6 Ways to Feel Better When You're Feeling Down

I've always believed that life is like a slow motion roller coaster going up and down and sometimes in all directions. And when it goes down we usually go down with it and surrender to the dark times, and while surrender isn't always a bad thing, sometimes it's good to be in control of things and get ourselves out of that melancholic -almost depressed state of being. Here are a few things that have worked for me and helped me lift my mood and feel better in the middle of a chaotic, unpredictable, and not always flowers and roses life.

1 - Dance!

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I know that the last thing you can be thinking of when you're feeling down is dancing, as it is seen as an act of celebrating, but why not celebrate! Even when things aren't going fine, we still have a lot to celebrate, we have life, health, family, dreams.. and even if you lack one of these things, I'm sure there are a lot of other things that you have. So play your favorite song, album, of playlist, and just dance! You don't have to do it like a professional, all you need to do is move and express yourself, get that heart beating fast and get all those bad vibes out! 
There are a lot of songs I love to dance to, and their vibes are very different, it can be dark and sensual like Hashish, Angry River, or Scorpion Flower: it can be happy and upbeat like Shake it out (not Taylor swift's, though that's a good option too), Maeva in Wonderland, Jini, or Chantaje; or it can be fierce and chaotic and almost spiritual, by this I mean almost any Florence and the Machine's songs, especially songs from How BIg How Blue How Beautiful (think Delilah, Ship to Wreck, or What Kind of Man).
If you don't like dancing (and that would highly surprise me), try working out, any type of workout would get your blood flowing and your heart pumping, and that is good for the brain. It's just that I prefer dancing since it's a three-in-one: listening to music, singing along, and dancing!

2 - Write it out

Now that you've " shook it out", it's time to lay all the thoughts and emotions on paper. Some people prefer speaking with a friend or a family member, but there are some things that only you can understand, that's why writing is the way to go. The most important thing while writing is not censoring yourself, the goal is to get all the thoughts out and be able to examine them and understand them later. I've been journaling for years and years now and it has always been the best therapy. If you're not into writing, you can record audios, I do that sometimes when I feel like I don't even have the energy to write, otherwise you can do any form of self expression, you can draw or paint or doodle, what matters is transforming those abstract ideas and emotions into something tangible.
I've learned a journaling method from Elizabeth Gilbert in her book Eat, Pray, Love. That method is for those loners who don't have anyone to talk to or to comfort them, it consists in creating a written conversation between you and your higher self/God/ the universe through the act of writing a line in the form of "I need you" or "I'm not feeling well", and waiting for an answer to flow freely on paper, the answer -of course- comes through your own hands, but it's coming from a wise, loving entity that's always there for you.
 

3 - Take a bath

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A long warm bath where you lose track of time? Yes, exactly that. There is nothing in the world that a long bath can't make better, in those moments of relaxing and mindfulness you direct your attention to your body rather than your mind, you give your conscious brain a break while your subconscious is coming up with briliant creative ideas ( that's why ideas come out of nowhere while bathing). I've always believed that water is the most soothing thing, drinking it makes you feel good, bathing makes you feel cleaned and purified, and swimming makes you feel embraced. So whenever you're feeling down, turn to water.

4 - Do your nails! 

This one's particularly for girls (and boys? Gender equality it is!). Now there are a lot of self care/ beauty actions that can makes us feel good, but there's something about having the nails done that make you feel like you're ready to conquer the world! For me having my nails done in that burgundy color I love makes me feel like a Femme Fatale, and that's one of my favorite archetypes. Fake it until you make it!

5 - Take yourself on a date

This is one of the things I've learned from being such a lone wolf, don't wait for anyone to take you on dates, do it yourself. It's good to indulge in my own pleasure sometimes and take myself to that nice looking diner I always see on my way to work, or that cool café I see everywhere on social media... Being in a nice atmosphere and eating delicious food can only do you good.
Another option is cooking yourself a good meal at home. Sometimes we are broke or trying to save money and eating out isn't the best option, so what I recommend is blasting your favorite playlist and cooking the meal you know the best, and don't forget to sing and dance along the way! The meal will absorb that good energy and sure will taste good and make you feel marvelous!
 

6 - Go on a walk

Go on a long, long walk. Walk until you can't anymore then go back home with a full heart and sleepy eyes. When I'm feeling lost, I like to get lost -literally, so I usually take the bus to go downtown, and from there I walk, I just walk with no destination -though I usually end up in my favorite café to write- and I take in the energy of the city, I watch people, hear the sounds of the birds, engines, and conversations, and get lost in my thoughts from time to time. So when you're feeling down, just wear your most comfortable shoes and get going!

I hope these 6 little things help you get out of the rot! Tell me what is your favorite way of lifting your mood?
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Love.