Feel like you’re living in a zoo but belong in the wild? Me too.
You know those mornings when you wake up feeling like crap? Maybe you slept badly, you’re hungover, the kids kept you up or the neighbours were noisy? Maybe you’re sick, worn out from life, or you’ve been dumped or otherwise hurt emotionally?
Either way, you’re not feeling awesome.
Here are ten ways that you can turn that ship around because a day – everyday – is full of potential. Here’s what I do to cheer myself up:
Have a shower. Water is both calming and invigorating. If you have some herbal-y, hippie-ish body wash, even better. The smell of lemon grass, geranium, lime or tea tree will give your mood a lift.
Eat a good breakfast. Eggs, toast and tea, avocado and lemon on sourdough, natural yoghurt and berries or a green smoothie – whatever floats your boat. Just make sure it has protein and fruit and/or veggies and you’re on your way to a positive blood sugar foundation for the day ahead.
Listen to some happy music. I love India Arie’s I Am Light for a quick boost but things like Pachelbel’s Canon, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Beyoncé’s Love on Top are all good too.
Wear something you love. Whether it’s your favourite dress, a piece of jewellery that you love or a colourful scarf you bought on holidays somewhere, wear something with positive associations that you always feel good in.
Be nice to yourself. There is no point beating yourself up because that’s only going to make you feel worse. Say to yourself, ‘I deeply and completely love and accept myself’ as many times as you need to.
Take deep breaths. Your parasympathetic nervous system responds to deep breaths by releasing calming hormones.
Go back to bed and have a nap. Consider it a do over. Wake up again with a fresh approach.
Meditate. Sit down and focus on your breathing. Try and feel your breath on the tip of your nose and your top lip.
Go for a walk. It can be out to a café, around the block or a full bushwalk. Walking is another form of meditation.
Stretch. It doesn’t have to be a yoga class. It can simply be touching your toes, stretching your calves or reaching upwards as far as possible a few times.
