In the light of the current news regarding abortion rights, I woke up on Tuesday with a headache, upset, and with a desire to just stay in my bed the whole day. It took me an hour to drag myself out of the bed and to finally to feed Pringle.
8.40 AM. “Not bad”, I thought but I still felt like shit. And I truly didn’t want to move any further than my bed. Suddenly, I thought “I am not going to be sad about it, I will not allow it to destroy my day”. Nor life for that matter.
Yes, I will not allow prejudices and patriarchy to dictate how to live my life and what to do with my body. While the news is clearly upsetting and there will be a fight for women’s rights AGAIN (not that it ever stopped, to be honest), I just refuse for this situation to put me in a deep dark hole with no light at the end.
I refuse to be sad and lose hope. I guess this is what it is all about eventually – breaking down open-minded people who want to be in control of their own lives. So I refuse it and I will live my life as I see it, and I am choosing to stand confidently and to never give up.
Easy ways to cheer yourself up
This blog post is about the things I usually do to cheer myself up during difficult moments. It really helped me on Tuesday to feel better and alive. Those are very easy ways to cheer yourself up and make something small that can have a big impact.
1| Do your hair. Every time I take care of my hair and style them, I feel a rapid change in my mood and empowerment. It’s such a small thing but has a massive impact on the way I feel.
2| Put some jewelry on. I usually wear rings and earrings. I feel put together and very badass.
3| Listen to positive or energetic music. I love turning on slightly aggressive music but something that I can dance to and feel energized by it.
4| Go outside. Fresh morning breeze, sunlight, birds singing. It feels great to merge with nature for some time and recharge after a stressful situation.
5| Go through your bucket lists and goals for extra motivation. Just seeing all the things I want to do, see, and achieve gives me extra energy to get up and stay focused.
6| Think about what future you want for yourself. This is similar to the previous point but just envisioning my life and how I see myself in the future gives me extra strength to never give up and work on becoming a better and happier person.
7| Dancing. This is something that has been a part of my daily routine for a few weeks now and I love how energetic I feel afterward.
8| Have a comfy, delicious, and aesthetically decorated meal. Delicious for your satisfaction and aesthetically pleasing for your overall mood.
9| Disconnect from social media and news. At least for 10 minutes don’t check any social media or news. It will help, I promise. Breathe in, breathe out. Stop any attempt to take your phone and see what’s online.
10| Put some makeup on. Putting on a bit of blush, bronzer, and concealer always makes me feel a bit better. And while I am trying to accept myself as I am, putting on makeup refreshes my look and makes me feel ready for anything.
11| Use perfume. Spray yourself with your best perfume even if you don’t go anywhere and plan to stay home.
12| Quick hot shower. Hot water always helps me to relax and when I shower I usually picture how all my worries are getting washed away by water.
13| Smile. Stand in front of the mirror and just smile. Repeat a few times and keep doing it throughout the day. I am not a scientist but I know that smiling can trick your brain and improve your mood
14| Talk. Either to people who you can trust and share your vulnerability with, or just talk out loud. Of course, you can journal but I feel like it’s more time-consuming, especially if I want to journal about something that saddens me. Talking or chatting with my husband or my best friend about things that bother me always has a healing effect.
15| Tidy up. Sometimes when we feel down, we leave certain things unattended. My advice is to quickly clean your space and put everything that has no place away. I know it doesn’t sound like something that would cheer you up in a process but I promise it feels great afterward.
These things are easy to do, and while it will not make all the issues disappear, it can help you to feel a bit better. Spend 10-15 minutes doing some of these things and see where it will lead you.
It did make me feel better about myself. Yes, my day was still longer and harder. The headache didn’t go away even after a few painkillers, but as I mentioned I realized the strength of my spirit and that it is unbreakable.
I’ve been doing these things daily since Tuesday for the whole week now and it helps me to feel alive.
I hope you can find these ways helpful. Let me know what helps you to cheer yourself up.
Read more:
- Tips on setting realistic expectations for yourself
- 30 Morning routine ideas for busy people
- 11 ways to deal with a stressful situation
Reclaiming myself. 5 things I learned.
Creating authentic life and personal motivation
I took 3 weeks off for self-care
