15 ways to make yourself feel better

So it’s not just me. This meh feeling that’s going around, is defo a thing, but instead of wallowing in it, I’m going to drag myself and all you lot with me, and we’re going to feel a little brighter. OK?

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I came up with a list of things you can do TODAY, or maybe tomorrow if you need to get to the shops, that will make you feel better. They won’t guarantee to “fix” us, more just guaranteed to make you feel “less shit for a few minutes” at least. Inspirational I know!

1. Listen to some music up very loud

It has to be something that you love right now, or a song from your past that you listen to dance on a podium in the club to before you had children and never got to have a wee or shower alone again. I’ talking LOUD. The car is a good place to do this but it’s hard to dance so headphones on, music on and just dance/sing/nod that head like the cool mofo you used to be.

2. Go for a walk

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I’m not talking about a run, or a jog or a pilates class or a run on a treadmill. I’m talking old SKOOL walk. Minimum of 30 minutes prescribed and if you have a dog take them with you because they will teach you about being in the moment and being HAPPY.

3. Get your feet in the ocean

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You know what they say that salt water will fix everything: sweat, tears or the ocean, and it’s true it just makes you feel better being near nature. Fresh air I tell you! Plus you can just sit and watch it and listen and take it all in and being in something bigger than you and your cranky mood will make you feel better. Promise.

4. Eat some comfort food

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What did you use to eat when you were a kid that you loved and was pure comfort? A dippy egg with soldiers? Cheese on toast? A milkshake? Whatever that comfort is, make it for yourself like your Mum used to do for you and it will be like a big hug from your past.

5. Book a holiday

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Do you know how many times I have planned imaginary holidays that don’t even exist? Will never exist? LOTS. Get on AirBnB and check out a city or place you have wanted to go and you never know, you might just find yourself booking a holiday. You’ve got to have something to look forward to I say!

6. Spend some time with someone old or new

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Do you have a special older person in your life? Or maybe someone that has a baby? Go see them and spend some time with them. Just having a natter to someone older will make their day (and yours) they have so much to teach us, even if you just strike up a convo with a stranger I bet you come away with some wisdom. And babies? Well, they just are pure goodness so get your mitts on one and sniff that head. Plus you’ll make the Mum happy by having a break.

7. Get some flowers

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Buy yourself a bunch, pick yourself some from the garden, nick some from a friend’s garden. Whatever you do, a little posy of flowers will make you happy and brighten up your space. Put them wherever you are the most – so on your desk, in your kitchen, next to your bed.

8. Think about something coming up

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Maybe it’s a holiday or wedding or girls night out. Maybe it’s just the fact that spring will soon be here. Think of something coming up and how good it will be. For me, right now? WARMER WEATHER DEAR LORD HURRY UP.

9. Take yourself out for breakfast
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Just you. And some bacon. Something special on the menu that’s just for you. Eat it without being interrupted, or having to feed someone else, or stop a drink from being spilled.

10. Pop some bubbles

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Who needs a special occasion? Tuesday night is a special occasion because we are alive! Doesn’t have to be fancy, grab a $13 bottle of Prosecco and get that in the fridge toot sweet. You can even get those little piccolos so you don’t either (get blind drunk or have to share with anyone else).

11. Buy some healthy food

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A big fruit and veg shop of Organic (if you can) or just a whole lot of yummy good stuff will inspire yourself to eat well. Whenever I have a heap of leafy greens and herbs in the fridge I am inspired to cook better and eat better and I end up getting creative for lunch rather than shovelling bread down my throat.

12. Eat a baked good

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I know this kind of contradicts the point above, but baked goods will make you feel less shit for a few minutes at least (I can’t guarantee any time after that). For me? A neenish tart will do the trick every time. It’s that mock cream goodness I tell you!

13. Throw some shit out

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A little de-clutter and clean out of a corner of your home will do wonders for clearing head space. All that “stuff” ends up overwhelming us…I know the longer between clean ups the worse I feel mentally.

14. Make a good cup of tea

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Pretend you are having a friend over, get the good cups out, use the fancy tea and pot, set up a nice place to have it except YOU are the friend and YOU get to enjoy it. Do nothing else, except enjoy that tea. Do not have your phone near by OK?

15. Bake a cake

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There’s healing in the magic of creaming butter and sugar, not to mention that at the end of it there’s cake! Plus you get to smell the goodness for a little while after.

There’s some of my ideas for making you feel less shit for at least a few minutes. Hope that some of it helps us all…myself included! I think I’ll go start by making that cuppa now…

What can you add onto the list?

Comments

  1. I like to take my shoes off and walk bare foot across my lawn. I’ve a giant old Jacaranda tree with the most crazy twisted branches and it’s just what I need to center me by grabbing 5 minutes underneath it, staring up into its gnarly branches with my feet firmly planted on Terra Firma and thinking of nothing/everything until I’m ready to go back inside. Gee, I sound all “Mother Earth” but it truely helps. 🙂
    May your day/ week hold enough of everything Beth. 🙂

  2. Yesterday I was having a bad bad bad bad bad crying bad day. By 3oclock I hadn’t got out of my home office. I stopped everything I was doing and walked in the bush with two loopy dogs for half an hour. Bliss, happiness and gratefulness. A magic remedy.

  3. Eat hot dumplings
    Make your bed really well
    Long lunch with mates
    Watch reality TV

  4. Oh I love this list so so much. I think in essence we should treat ourselves the way we would treat our loved ones if they were feeling a bit crap. Awesome stuff – reading this actually made me smile so that’s also something for the list 🙂

  5. Love your blog! I feel like your life is a mirror to mine!
    Ive been using the Headspace app to help take some time out and refocus… loving it!!! Give it a go !

  6. Great ideas Beth- I would add early nights in clean sheets too xx

  7. Rowena/VintageNobility says

    YES to All of the above! Also, I find just putting on some lipstick and heels to do some of these things instantly pushes me out of a frumpy mum shlump and pulls my shoulders back and pops a stride in my step!
    Maybe it’s those memories of dressing up to go into the city, working from the Head-office; where I would sit and try and look busy and in between typing emails and answering the calls of ‘important people’ reminisce of the freedom stay at home mothering gave me! (Hahaaaa- how quickly we forget!) You’re awesome Beth!
    xxx Row xxx

  8. I’ve been feeling shite this last month. Bub is no longer bub, the last one. That faze/haze is disappearing and its surprising me how sad its making me.
    Love love love this list, all doable. Think I’ll adopt all of it. This week. Big thanks. Hope it helps you feel better too x

  9. Wait until kids are in bed or at school then grab a good book, a cuppa, a snuggly blanket & some chocolate (Lindt balls are my choice) & curl up in the corner of the lounge for a little while & ignore the world.

  10. If I have time, and Hubby is home with the kids/or they’re out, I head to the shops for a massage and then home for a soak in the bath followed by a lovely cup of tea. If I’m time poor, I just do the bath etc. Team that with clean sheet day and clean PJ’s, you’ll sleep like a baby after!

  11. In our house I have been practising a few of your tips because my kids have been sick really sick for 2 weeks and now I have bloody conjunctivitis and have to have time off work when I have zero leave left.

    I would also add
    – run and soak in a long hot bath
    – watch re-runs of a great movie or your favourite TV series
    – put some favourite perfume on or lipstick
    – step away from the digital world and lose yourself in a book for a little while
    – get a massage or a mani or pedi – or all of them to make a tiny part of yourself feel and look better
    – go get a good blowdry from the hairdresser
    – just like the loud music have a loud, sailor-mouthed vent out loud when no little ones are around.

  12. Some great suggestions Beth – I’m amazed at how much better I feel just for some sunshine and warmer weather the past couple of days. I also cleaned out my clothes and put 4 garbage bags in the boot to take to Vinnies (where they’ll sit for the next 2 months). Also seeing signs of Spring like my budding jasmine has a happy effect. I think the biggest one is to just move – feeling frozen and unmotivated is just the worst and getting moving and doing a few things always makes me feel better. Hang in there everyone – not long now til warmer, longer days!

  13. Glad I’m not the only one on this ‘funk’. I loved all these tips – I’m going to work through them slowly. I find making a batch of soup always helps heal my soul, even before I eat it. The sound of it bubbling away, the smell of it getting richer in flavour and the sight of my red Le Crueset (a wedding gift) all bring joy to my heart. I need to make soup tonight, I think!

  14. Love all your ideas !! Perfecto !
    ‘If’ the sun is shining I like to lay in the hammock with my eyes closed sun on my face and swing … It’s so soothing .
    I too delight in pottering in the garden looking at all the bulb foliage and new hellebores or jonquils blooming ?

  15. Great list and I definitely need to put some of these into action! Would add snuggle with your pet (my cat Potato is a great comfort).

  16. I’m going to do all of the above. All of them. Yep, all of them. My woes are stacked up on one another this week, so I’ll do one for each woe. And then all will be good again in my world. I have faith in you.

  17. Fresh sheets!

  18. I love this list! A $10 bunch of flowers can do so much to lift your mood. I’m having a shit month, so I will add a few of mine, burning a lovely scented candle, listening to some old school jazz, cancelling all non essential plans (guilt free) and polishing off a good book.

  19. Clean sheets
    Laying in the sun {preferably on a trampoline – it’s very comfortable and the black mat heats up in the sun and keeps you warm}.
    A good coffee from a cafe
    Watching your children sleep

  20. Having an empty ironing basket does it for me! I really need to get a life ?

  21. Thanks Beth, I needed this list, perfect timing, it’s been a crap week so far at the office, feeling super stressed yet unmotivated, so these beauties should help lift the cloud from over me.
    I’d add a nice long bath to my list, and also hanging out with my main coon cat who is a darling who knows how to relax and could teach me a thing or two. Have a good week.

  22. All sound excellent. Cooking is therapeutic. Lying on the ground looking at the clouds. BTW where do you send your used toys to? Nobody will take them in Sydney.

  23. Monique Frankel says

    Read a book or trashy gossip mag in the bath, with a glass of wine, after the kids go to bed. Pop some smelt bath bombs in and just relax!

  24. Helen Sims says

    Hi Beth,

    Thanks for your words of wisdom, we all need a pick me up sometimes. I like to grab a cuppa and watch the day start…. like i’m doing now. If that doesn’t work i try and think of three things i’m grateful for today, doesn’t need to be big just something that your happy about. Researchers say that this can increase your happiness by heaps if you can keep this up for 6 weeks. ;0)

  25. Lisa Mckenzie says

    Yes to them all Beth Xx

  26. Ha best inspirational list I’ve seen for a while.
    I’m going to do number 9 this morning, go and have breakfast on my own.
    My 6 yo is in hospital with pneumonia, and while he is very sick he is also enjoying the attention from the nurses, so i think I’ll be able to slip away. ..

  27. Getting your body spruced up. Could be a haircut, or just a wash and blow dry. Could be getting rid of whatever counts as excess body hair for you using what ever method you prefer. Could be a manicure or pedicure. Just making time it feel a little more glamourous and nurtured.

  28. Jacq Lives Here says

    NEENISH. TARTS. Two words that will allllllllways make me feel better! Off I go to the bakery now…

  29. All sound good to me!

    Thanks Beth 🙂

  30. Love all these Beth. Can’t wait to be at the beach in a couple of weeks time. I need that salt water on my feet ASAP!

  31. Currently feeling like a hermit. Want to bake but there is only two of us, so not a great idea. Decluttering all sorts of things, jewellery, books, other stuff. Selling off what I can. Loving the cold weather and the fire, reading with a cuppa. Thanks Beth

  32. I will start on some of these tomorrow…. I was desperate to start a bit of party prep baking today but we have no power!!!! The joys of country living!!
    I couldn’t cook or work so I changed everyone’s sheets, put away every single piece of washing and wrote lots of lists!
    A great book in the bath is absolutely the best. Might need to start another list…..
    Thanks Beth!

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