With August being National Happiness Month, I thought it might be a nice idea to do a post on how to ‘beat the blues’ and share with you some of the things I do when I’m having a bit of a down day. I’m no therapist, and I understand this might not work for everyone – but if it helps a few of you brighten your mood then great!
Put pen to paper
If I feel overwhelmed, I’ll take half an hour and jot down all the things that are bothering me. After seeing them all on paper, somehow they don’t seem that significant anymore, and I feel more confident in tackling my problems head on. Writing is a great way to vent, if someone/something is annoying you, why not write it all down and then screw it all up/hurl it into oncoming traffic for it to never be seen again? Perfect!
I’ve also kept a diary for the past 4 years, which is a great for looking back on good memories and seeing how your feelings have changed over time.
Leave (get out)
Sing it, JoJo! I’m lucky to live in a beautiful part of Essex that’s surrounded by countryside and wildlife, and there’s nothing better than going on a good walk and taking it all in. Admire your surroundings, appreciate what you have and you never know, the fresh air may shed some light on things. Adding a little exercise to your day is always a good thing too!
Talk about it
You might only have one person you feel you can turn to, or a few. If you’re the type of person to bottle up your feelings, talking about them out loud can sometimes give you a new perspective on them. I am extremely guilty of running situations over in my head, fearing the worst, but talking about it with a close friend or family member often gives me a more optimistic outlook.
Cry, baby
It’s important to embrace our emotions, and I’m a firm believer that having a bit of a blub can be a good thing. So, whether you want to pop on The Lion King and watch the most emotional on screen death of all time – FYI still not over it – or just mull over your feelings and have a bit of a ‘woe is me’ moment, go for it. Everything in moderation, right?
Live in the now
While it’s good to look forward, I think that living in the now also provides a lot of happiness. As we get older, time seems to whizz past, because we are often looking forward to the weekend, waiting for a holiday or the seasons to change. We are constantly looking to the future, and before we know it the times we live in now are gone, later to be looked back on through nostalgic eyes. God that’s deep.
Take 5 to think of three reasons to be happy NOW
– they can be as small or big as you like!
Here’s mine.
- I recently watched Cape Fear, one of my favourite films ft. my completely normal serial killer crush Max Cady. *swoons*
- A lady complimented me on what a lovely dog I had. (FYI, he’s a German Shorthaired Pointer called Hugo)
- I went to Latitude festival last month and had such a fun time! You can read all about it here.
- What do you do when you’re having a bit of a down day?
I agree with all of your ways to brighten your mood. I also think that it’s really important to just have a good cry! It seriously makes me feel so much better! Three reasons to be happy (for me) are: that someone complimented my shoes the other day, I have a great relationship with food now, and that I am happy with where my life is going at the moment 😀