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How to Stop Feeling Down Using 9 Simple Strategies

By Operation-Meditation

Has life left you feeling blue? Are you looking for ways to add sunshine to your day and pep to your step?

Life is tough enough when you feel happy, and it’s even more difficult when you’re feeling down. The good news is that there are simple things that you can do today that will make you feel better instantly. Give one of these a try:

1. Get active. When you engage in any sort of physical activity, your body releases endorphins which help you feel better. Go out and take a walk. Play in the dirt in your garden. Join a gym. Pick something that you love to do and do it.

2. Call a friend. Nothing helps pick up your spirits more than chatting with a friend that makes you smile. Not only does it feel good to catch up and share some laughs, but it also distracts you from whatever it is that’s on your mind.

3. Meditate. Spend some time alone and focus on your breathing. Meditation clears negative thoughts from your mind and increases hormones that make you feel better, stabilize your mood and alleviate your depression.

4. Do something fun. Take some time and do something that you enjoy doing. Do you like to go bowling? Maybe there’s a great movie that was just released you’ve been dying to see? Or, perhaps there’s an art festival in town you want to check out. Find something that interests you and do it.

5. Reframe your focus. If you focus on the negatives, you won’t focus on what truly matters most, and that’s the positives. Reframe by looking at all the great things in your world. Maybe you’re struggling in your personal life but work is going great. Or, maybe money is tight, but your kids are healthy.

6. Count your blessings. Speaking of good things, be thankful for everything that you do have. Are you in good health? Are your finances in order? Do you have a warm place to lay your head at night? Pick out all of the things that you are grateful for and keep them in mind. Yes, you may have a reason to feel blue, but chances are good that you have several more reasons to be happy.

7. Volunteer. Nothing can make you feel better than helping someone else. Maybe you could volunteer to help an elderly person do yard or house work. Or, perhaps you could find a local agency that helps those in need and donate some time there. When you help those less fortunate, it helps remind you that your life isn’t that bad after all.

8. Tackle that to-do list. It does amazing things to your attitude to be able to start crossing items off your to-do list that have been on there for days, weeks or months. So, pull out your list and commit to tackling one thing per day until the list is gone. Or, break bigger items into manageable pieces and tackle a part each day. You won’t be able to help but be happy when your to-do list is no more.

9. Try something new. Maybe nothing major has happened, but life is just stale. It’s lost its luster. One sure way to get it back is to try something new. Go outside of your comfort zone. Maybe there’s a pole dancing class you’ve been interested in but too scared to try. Or, perhaps it’s time to sign up for those skydiving lessons. Live on the wild side.

Even if you feel down right now, it doesn’t mean you can’t change it fairly easily. Try some of these options and you’ll start to feel better immediately. Maybe you have some ideas you could add to the list?

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