10 Free Mood Lifters
Yesterday I was feeling a bit sad. Don’t know why, maybe it was a case of the Tuesdays. Anyway, I started to think of ways I could cheer myself up without resorting to retail therapy or comfort food. Here’s my top 10. How do you cheer yourself up - without spending - when you’ve got the blues?
1. Ask for a hug.
Unless the other person is a complete stranger or rather unscrupulous, they won’t charge you.
2. Listen to some happy tunes.
These are my ‘happy’ songs, the ones that never fail to cheer me up: Cherry Blossom Girl by Air; Weird Divide by The Shins; Lucky Man by The Verve; Today by The Smashing Pumpkins; Live Forever by Oasis; Bohemian Like You by The Dandy Warhols; Coffee and TV by Blur.
3. Read a good book.
At the moment I’m reading Black Swan Green
4. Move, breathe: go for a walk/run or do some yoga stretches.
Sometimes some fresh air does the trick, or a bit of a stretch. Can never bend my leg behind my ear though, no matter how hard I try.
5. Email an old friend.
It pleases them (hopefully) and it pleases me. If you don’t have the internet… but wait, you must or you wouldn’t be reading this.
6. Look at some old photos of happy memories.
Reminds me that it’s not all bad. I have one picture I love of me and some friends dancing (not too embarrassingly and not on tables) at the office Christmas party a few years back.
7. Do something to help someone else with no expectation of a return.
Help that little old lady across the road. Coach the disabled children to victory in the football game. Swing through New York on a web and save people. Seriously though, shouldn’t Spiderman have received a salary?
8. Play with a kitten.
Animals are guaranteed mood lifters. If no kitten is at hand, find pictures of kittens. There is no shortage of kitten websites. There’s even a piano-playing one on YouTube (see below).
9. Watch YouTube’s top rated videos.
Yesterday I watched a medley of Family Guy moments featuring Brian the Dog. It was hilarious.
10. Smile like you mean it.
It really does work. Just don’t do it at people; they’ll think you’re selling something.
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Posted
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Wednesday, May 23rd, 2007 at 9:05 am
under
Or go fishing!
May 23rd, 2007 at 10:29 amYou know what, I grew up in New Zealand and have not ONCE been fishing. How sad is that?? I would like to go lake fishing, although I’d probably be a wuss and throw the fish back in the water. Two words: Finding Nemo.
May 23rd, 2007 at 10:35 amI usually do 2,4 and 7…..but the others are nice too, and i have not gone fishing ever before too!
May 25th, 2007 at 2:40 am