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?

1. Go for a 20 minute walk
2. Call a friend who will listen to you talk
3. Take a long hot shower
4. Think of something you can truly be grateful for
5. Stand outside and feel the sun – or the rain – on your face
6. Enjoy a juicy piece of fruit
7. Sit down with a good book
8. Turn on your favorite music
9. Enjoy a hot cup of tea or a cold glass of lemonade
10. Stop everything and take a 15 minute nap
11. Wash your face with cold water – or warm water
12. Do stretching exercises for 10 minutes
13. Make a list of 5 things you have a choice about
14. Look at pictures on your phone of people you love
15. Walk barefoot in the grass
16. Book lunch with a good friend – and then turn off your cellphone
17. Try out a new healthy recipe
18. Take a drive down a road you haven’t been on before
19. Read the Verse of the Day from your favorite app (such as the Bible app)
20. Give someone a sincere Thank You
21. Take your dog for a walk, or go to the dog park
22. Comb your hair, brush your teeth, and clean your fingernails
23. Feed the ducks, or the pigeons, or some other animals
24. Dig in your garden or flowerbed
25. Get your car washed
26. Lie on your back and watch the clouds
27. Dangle your feet in the water at the lake
28. Do something nice for someone who will never know it
29. Talk to God about what you’re feeling, and then listen
30. Find a church or chapel that’s open, and just sit there
31. Write an email or call someone who needs encouragement
32. Give someone a hug
33. Spend an hour with a child
34. Light some candles
35. Draw or write or sing about something you care about
36. Enjoy your favorite fragrance – perfume, flowers, nature
37. Join a support group for people with problems like yours
38. Wash your sheets, blankets, and pillows – and enjoy them clean tonight
39. Write a letter letting someone you care about know how much they mean to you
40. 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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