THE ART OF CHEERING YOURSELF UP
There is nothing I love better than a good pep talk when I am feeling blue.
When we’re grumpy and overwhelmed, it is simply a sign that we need to do something differently. The first and best thing we can do is to activate our brain’s relaxation response.
Here are some instant ways that work to cheer ourselves up:
Meditate:
This is easily achieved by taking three deep, mindful breaths:
Take a comfortable seat and sit up straight. Relax your eyes: close them, or cast your gaze downward.
Breathe in, breathe out. Notice the air going in and out of your lungs. Breathe in and breathe out again.
One more time. Breathe in and breathe out.
Now you are done meditating, your mind has been redirected down a positive path.
Dance:
Turn on great dance music. It’s as easy as turning on the radio or putting on your record. Maybe you’re with it and you listen to music using a digital platform. Turn it on. Turn it up! And dance. Maybe pretend you have an audience. Just let go. Trust me.
Practice Gratitude:
Have a disciplined gratitude practice. Write daily in your gratitude journal. It will build resilience.
Pull a smile out of your pocket literally ANY TIME you need it.
In your pocket, a smile is available anytime you or someone needs it. Simply pull out the smile and offer it to someone who needs it (it can go straight on their face or they can put it in their pocket for later).
Listen to a peppy, hopeful song.
Listen to the Muppets.
This one makes me giggle: Rainbow Connection.
Fake it or bite on a pencil sideways (your body will recognize the smiling muscles activating, and you will naturally start smiling right away). Smiling raises our endorphins and naturally heightened our mood.
Go on a walk. Walking is the most natural form of human exercise. It also raises our endorphins and makes us feel better every time.
Step outside and look at the sky while taking three deep breaths. Our relaxation response is activated, and we are reminded that we are part of a vast, giving, and expansive universe, and that our problems are infinitesimally small.
Be productive: it helps to energize us.
“Well begun is nearly done.” ~ Mary Poppins
Get any project started, and pick it up again as soon as possible. Get it done. Feel accomplished!
Make a list of things that energize you: My list includes cleaning, going on a walk, meditating, getting plenty of hugs and smiles.
I trust that you will find one or many of these techniques useful when it comes to cheering yourself up.
Ashleigh Hitchcock is a Colorado native who has been a writer since the age of 5. She's always led an exciting life, and she is bubbling over with her stories to tell. She's been a professional writer since 2013, and she is currently working on her book. Ashleigh is pursuing her Master's Degree in Education and teaching second grade. Catch up with Ashleigh on Instagram.
When we’re grumpy and overwhelmed, it is simply a sign that we need to do something differently. The first and best thing we can do is to activate our brain’s relaxation response.
Here are some instant ways that work to cheer ourselves up:
Meditate:
This is easily achieved by taking three deep, mindful breaths:
Take a comfortable seat and sit up straight. Relax your eyes: close them, or cast your gaze downward.
Breathe in, breathe out. Notice the air going in and out of your lungs. Breathe in and breathe out again.
One more time. Breathe in and breathe out.
Now you are done meditating, your mind has been redirected down a positive path.
Dance:
Turn on great dance music. It’s as easy as turning on the radio or putting on your record. Maybe you’re with it and you listen to music using a digital platform. Turn it on. Turn it up! And dance. Maybe pretend you have an audience. Just let go. Trust me.
Practice Gratitude:
Have a disciplined gratitude practice. Write daily in your gratitude journal. It will build resilience.
Pull a smile out of your pocket literally ANY TIME you need it.
In your pocket, a smile is available anytime you or someone needs it. Simply pull out the smile and offer it to someone who needs it (it can go straight on their face or they can put it in their pocket for later).
Listen to a peppy, hopeful song.
Listen to the Muppets.
This one makes me giggle: Rainbow Connection.
Fake it or bite on a pencil sideways (your body will recognize the smiling muscles activating, and you will naturally start smiling right away). Smiling raises our endorphins and naturally heightened our mood.
Go on a walk. Walking is the most natural form of human exercise. It also raises our endorphins and makes us feel better every time.
Step outside and look at the sky while taking three deep breaths. Our relaxation response is activated, and we are reminded that we are part of a vast, giving, and expansive universe, and that our problems are infinitesimally small.
Be productive: it helps to energize us.
“Well begun is nearly done.” ~ Mary Poppins
Get any project started, and pick it up again as soon as possible. Get it done. Feel accomplished!
Make a list of things that energize you: My list includes cleaning, going on a walk, meditating, getting plenty of hugs and smiles.
I trust that you will find one or many of these techniques useful when it comes to cheering yourself up.
Ashleigh Hitchcock is a Colorado native who has been a writer since the age of 5. She's always led an exciting life, and she is bubbling over with her stories to tell. She's been a professional writer since 2013, and she is currently working on her book. Ashleigh is pursuing her Master's Degree in Education and teaching second grade. Catch up with Ashleigh on Instagram.