C'mon, get HAPPY!: 10 ways to beat the blues

http://evie-s.com

As you may have been following along, I've been dealing with my own little issues in trying to forgive, love, and be happy with myself. So in the process, I've found different ways to make me happy and get me out of my depressed moods!

Remember, you are your own very best friend and therefore, you have to take care of you, before you try to help others.

Below is a list of things/reminders I have found have worked for me in order to make me feel good when I'm just feeling like the sky is falling around me. I must give a shout out to Jacque at Quirky Girl's Thoughts for inspiring me to create my own list!

*Put yourself first! Focus on all of your needs rather than putting someone else's wants and needs before yours. It is ok to be a little selfish at times, you have to love yourself! You need to spend time with yourself and get to know what can help you get out of this awful rut! My vocation is in the social services field, so I tend to put the needs of others before my own. Remember the airplane emergency procedures? They indicate that you must put your oxygen mask on first, before helping anyone else in putting on theirs.

*Go for a run or for a walk. Exercise increases the amount of endorphins or the "get happy chemicals" in your body...need I say more? Exercise, in any form, can help you feel energized, happier, less stressed, and even more focused!

*Fake a smile! Yes, fake it! Believe it or not, your brain will "believe" whatever facial expression you are showing and will start sending those signals to the rest of your body and mind. So engage those muscles and smile BIG. Wanna laugh harder? Do it in front of a mirror, I bet you'll start laughing your belly off!

*Schedule fun in your calendar! This is a must even when you are pressed for time and feel stressed. Dial up your friends and tell them you are due out for a girls' night or a happy hour. Call your local spa and get a relaxing massage. Find out when the next yoga class will be and add it to your calendar and set a reminder for yourself! Counting down to your next fun event will make you feel good too!

*Have your piece of cupcake in the morning! Grab that piece of candy or that cupcake! Steal 5 Hershey Kisses from the bowl at work! The little bit of sugar will give you a slight kick that will surely bring a smile to your face..and well, you know the rest :)

*Write down what you are thankful for. Sometimes when we are feeling down, it gets really hard to appreciate and realize all of the good things that life has given us. Putting these things on paper, even as minuscule as they may seem (e.g., the smell of rain in the morning, the roof over your head), can help us get a perspective on how amazing our lives really are!

*Keep calm and meditate! Take 10 minutes of your day to just close your eyes and count the breaths you take. If you find it hard to focus, allow yourself to accept these thoughts and write them down when you are done. You may even feel more connected to your own feelings. Download the free Headspace Meditation application to help you keep track of daily meditation, just like Couch to 5K guides you with your runs.

*Surround yourself with goodness. They say misery loves company...if that's the case, make it "positive company"! When you are down in the dumps, it is a lot harder to look at the bright side of life. Find that one person who knows you best, understands you, and makes you feel good. Tell them how you are feeling, and trust them enough and allow them to take you out of that funk. Sometimes, this person may even be your therapist, whoever you chose, this person is a step in the right direction to get you out of this rut.

*Get Busy! The best way to avoid those ruminating thoughts that come up over and over and keep you down, is to stay busy. Now that you found a friend or a family member, have them take you somewhere or talk about something completely unrelated to your worry. Try your best to dive into that photography project you were working on, fall into the fiction story you've been dying to read, go watch that funny movie...getting your mind busy will help in warding off those ruminating and negative thoughts in your mind.

*Volunteer your time! When we are depressed or in a crummy mood, we tend to think about how everything and everyone around us affect us, we tend to internalize and really emote how we are feeling. Try putting that "internal energy" to good use and get involved! Do something for someone else that will make you feel good for you.

I hope this is a little helpful for you. I know it helped me. I am on an ongoing journey to take care of me and to get to know me better. Accept yourself because there's nobody else out there just like you. You are beautiful and only you can make your self shine... ;)

What has worked for you when trying to get over the blues?