How to Feel Better When You Just Want to Punch Life in the Kidneys
This week sucked. No, my kitty didn’t die, I didn’t lose my job, nor did I catch any new exotic illnesses this week (yet). Without going into extraneous detail, I just don’t like dealing with icky stuff from the past, and that’s what this week was all about, apparently. Ick.
Sometimes life just sucks and doesn’t hand you a tidy explanation. I may not have completely grown up, but I do know that much. Take that, public school education!
To combat this inevitable suckiness that life throws in everyone’s way now and again, I tried a few home remedies to bolster my mood. I make it my business to proactively fight depression, and not let it smother me like peanut butter over chocolate. Yum. That sounded more delicious than I had intended…
ANYWAY.
How I fought the depression chicken this week:
- Dressed up a little. I’ve been frumpy-mcfrumperfrump for the past few months (see here), so no wonder I feel like a schlog. Yesterday I actually wore a skirt and some wedges, and I hate to be this way, but…I felt better because I knew I looked better. Not that this means I’m giving up the yoga pants just yet…
- Wore a favorite scent. This one has worked the best so far at cheering my disposition. Smell is a powerful tool for accessing memory; just look at how a whiff of CK One takes me right back to 1995, when all the kids at school were spritzing that poison like it was a drug they were trying to inhale before homeroom. This morning I rubbed on the lotion that I keep in an emergency stash and ration because it’s discontinued. I wore this scent in France seven years ago, and it is a guaranteed pick-me-up because it brings back all those memories of laying on Mediterranean beaches and eating gelato for every meal. This memory alone is worth living for another day. I seriously don’t know what I’m going to do when that bottle is finally empty.
- Asked for advice. I took to Twitter and requested some ways to brighten my day from the masses, and actually got some valuable responses. Someone messaged me a funny auto correct fail, another person suggested their favorite brand of ice cream, somebody else gave me a funny mental image to ponder, and yet another person told me to have a glass of wine. Don’t worry, I took that last one to mean “Get your ass to an AA meeting, alcoholics don’t get to drink wine unless they’re Ernest Hemingway, and he’s dead.”
- Read something of no redeeming value whatsoever. Yes readers, I read a Nicholas Sparks novel this week. It took like an hour, it was terrible, but it made me feel better. Don’t judge me. We all have secret uncool behaviors, I’m just admitting to mine. Also, don’t worry, I’m reading A Passage to India in tandem – they cancel each other out.
- Exercised. I went to Zumba and busted my terrible, off-rhythm moves, got all sweaty, and left some of my bad vibes on the dance floor.
- Stopped checking my stats. Yes, it gives me an idea of how this blog is doing, but the bad mood it puts me in is not worth it. I’ve vowed to just be myself on here and do what I love, and if I’m constantly obsessing over my numbers (or lack thereof), I cannot focus on what’s important. What’s important, obviously, being writing, writing, writing…and the occasional painting. I swear, I will get a painting on here in the foreseeable future…
- Pet therapy. Do I need to explain this? Sometimes just spending QT with those who worship you makes you feel better.
Linking up with Yeah Write’s weekend Moonshine Grid. Come hang out with the cool kids…and me.
24 Comments
Ellen
Music is my go to mood lifter. Carefully chosen, of course, because it’s also my great enabler when I feel like walllowing.
Natalie the Singingfool
Yes! Music is definitely a mood-booster! And helps with wallowing, lol.
Robbie
I met a friend at the park and we took a very short walk while the kids played. Also opened the blinds and let the sun shine in. Hope you have a good weekend.
Natalie the Singingfool
That sounds like a good way to spend the day! 🙂
Chris Plumb
I got a lay-off letter from the district that just rehired me two months ago. So there’s always that. Oddly, I’m not going to let it get me down (5 letters in 7 years of teaching makes one kind of jaded). But I have bad days like you said. I’m not really a depressive person, but I’ve had to learn to fight off depressive funks the last few years, in similar methods to you (only more manly).
Blog numbers. What a weird concept we worry about. Someday one of us will get a publisher friend, and then we can all recommend each other. It will be a publishing revolution. Like 1920’s Paris expatriates helping each other. Hopefully.
Natalie the Singingfool
NOOOO!!! That SUCKS! I hate those letters – I was laid off three times in five years, so I know what it feels like, believe me. I’m sorry it’s happened again for you.
I don’t doubt what you say about the publishing. If you build it, they will come, right???
winopants
Cat roll, my favorite pose!
Exercise, pet therapy and autocorrect fails always cheer me up. I never thought of the scent thing, what a perfect idea.
I hope next week is a lot smoother and happier for you
Natalie the Singingfool
Cat roll is the cutest, like a cinnamon roll except furrier. 🙂
Stefanie Carpenter
I don’t know what I would do without my sweet snits! they are the best on down days, it’s funny how being their petting slave makes one feel valued, needed and loved. 😉
Natalie the Singingfool
Their neediness is crucial to my emotional well-being. 🙂
Bee
Looks like all of these things worked. My doc keeps telling me to “fake it ’til you make it,” which I’m sure you’re familiar with, but sometimes I just want to slap her for saying that! Last night I pushed myself to shower and wear a dress and my new favorite boots because my husband and I had dinner plans. So maybe the doc was right, but sometimes I still want to slap her. 😉
Natalie the Singingfool
Yes, finally getting a hold on this depression thing. What your doctor said? Yeah, I’d want to slap her too!
Kate Hall
This is good advice. I like to read stuff that takes me away from reality. I do that one a lot. I’m also trying to stay away from my stats, but I haven’t been very successful at that. I keep changing things with marketing my blog and am regularly checking to see if those changes had an impact. Blech. It’s almost always depressing. I need to lower my expectations.
Natalie the Singingfool
Me too; reading to escape reality is my favorite relaxation activity. I had to take a marketing break, because I was getting burnout. Maybe one day we’ll get this thing down; then we’ll celebrate with our pet unicorns and high Google rankings.
Esther
Dressing up a little is one of my favorite things to do to make myself feel better. Earrings! They are always a novel idea to me, and they are so fun. Also, I have a curly cat nearby right now… nothing like looking at a furry cute thing sleeping to relax yourself a little bit. Hope you are feeling better today!
Natalie the Singingfool
Earrings definitely make one feel instantly glam. 🙂
Punky Coletta
I love this. Sometimes when I am really down, I get out this special bottle of vanilla lotion that only comes out once a year and use a ton of it. Smelling yummy and fantastic makes me feel so much better. Such a small thing, but the older I get, the more I find happiness in the tiny things.
Natalie the Singingfool
The tiny things are what keep me going in the dreary day-to-day stuff. Smell is definitely one of those easy ways to pick-me-up!
Jack
Exercise and writing are my go to moves for bad days/weeks, whatever.
Natalie the Singingfool
It really helps me, too. In fact, when I don’t do it, I find myself getting irritated much easier, & I don’t feel better until I sweat it out of my system.
Kristin
Looks like there was a cloud hanging over a lot of us this week or two. All good advice! Even without a pet, it’s easy to find dogs to pet and get slobbered over around here. Thanks for the reminders to dispel the gloom.
Natalie the Singingfool
I know! Was Mercury in retrograde or something? At least we get to start fresh this week!
that cynking feeling
I’m all for the pet therapy!
I hope that things are looking up this week.
Natalie the Singingfool
Thank you. 🙂