We all have those days when we're just feeling, frankly, a
bit crap. You don't quite feel yourself, you're lacking motivation to get
anything done and you just aren't feeling 100%. I've had more than a few days
like that recently, so I've started to work out a few ways to snap myself out
of that feeling and I thought I would share them here in the hope that it can
help to cheer someone else up as well.
On that note, here's 10 things to do when your emotional
state basically resembles the little poop emoji.
1. Exercise
I know, I know; when you're feeling down, exercise is
probably the last thing you feel like doing. That's exactly how I feel, and I
need to learn to practice what I preach on this one, but exercise is good for
you. Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy. Listen to Elle Woods, people. She knows what she's talking about. Doing something physical can
really help on those low feeling days. It doesn't have to be anything intense-
you don't need to run a marathon or lift your body weight. You don't even need
to step foot in the gym (plus encountering all those bulky men who grunt like
they're doing something dodgy probably won't help). A walk in your local park
or a relaxing swim will do the trick. Anything that gets your motor running
will still give you a sense of accomplishment. You went for a walk today- go
you!
2. Makeup
I know some people prefer the exact opposite here and like
to keep themselves bare-faced but, for me, slapping a bit of makeup on my face
gives me a good boost. Nothing too crazy or experimental, just enough to make
you feel like 'you know what, girl? You look pretty good today'. For me, that
look consists of winged liner and some red lippy but you do whatever works for
you. You do you, boo.
3. Declutter
It can be tricky to muster the motivation to do this (even
on days when I feel good cause, let's be real, I'm lazy AF) but giving my flat
a good clean tends to make me feel slightly better. When I feel like crap, I
find sitting in a messy flat makes everything worse. Tidying up gives me
something productive to do and having a clean and tidy flat just gives me one
less thing to worry about. Tidy home, tidy mind and all that.
4. Buy yourself some flowers
Now that your house is sparkling like the set of a cleaning
advert (or is at least semi-presentable enough that you wouldn't panic if your landlord
suddenly made an impromptu visit) it's time to brighten it up with some fresh
flowers. For me, the pinker the better. Top tip: get thyself to Lidl or Aldi,
they have great flowers for super cheap.
5. Bake
This might not be for everyone but I find baking something
really cheers me up when I'm feeling a bit low. It gives you something to do
with your hands and it's something to focus on and pass away the time. AND when
you're done, you have cake. There are few problems that can't be solved by cake
(although diabetes is probably one of them.) I tend to go for something simple that I know
I can make well, like cupcakes or blondies, rather than something difficult and
complicated that will leave me on the floor, sobbing in frustration at my lack
of icing skills (totally fabricated situation that never happened, I assure
you.) (Okay, it might have.) So now is probably not the time to make a 7 tier
rainbow cake or to attempt the technical challenge on last week's Bake Off.
6. Happy TV
Now that you've baked yourself something delicious to snack
on, it's time to settle down and watch something super cheerful on TV. If it's
a Wednesday (or even if it's not), The Great British Bake Off is always a good
shout. Baked goods? Sexual innuendo? ALL THE PUNS? No-one can possibly feel sad
when watching Bake Off (as long as you avoid thinking about the whole Channel 4
debacle. I'm still not over it.) Alternatively, sitcoms are a good way forward.
Suggestions include Park and Recreation and Friends, neither of which ever fail
to make me laugh.
7. Colouring
Yes, this is such a trend that it's bordering on a cliché,
but sometimes things are cliché for a reason. Colouring in is relaxing AF. This
is one of the many reasons small children are usually so content- nothing to
worry about, they just get to colour in all day. However, if you're not so
artistically inclined and find colouring invites too much pressure (for
instance, I colour outside the lines and get annoyed at myself), a good
alternative is Dot to Dot colouring books which is exactly what it sounds like-
remember those puzzles when you had to draw pictures by numbers? It's pretty
much that, but with more intricate designs.
It's quite methodical and very therapeutic, but doesn't require any
artistic flair (of which I have none).
8. Pamper
Because I'm a huge girly-girl and proud of it, a good pamper
sesh is one of my favourite ways to chill out and make myself feel better. Face
mask? Check. Hair mask? Check. Enough Bath Bombs to stock a Lush store? Double
check. Now get that bath running, put on your favourite podcast/audio book and
CHILL THE HELL OUT, you deserve it.
9. Read a good book
Now that you're clean and fresh, the next step is to put on
your snuggliest pyjamas and settle down in bed with a good book. Read whatever
makes you happy. Some people like self-help books for this, I personally find
when I 'm already feeling low that this genre tends to just make me focus on
everything that's wrong and makes me feel worse. Not good. I tend to prefer a
hilariously written memoir - Yes Please by Amy Poehler, Let's Pretend This
Never Happened by Jenny Lawson or pretty much anything by Caitlin Moran are all
good places to start.
10. Early night
Lastly, sometimes the best thing to do when you're not
feeling 100% is to just go to sleep. A multitude of ailments can be improved by
simply getting enough sleep. So snuggle up, close Twitter, put your phone away
and go to sleep. Chances are you'll feel a lot better in the morning. And if
nothing else, sleep is just lovely, isn't it?
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