Have you ever felt like you’re stuck down in the dumps and can’t think of a way to get out? That happens to all of us sometimes. Your “usual” way of coping when you’re in a funk may have been to veg in front of the TV, grab some unhealthy snack, or even worse drown your feelings in booze or some other illicit activity.
What you need are some safe and healthy ways to feel better.
Here are a bunch of suggestions. Have you tried these out?
- Go for a 20 minute walk
- Call a friend who will listen to you talk
- Take a long hot shower
- Think of something you can truly be grateful for
- Stand outside and feel the sun – or the rain – on your face
- Enjoy a juicy piece of fruit
- Sit down with a good book
- Turn on your favorite music
- Enjoy a hot cup of tea or a cold glass of lemonade
- Stop everything and take a 15 minute nap
- Wash your face with cold water – or warm water
- Do stretching exercises for 10 minutes
- Make a list of 5 things you have a choice about
- Look at pictures on your phone of people you love
- Walk barefoot in the grass
- Book lunch with a good friend – and then turn off your cellphone
- Try out a new healthy recipe
- Take a drive down a road you haven’t been on before
- Read the Verse of the Day from your favorite app (such as the Bible app)
- Give someone a sincere Thank You
- Take your dog for a walk, or go to the dog park
- Comb your hair, brush your teeth, and clean your fingernails
- Feed the ducks, or the pigeons, or some other animals
- Dig in your garden or flowerbed
- Get your car washed
- Lie on your back and watch the clouds
- Dangle your feet in the water at the lake
- Do something nice for someone who will never know it
- Talk to God about what you’re feeling, and then listen
- Find a church or chapel that’s open, and just sit there
- Write an email or call someone who needs encouragement
- Give someone a hug
- Spend an hour with a child
- Light some candles
- Draw or write or sing about something you care about
- Enjoy your favorite fragrance – perfume, flowers, nature
- Join a support group for people with problems like yours
- Wash your sheets, blankets, and pillows – and enjoy them clean tonight
- Write a letter letting someone you care about know how much they mean to you
- Decide to let something go that you cannot change
These activities are all free of side effects – except that you won’t be able to feel sorry for yourself much longer. Even on your really bad days, one or more of these steps will help you feel better and pull through.
What’s your favorite “feel better” tip?
Your Turn: Do you have something safe and healthy that you do to feel better? What is it? Leave a comment below.
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- 40 Guilt-free and (mostly) Calorie-free ways to feel better. Tweet that.
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