Things to do to Make Yourself Feel Better

I woke up feeling so anxious the other day, and I wasn’t quite sure why. Some mornings are better than others. And some mornings I ignore my negative feelings and either go about my day feeling angsty or try to avoid feeling anything and attempt to go back to sleep or find an excuse to go on my phone and escape for a while.

But the other day I actually acknowledged my feeling: Anxiety. Mixed with a little shame (coming from where? I didn’t get that far) and maybe a little sadness. I acknowledged it and I consciously said- go do something that makes you feel better.

And, get this: I went and did it. And it worked.

Things don’t always unfold in this tidy progression, but on this day they did and I noticed it…

Which prompted me to write this post!

Before I go on to the next point, it’s worth mentioning that the thing you choose to do to make you feel better should be of the healthy variety- not turning to food, smoking, drinking, compulsive shopping, etc. We’re all probably pretty good at turning to our select unhealthy coping mechanism (or two).

So here is a list of things to do to make you feel better…

• First, try to name what’s bothering you. (This is the only one that’s in order, because I think this checking in with yourself is so important. If you can’t figure out what’s bothering you that’s ok too. Just proceed to one of the things below.) Is it anxiety? Maybe something that’s been weighing on your mind. Is it grief? Missing someone who’s not around anymore. Just naming the thing (or things) can help. It lets you put it in its place. And it opens up a conversation around what to do about it…
• Sit with it. But get out of bed first. Sit with intention. Sit and allow yourself to feel the feelings. Why are you feeling this way today? What does it mean? Where is it coming from? Sit and process. Cry if you need to. And if sitting with it doesn’t help the negative feelings dissipate then move on to one of the other things to do to make yourself feel better…
• Take action. Get up and do something. It might be one of the things on this list, or a chore around the house- make your bed, clear off the dresser. Or get out and go buy yourself a cup of coffee. Go for a drive.
• Make something. Bake, craft, write, draw. Sometimes I like to make energy bites or something healthy when I’m feeling crappy. It’s something to do that makes me feel like I’m being proactive for my health.
• Exercise. It can be a walk, a run, some stretching. Ten minutes, a half hour, an hour. Just something. Getting your blood pumping will almost always help. And if the idea of it feels daunting just push yourself to do 5 minutes. Often times you’ll end up doing more.
• Put on some good music. You know what music boosts your mood.
• Write. Even if you’re not a writer, writing can be very therapeutic. Just write down anything that comes into your mind. Or make a list. Save it or throw it out when you’re done. Burn it if it feels cathartic 🙂
• Get outside. Nature really has a way of making you feel better. Even if you’re an indoor person. Even if it’s just out in your backyard or the sidewalk in front of your apartment. Look up at the sky. Notice the leaves against the blue sky. Feel the wind. Take a deep breath.
• Self-care. Take care of your body in a way that makes you feel cared for and ultimately better. Take an extra long shower, put on some lotion, put on a little make-up if that perks you up. Wear a comfy outfit that makes you feel good about yourself.
• Take some deep breaths. Even just a minute of long slow breaths through your nose and slow exhales through your nose and mouth can make you feel more relaxed- it’s proven. Try it. You don’t need to meditate or know what you’re doing or have any interest in breath work. Just take a few slow intentional deep breaths.
• Meditate. Or just sit quietly. For two minutes or ten or an hour. With an app, on You Tube, or on your own.
• Reach out to someone. Text or, even better, call someone.
• Drink some water. Hydrate your body. A glass of water is simple enough, right? And it’s a good thing to do for you. That might prompt you to do another good thing. You can also make a cup of hot lemon water or tea.
• Eat a healthy meal. Nourshing your body with good-for-you food is an excellent act of self-care. And it can make you feel better about other stuff. It’s something that’s in your control.
• Tackle a task you’ve been putting off. I am a big procrastinator of tasks I hate- making appointments and paperwork being on top of my list. Even crossing one simple thing off your to-do list can make you feel better. This one would be a jump for me, but every now and again I might try it.
• Do somehting nice for someone else. This might be the best one…Write a card to someone, cook or bake something for someone, drop off flowers for no reason. Text or call someone to tell them something you love about them. Hold a door for people, check in on a co-worker, buy someone a cup of coffee.

Let’s add to this list! Tell me in the comments what makes you feel better on a day you wake up feeling angsty…which of these would you choose? And what would you add?

{If you can’t think of anything- reach out to me! I’m sure between the two of us we’ll come up with something: marydriscollwellness@gmail.com}