't resort to this very often.  But if you are feeling particularly glum and down on your luck, just flip on any Lifetime TV Movie.  And you will instantly see that your personal level of bad luck and crazy is less than the lead actress in that movie.  Any movie.  Your life is better!

10. Call a bestie.  I rarely call and say I'm down and need cheering up.  Just hearing her voice and stories of the kids is enough to turn my frown upside down.