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Everyone gets sad now and then – it’s totally normal, whether it’s due to hormones, the weather, or just the natural ebb and flow of life.
If you’re afraid it’s depression, you should definitely seek professional help, but if not, these 15 tips could help pull you out of your funk!
15. Very creative.
I wrote a letter to my future self when I was at a happy point in my life to read when I’m sad. You’re obviously the only one who knows what you’re going through, so it’s nice to get advice from the happy version of yourself.
like: dear me/ future me, i hope that you’ll be happier wherever you are blah blah. it can be anything!
14. This is all very true.
I read a book, that always takes my mind off things: way better for your mental health than social media.
Just cut off the toxic social media for some weeks. Just browse through Reddit. You’ll feel much better.
13. Emotions are your friend.
Cry.
Identify my emotions. Is it angerr? Disappointment? Despair?
Accept them. Allow myself to feel them.
Figure out why I felt them and soon they just go away.
I find that distractions or suppressing them only makes them fester and get worse or come out in the form of anger and end up hurting someone else.
12. Endorphins are great.
I exercise. That makes me so much more miserable that my previous state of misery appears cheerful.
11. Just breathe in it.
I allow myself to be sad, understand why I am sad and just continue to do whatever I have planned to do.
Eventually it goes away the sadness and I don’t even notice.
10. I shall try it immediately.
Yelling Michael Jackson sounds.
You gotta try it. It really helps.
9. Solid advice from an old soul.
My coping mechanisms are shit, so I asked my 4 year old niece. She said you scream the sad out, then sat on the floor and shouted “AHHHH!” Then smiled and went about her day.
Scream the sad out.
8. I love everything about this.
Some motherf*cker said you can literally smile and trick your brain into being happier. I hate how it actually works sometimes.
7. Take a walk.
I just sit there continuing to feel sad until I just get over it. Sometimes I go outside for a bit of a walk too.
6. Dance it out.
I put on my dance gear and dance my ass of to some super corny hyped inspirational lyrical crazy beats songs with the lights either dimmed or off, if in the dark I put on the flashlight so I can see my silhouette on the mirror, the walls and roof.
It looks so beautiful and graceful and I feel like I’m on stage that it gets to me end up genuinely smiling.
5. It can really help.
Listen to music, it’s not a lot but it makes me so much better.
4. I feel like we could make a whole list of these.
Watch the YouTube video “If Animals Were Round”
3. Give yourself permission to veg.
This also worked for me when I needed to chill after a big test in college: order or make some food you like and watch your favorite shows or movies. I could recommend some if you like.
Mostly comedies: 30 Rock, Arrested Development, Chuck, Psych, Happy Endings, The Mighty Boosh, The IT Crowd, Parks and Recreation, Community.
2. Take a rest.
If I can, I take a nap or just go to sleep for the night. My doctor told me an analogy for mental health that I always find helpful.
Mental health is like a table. The more legs you have under the table (good sleep hygiene, nutritious diet, exercise, social contact, therapy etc…) the more stable the table is. It’s rarely one thing but we can do a lot of little things throughout the day that can cumulatively make a difference.
I have a toddler so I’m always exhausted and sleep deprived so that’s usually the table leg I’m missing, so any rest helps.
If you need to talk to someone, many people have offered in this thread. I’d probably be most helpful to other parents, if you want to vent there feel free.
Others have mentioned some fantastic points about finding a balance, and how no matter how stable your table is, sometimes the ground is uneven. I hear that, and they’re great points.
1. Fake it ’til you make it.
Pretend to be happy until I am. Fake it till you make it.
This was motto for 2 years while I was going through some serious sh%t in life. It worked out pretty well but, I think I bottled up too much emotions and lied to myself too much that I was happy that it got to the point where I can’t pretend anymore and just cry especially when I’m alone with my thoughts.
I don’t know how we do it but, I think as some of us age we pretty much just learn to suck it up though deep inside we’re all wounded to the core.
I’m definitely going to put a few of these in my back pocket.
What’s your go-to way to cheer up? Share your tips in the comments!
