We all hurt sometimes.
Maybe you went through a painful breakup recently. Or you lost someone close to you. Or you’re just in a funk lately and feel like busting out of it (even if only for a couple of hours).
These are my five go-to activities whenever I want to feel better. They’re simple, and they work (for baaaaaasically 100% of people).
Whatever you’re going through, I trust that these will make your days a little bit lighter.
1. Sweat
This one is often the most accessible of the list.
Whether you have a gym pass or not, you can do squats, push ups, or any body weight exercise wherever you are to get your heart rate up.
As we’ve all been told a million times by a million different sources, doing something that makes us sweat a few times per week is super-duper great for our brains, mood, circulatory health and a whole host of other benefits.
If you feel stagnant, get moving.
And if that seems like too much to ask right now, then move on to the next steps.
2. Cry
If you feel like staying in (or being out in public) and sobbing your face off, go for it.
The stress hormones released through either sweating or crying are some of the most efficient ways to feel better for a little while. Plus, crying feels great.
Pull up your favourite sad song, sad movie scene, or old photographs that make you tear up and sit with them until you drip fluids from your eyeballs to your jawline. Et voila! You’re a little bit less stressed now.
3. Laugh
I’ve heard some play specialists (yup, it’s a job) hypothesize that laughter is your body shaking out stress. Kind of like with orgasms, whatever the reason is that it works… I don’t care. But it works.
Watch YouTube clips of your favourite comedians, go see a live comedy night/improv show/movie, or call up one of your friends that you have the most laughs with and jiggle that stress out of your body.
4. Be in water
There’s something universally calming about water. Being in it, being near it, hearing it moving… it’s all relaxing.
I don’t even like being in the ocean. It stresses me out to think of all of the animals that live in it that all want to eat my legs… but I still like sitting on a beach and sipping drinks.
If you don’t have a breezy tropical vacation in your back yard, just take an extended bath or shower. Or go into a sensory deprivation tank (aka float tank) if your city has those nearby.
5. Talk to someone
Sometimes the easiest way to get out of our crappy mood is to have a conversation with someone who we love, trust, and feel safe with.
Often we get wrapped up in our own bad moods because we have too much time to analyze ourselves or focus on the self-perceived negatives in our lives, and when we reach out and chat with a friend, it reminds us that there’s a big, sexy world outside of our’s. And it’s just a phone call/stroll through the park/text message away!
Keep These Five Things Front Of Mind
If these five things resonated with you, make sure that you bookmark this post so that you can keep checking back to it on your down days. Keeping our self-care front of mind is one of the most self-loving things that we can do for ourselves.
And hey, if you want someone to talk to, I’m always here to listen.
Dedicated to your success,
Jordan
