When your mood is screwed, all you can think of doing is drowning in self-pity and sulking.
While that might seem soothing, it isn’t, really. It will only take you deeper into the depths of misery besides convincing you that there’s nothing you can do to get out of it.
And that’s the worst lie ever.
Bad times are a part of life, just as good times are. But it is possible to step away from the unpleasant and feel better. It isn’t always necessary to reach for the medicine cabinet or seek professional help.
Here are 21 great ways to get over that dull feeling. Each one is proven to work!
Let’s get started!
21 easy ways to make you feel instantly happy
- Exercise. Move it! Go for a brisk walk around your neighborhood. Dance your heart out for 30 minutes. Jog. Swim. Do yoga. See if you don’t feel better.
- Humor. Never fails. Laugh your guts out. Watch your favorite comedy show. Or just spend time with children.
- Get creative. Do something with your hands. Put that phone away. Grab some clay and make figures. No clay? Get some flour and water and knead the dough. Have fun with it. Take a pad and pencil and sketch something. It doesn’t matter that you think you are not an artist, because you actually are, you know.
- Eat! Don’t skip meals. When you do, it makes you grumpy without knowing why. So eat on time. A full tummy always, always feel better.
- Eat healthy. Make sure you get a balanced meal and also snack healthy. A bag of fries or chips feels yum, but only on the tongue. Not so much fun when it goes and settles on your hips or around your waist.
- Ditch the toxic stuff. If something isn’t good for your mood, get away from it. Hang out with folks that make you happy.
- Volunteer. Go help someone. Do something for someone. Preferably strangers, you know. With zero expectations. Shift your focus away from you. Gives you a better perspective on life.
- Write. Let it all out on paper. Use a pen or pencil. And color crayons if you like. It is very therapeutic. Some day later, when you read it, you’ll feel good about moving forward.
- Practice gratitude. Probably the best tip in this list. Make a list of all the good things in your life right now. Make it a habit to do it every day. Your perspective on life will change. For the better.
- Sleep. I know, right? A lack of sleep or habitually being irregular in your sleep habits can wreak havoc with your system. So get your zzzz. Daily.
- Try aromatherapy. Surround yourself with fragrances that soothe you. I find that this really makes a big difference to the state of my mind. Can be baking smells, frankincense, your favorite cologne, lemon…
- Get a pet. Oh yes, unconditional love at its best! Get your cuddles on! Plus lots of laughter guaranteed. If you are too busy to take care of a pet, get some soft toys.
- Get together with friends. The non-judgmental, loving, hug you no matter what types. The sorts who will always have your back without keeping score.
- Meditate. Breathing exercises are great for clearing your mind, keeping you focused and balancing your stress levels. If you like, check out some free guided meditations. They do help.
- Spend time outdoors. Get some sunshine. Vitamin D is important and you cannot do without your quota.
- Listen to music. And if you want to sing along, good, very good!
- Read. Another way to take your mind off what’s bothering you for a little while. Will get you involved in something else and when you get back to the way you feel, hey, you may feel very different thanks to the space you gave yourself.
- Step away from media and social media, especially. That stream is not your life stream. That news feed can really get to you and overwhelm you. Take a break. Go offline.
- Do something you’ve put off for too long. Feel the sense of achievement and let it inspire you to feel better. I say this because my own to-do turns into a beast sometimes!
- Cut down on sugar. Seriously. It helps stay healthy and improves your mood.
- Smile. As much as you can. You don’t need a reason. Small action, huge difference. You saw that coming, right?
Which ones will you practice?
It isn’t so hard to get your happy back and the bonus – you’ll be cultivating some great happiness habits in the process and you can’t say no to that!
Win-win, I’d think. And the living is easy!
♥
P.S.: The June Gratitude Circle Bloghop linky is live – do join in with your posts.
🙂 Lovely ideas as always Vidya! I think number 19 is often one that makes me happy – you put something off, and then you get round to it and think oh! that wasn’t so bad after all!
That’s exactly what I am doing today, Ellen! The joy is tremendous! Hugs!
I’m definitely onto the sleep solution! 🙂
Me too! Everything is wonderful when we sleep over it, Sandra! Hugs!
I practice volunteer, yoga, gratitude and music therapy whenever I feel low.
You’re a cool dudette! You’ve got the best four from the 21, Swati! Hugs!
I would follow them all! 🙂 At least the ones that don’t require me to step outdoors…leaving my bundle of joy alone will only worsen my mood, you see? 🙂
Well you said it, Shilpa! Bundle of Joy is often enough and contains the entire Universe, no? Hehehe. Glad for you.
All numbers are great, 14 and 16 are really suitable for any life situation!
Thank you! 🙂
This deserves to be printed and put up somewhere conspicuously. Have tried and benefitted from most of them at some point except the one on ‘have a pet’. And I just might think about it sometime. Vidya, thank you.
Thank you Tulika! I sat on the fence about the pet and continue to do so – simply because I get to enjoy my friends’ puppies. Hugs! Loved your friendship lessons post!
Fabulous list.
This is how we should live every. single. day.
I’d only add one other thing: PRAY!
Love you more than
walking on the railroad tracks w/ my book on audio! xxxx
PS. Vanita fixed my sight!
Vidya,
I love this simple and inclusive list. I practice many of these daily and they work for me!
How wonderful, Debbie! Hugs!
Ah, yes, Kim! Prayer. I begin and end my day with it. Hugs! Love YOU more than the baskets of flowers I saw in the market today. Your site is looking fabulous! Love those three boxes under the header, especially!
My
SITE,
I mean!!! LOL
Not my eye-sight!!!!
Makes a diff. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hugs Kim! I knew what you meant. Love you more!
21. 19, 14 and 3 and 2 speak to me I would add on walk on the beach watch a sunrise Thanks xx
Ah, to live near a beach, Suzie! I can dream, though! Hugs!
I’m so glad that I follow your blog because it is a reminder of what matters. I’m glad to say I eat healthier now although I do give in to the odd chips and delicious chocolate:) I love music and we often light incense or scented candles. Meditation also helps even if it is for 5 minutes, it really helps. I find reading and watching a good movie especially a funny comedy can do wonders. How I wish a friend of mine would take some of this advice but she enjoys being in her state of chaos which is of her own making.
Awww,Birgit. I remember that friend! All these are easy tips to follow and fit nicely into our routine, don’t they? You’re right about meditation – I think it is the even breathing that calms us and helps get back to a happy state. Love you!
Great list, as always Vidya. Key to happiness lies in our hands.
I know. We just misplace it sometimes, no? Hugs! Good to see you, Shailaja!
All great tips, Vidya! Sleep, conscious breathing, music, working with flowers, all these and several other things work for me.
I know Beloo! Simple things are what we often tend to forget…perhaps because we take them for granted. Nice to have reminders though! Hugs!
I want to try aromatherapy next. Sleeping and music helps all the time… Even speaking with a good friend. Loved all the tips… No wonder you are such positive and happy person.
Thank you Raj! Aromatherapy is wonderful. You know, I light a particular dhoop stick every morning and it has a very light fragrance. I somehow associate it with peace and if I smell it elsewhere, I feel instantly calm! 🙂 Thank you! I’d love to know what you used in your aromatherapy
very true key to happiness is in our hand and vidya has provided so many
Thank you! 🙂 I enjoyed your posts on the Triberr stream! Very nice of you to drop by!
These are all excellent suggestions. Around here we are fond of saying that bad people might not enact some of their worst impulses if they had a cat. ~grin~ Any pet is good, though! Watching my fish helps when I’m feeling pointless anxiety. Thank you for these.
Watching fish is one of my favorite happy things, Darla. My son’s school had a huge fish tank with multicolored fish and I would go a little early just so I could watch them. My neighbor just got a kitten. Hehehe. True that pets keep people healthier! Hugs!
I can’t think a a single other way to return to happiness. You’ve covered all the bases, Vidya! Amazing job.
Thank you Lee! 🙂 Hugs!
Great tips and I do about 13! I am not one for toxic people so they are not part of my life unless they end up a client or are family members I may see once a year. I love music and nice smelling candles or incense. I eat heLthier now than ever before but I have to cut down on the sweets and try to exercise a little more when I can. Laughter is excellent and having great friends to laugh with is also key. We have 5 cats and 1 doggie which makes our family perfect
Amazing list! Personally vouch for #10 🙂
All the solutions are worthy to follow. I am glad that I resume walking,try to have healthy foods as much as possible,avoid social media at times ,cuddle with my teddy and keeps the mentality to help others specially strangers…. Love your writings. Out of all odds your writings came out to be the best source of inspiration for me .
Ananya, welcome! Thank you for your kind words 🙂 You seem to be on the right track! Hugs!
Most days when I’m feeling down I go with some of those, even though drowning in self pity seems so very tempting. Exercise, laugh, eat and sleep are my go to options. Though I cannot say I always eat healthy when I’m down.
I understand! The thing that really works best for me is some rigorous housework, because that’s a win-win. Not only does it shake up the energy, but also results in work done. 🙂 Instant gratification. Movement is important. Then you can also get away with eating what you want minus the guilt. Hugs, Tulika!