Here's something I learned a while ago that has really helped me pull through those black cloud moments, when everything seems pointless and I just want to hide under the bed covers - a feel better list or a "5 things to revive your soul" memo that gives you ideas for an instant boost.
This is how it works, when you feel well, pick 5 or so things (no more than 10) that you know will give you instant comfort and relief from feeling low, this could be painting toenails, calling your BFF or walking on the beach. Write them down at the back of your diary or pin them to your fridge, somewhere you can easily access them and when life is getting you down, go to your list and pick one that feels right for that moment and then do it, focus only on that activity, zone everything else out and just breath and be in that moment, chances are that soon your low point will pass and you will be feeling lighter again!
There is a rule here though, when you pick something from your list, although you may not quite feel like doing it, keep doing it for at least 5 minutes, if after that time you are not feeling it then change to something else, you will normally find though that even 5 minutes of something comforting can help to change your frame of mind and put a different spin on things.
So now I'm going to share 5 things from my revival list...
~ Reading, it can be anything, favorite book, trashy magazine or even a blog from one of my favorite bloggers just to help me feel relaxed and inspired again.
~ Bath, these are such a luxury for me and my OH is fab at keeping the world out of the bathroom so I'm left in peace to soak my troubles away.
~ Movie time, sometimes when I'm blue a good film with lots of laughs works wonders to lift my mood.
~ Starbucks, yes I know what your thinking but this honestly "perks" me up (sorry!) I'm sure a shot of caffeine helps here but so does just the physical act of getting out the house and having a change of scene. Being around other people and having a bit of social interaction helps me too, only if it's just to say Hi to the girl behind the counter (LC and I are regulars at ours so I think all the baristas know us now!).
~ Cake, sometimes a little bit of naughty is good for feeling comforting, for me it's good because we don't normally have it in the house so I have to leave to get some, again getting out the house is so good for me when I'm feeling isolated and down in the dumps and our local Waitrose has an amazing cake counter full of chocolate tiffin, marble cheesecake and lavender cupcakes, all which go along way to soothe my soul.
Hopefully if your feeling stuck this has given you some inspiration, even if you just have a few go to things or ideas that help, you can even designate a special box or place in your house to store anything you need to have to hand to help in these moments such as bubble bath, candles, book, blankets or cake even!
So what would be on your revive list? Let me know by leaving a comment bellow...
