I suspect I am not the only one who has zombie days where you completely shut down. When in a funk, we desperately look for ways to distract yourself from those feelings. And maybe if you are me like there is a time I didn’t leave the house for a month and shut the whole world out. Though it’s important to give ourselves permission to not always be happy, there are also simple ways to improve our mood when we’re feeling down.
Everybody is different, and everybody has different ways of dealing with pain.
1.Step back and self-reflect
Whenever I start feeling depressed, I try to stop, reflect, and get to the root of my feelings. Understanding what is the root cause of your situation, will not only make you more self-aware, but also improves how you react in that circumstance.
2.Reach out to someone
I used to bottle up my feelings out of fear that I would be judged if I talked about them. I would always pretend am happy until I realized I was so unhappy and always felt suffocated. I’ve since learned that reaching out to someone is the best things I can do, it can either be a friend or a stranger (whatever makes you comfortable.) To speak out anyonymous without fear of judgement visit Bonga.
3.Listen to music
Music can heal, put you in a better mood, and make you feel less alone, or take you on a mental journey. The perfect escape from your reality, an upbeat, soothing track can change everything on a bad day. It might be a good idea to have a go-to playlist that is guarnateed to uplift your mood at any time.
4.Go for a walk
Walking always helps me clear my head and shed negative energy, it’s especially therapeutic if you choose to walk in a scenic location.
5.Write
When am feeling down the first thing I do is write a lot. It helps get my thoughts and feelings out in front of me and that always works for me. Find what works for you whether it’s drawing, writing or even singing.
6. Take a nap
Sometimes we just need to recharge. I always feel better after getting some rest.
7. Plan a fun activity
Clearly moping around never helps for you to feel better, so it helps to plan something fun to do. It can be something as simple as a road trip, gardening, baking or trying out a new hobby.
8. Do something spontaneous
It is always good to learn to let go of routine every now and then and try something exciting and unplanned. Am planning a road trip to Turkana which is really looking forward to the adventure.
9. Prioritize
Knowing what exactly you want to reach, what you stand in for, and how you want to live your life is what you need to define your priorities. Knowing your priorities helps you to say “no” more often to things that you are asked to do, but that doesn’t really align with what you actually want to do or should be doing to reach your goals. I try to make sure I’m giving a fair amount of attention to all the priorities in my life, such as work, relationships, health, and personal happiness.
10.Reconnect with someone
Get back in touch with an old friend or a family member that you haven’t spoken to in a while. Reconnecting with people almost always puts me in a good mood and fills my heart up with love.
11.Try a deep breathing exercise
There are all kinds of deep breathing exercises out there. Find one you like and do it whenever you’re feeling stressed or overly emotional.
12.Get out of the house
I work from home, so most of my time is spent indoors, planted in front of my laptop. I have to make a point to get out every now and then, whether it’s to get some fresh air or go meet up with a friend.
13. Focus on what truly matters to you
Sometimes I forget what matters to me and what isn’t that important. Some things just aren’t worth getting too upset over.
