Cheering charms

[pegkerr]

As a theoretical exercise, I am attempting to compile a list of things to do to cheer myself up. Feel free to add your own personal suggestions of things you think I might like.

•A balloon.
•A manicure
•A pedicure
•New makeup
•Ice cream
•You know that stack of stuff you have, either mental or physical, that you really, really want to do but it keeps getting pushed out of the way by important stuff like laundry, and bills, and cleaning out the fridge? Say to yourself, now is the time, and do one (or even more). (i.e., sew ribbons on ribbon coat.)
•Take a run/walk around the lake.
•Go to a gorgeous place and have High Tea.
•Throw a fit and scream in the shower.
•Go to a multiplex movie theatre--pay for one movie and sneak into another.
•Watch a Jane Austen movie.
•Think of wonderful memories of your family.
•Visit someone who has an infant and hold it.
•A candlelit bath with something soothing on the stereo.
•Reading a favorite beloved book
•Gardening
•Load CD player with favorite music
•Make tea
•Make coffee
•Add Baileys to the coffee
•Go out for coffee with a friend
•Read the "attagirl file" [my file of good reviews and positive response letters I've gotten about my writing]
•Send an e-mail to someone who's willing to "listen."
•Self-hypnosis
•Cook
•Pretend you are a tourist in your own town
•Getting a haircut
•Getting a facial
•Getting a massage
•Buy a magazine
•Buy a CD of the type of music I like which puts me in a really upbeat mood.
•Cut flowers and greenery, and then arrange them inside. Or get flowers from florist or farmers market and arrange
•Eat chocolate
•Go dancing
•Go for a drive.
•Make mulled wine
•Sit on my front porch and read (in nice weather) or just watch the wind blowing through the trees
•Light candles
•Listen to Prairie Home Companion
•Volunteer to do something nice for someone else (especially someone who would never expect it, and especially if you can do it anonymously. (There is some basis in fact for this; helping others is considered an effective way to counter depression -- like volunteering to read to someone, visiting an elderly folks' home, serving at a food shelter, that kind of thing.)
•Read the hilarious fan-fiction based on the work of a favorite author
•Yoga
•Meditate
•Make a collage
•Try something you have never tried before (Rock climbing at REI?)
•Try a new restaurant
•Browse a creative-type store: Bead Monkey

Comments

[norabombay.livejournal.com]

Related to manicure: Glue little rhinestones to toenails. Seriously, feet sparkle!

Unashamedly wear that super comfy but half ruined t-shirt around the house. (My favorite black tshirt for sleeping is the only think that doesn't drive my skin crazy in winter)

Try the Olay Moisturinse in shower moisturizer. It makes it easy to get the normally difficult body parts nice and mositurized. Without having to get to the effort of making an effort. Just pretend it's a body wash.

Borrow a digital camera. Take very silly pictures of every one in the household. Silly postures with the dog are my fave. It gets sort of infectious.

[http://users.livejournal.com/anam_cara_/]

I agree about the silly pictures- silly pictures or just a photo log of one day- take pictures of the little things, that pretty red leaf on the sidewalk on the way to work, or your kids eating breakfast... makes you look out for those little things to appreciate.

(then make a collage!)

[norabombay.livejournal.com]

The best part is that because it's a digital camera, you can take all the silly pictures, or just nice pictures that you want, because you are not paying for them. Obviously, you pay if you print them.

But for the cheering up possiblities of playing about taking pictures? There is no need to do the printing unless you really want to.

I need to do a new round of photos of me and the dog being silly. Because its' fun to do, fun to take, and then months later, cute to look at.

[http://users.livejournal.com/anam_cara_/]

Once, as part of a college care package to my sister, I took just a 12 exposure roll of my son making silly faces and then one with him posed all sweet and innocent. It only cost $4 to develop single prints at the time and then I taped the edges together and folded them as an accordian. When she took it out of the envelope, it looked like this sweet photo of her nephew, then it unfolded to show him sticking out his tongue and making all those goofy faces at her. She still laughs about it.

[naomikritzer]

* Get a copy of Watercolor for the Artistically Undiscovered. It comes with its own set of (nice quality) watercolor paints, and a decent brush, and is published on nice watercolor paper. So you get both instructions, and supplies, for fooling around with.

* Rake up a big pile of leaves, and then jump in it. I discovered in college that with teamwork, one can build a really HUGE pile of leaves, and it's a lot of fun to jump in.

* If you have "good" china for special occasions, put out the tablecloth and the good china and as many candles in fancy holders as you have fancy holders, for dinner with your family. Then order pizza, or something you know for absolute certain that everyone will enjoy, and that will require little or no work for you.

[von-krag.livejournal.com]

I love the china idea, what's the use of it sitting in a dark cupboard. I know when I use mine the crystal, sterling and china all sing to me in pleasure.

[pinkfinity.livejournal.com]

I did this once, when I was 10, for a halloween party; we had burger king and it was incredible.

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

Bring a glass of alcohol and a book into the bath. (Or, if you prefer, chocolate.)

[tassie-gal.livejournal.com]

take a blanket, a book and go to the local park, plonk yourself down under a tree and read.

Drive until you see something interesting - stop, investigate, take photos and then drive home.

Instead of taking your usual route to do an errand, take the back streets (I do this one on my semi regular drives from Hobart to Launceston, I try to take a B or C road somewhere to get where I need to go, as opposed to staying on the highway).

[tassie-gal.livejournal.com]

Lie on the ground, watch the clouds and find pictures/stories in them.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lindsay_/]

take a nap?! that's my fave. :)

write a real letter to someone, snail mail
rearrange a room for better feng shui
write bad fanfic of your own work (is that possible?)
put on some 70s or 80s music and dance around in your pajamas/underwear

[naomikritzer]

write bad fanfic of your own work (is that possible?)

Lyda Morehouse wrote fanfic of her own work. Someone asked her, since she was the creator of the world, wasn't anything she wrote there canon by definition? She said no, because she didn't think the fic stuff "really happened," it was too out of character for at least one of the characters. Thus, she was declaring it fanfic, rather than canon.

So sure, you can write fanfic (good or bad) of your own work.

[ironymaiden]

blow bubbles. carrying a bottle or vial of wedding bubbles in your bag is a wonderful thing.

write a letter on paper, with a pen, and put it in the mail.

make up a care package for someone who doesn't expect it.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

Dip yourself a couple of dark chocolate strawberries. I'll post the recipe in my journal soon...

Plant something alive and flowering. If it's too cold, start an inside greenhouse area with a growlight.

[vass]

I'm guessing from some of the answers that you've already seen this (or did I find that in a previous post here?)

A nice nap can help.
And soup is usually good. Both making it and consuming it.
If you have paper you need to shred, doing some of it by hand can be therapeutic.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Yes, I did start with sdn's list. People have given me a lot of good additions.

[pinkfinity.livejournal.com]

Starbucks' Chantico. Like drinking a dove bar.
Superintelligent shades of the colour pink. Also, purple.
The new s'mores refrigerated cookie dough from Pillsbury
Massage chairs that you can sit in for two to three hours
Watching Star Wars Ep 3 with the sound turned off, the closed captioning on, and the soundtrack playing

[porphyrin.livejournal.com]

Come over next week and play with beads.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Oooh, I just may take you up on that.

[aome.livejournal.com]

Bake or buy (and eat!) fresh-baked bread
Pretty new underthings
Fun and funky socks
Try a new craft or cooking class offered by art/craft store or community college or what have you
Sing favorite Christmas carols
Lovely or fun new pen or pencil, even if you just use it for grocery lists
Pillow fight (gets out frustration, no one gets hurt)

[zencuppa.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your list, I need it too *sigh*

How about a fresh, hot bowl of buttered popcorn with a great chick movie or a trashy novel or a favorite comfort novel.

Sit outside cuddled up in a warm quilt, with a hot cuppa tea and read "The Artist's way" by Julia Cameron.

Go to the pet store and play with kittens.

Go Contra Dancing (I am in fact, considering getting back into it, so I can feel better).

[greatsword.livejournal.com]

I'll echo the contra dancing suggestion, though waltzing with the right partner is also good.

Contra is very energetic, and fast enough to require that you leave all outside cares behind when you enter the dance. It's also (in the places I've done it) more of a group social event than a meat market, a gathering of dancers rather than a secondary activity to romantic pursuit.

Aikido was also good when I was depressed or stressed by work. When the ground is coming up to smite you, there's no time to be thinking about work or life or whatever is bothering you. If you don't leave all that behind, you get a sharp reminder to concentrate. Does karate do the same for you?

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Yes, karate has worked pretty well for me when I'm depressed.

[greatsword.livejournal.com]

I hope you've found a way to keep it up, then.

If you don't contradance, I'd suggest trying. It has some of the same basic demands for me as fighting - physical activity and total concentration on the moment.

Have you tried SCA fighting? At least once you're past the initial investment, it doesn't require that you pay to play. I enjoy it a lot, as you might guess from the user name.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

No, I haven't tried SCA fighting myeslf, although I've certainly seen it, of course. It does look like fun.

*Sigh* More demands on my time I don't need, of course.

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

Watch something animated: a Disney movie, Looney Tunes, or other (Ice Age, Shrek, etc.). [This only works, I suppose, if one really likes animation, but I do.] Preferably with chocolate snacks.

[kerryp.livejournal.com]

I find when I am really depressed, I go to the Joann's fabrics and buy a blank sheet of the crossstitch fabric, tight weave. Then I freehand a picture of some kind (always involving music or musical instruments, because that's my hobby) and then I chain stitch the design with embroidery thread (two strands thick). Usually I pick a design that is sort of abstract-y, like something from the artist Schluss. I draw it on with a sketch pencil from the Michael's store. I find that it can take up to a month to finish a large one, and that while my front brain is concentrating on the cross stitch, it gives the rest of my brain time to work in the background, and think. I find that by the time I am done with the piece (or sooner) as a result of the intense concentration, my subconscious has worked out whatever it was causing the depression, and I can move on in much better spirits. Also, for a quick fix, I find it relaxing to sit in a big comfy chair in a nice, air conditioned (I live in Florida) Barnes and Noble. Sometimes I nap there, sometimes, I skim magazines. I wish you luck with finding your own cheerful things.

[skylarker.livejournal.com]

* Talk to a friend who always makes you laugh.
* Make a list of everything (and everyone) you are glad to have in your life.
* Play 'reductio ad absurdam': describe your troubles in such exaggerated terms that it makes you laugh.

[castiron.livejournal.com]

Go to a glasscraft shop and look at pretty stained glass, fused glass, etc.

Put on an outfit with the goal of wearing as many colors as possible at once.

Drink a glass of orange juice with a pinch of powdered cloves.

If a sunny day, go outside at noon, close your eyes, and face the sun for several minutes.

Treasure hunt! Have the girls hide some items (beads, small mirrors, jewelry, candies) around the house, and you go hunt for them. (Of course, it would probably be wise for them to write down where they hid everything, just in case you don't find it all....)

Do silly dances.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Go to a glasscraft shop and look at pretty stained glass, fused glass, etc.

I actually did this very one today!

[magentamn.livejournal.com]

This only works for people in the Twin Cities.

Go to Minnehaha Falls. Sit on the bridge over the Falls, and feel the energy of the water washing you. (I'd say, washing your aura, but that sounds so New Age-y.) I find ten or fifteen minutes on that bridge often help me deal with stress and depression. If I have time, I walk down the path to the river, or at least as far down the path as I can. As I get further and further from the tumult of the Falls, I feel myself getting calmer and calmer.

Obviously, this is limited by weather conditions.

[kate_nepveu]

Read stuff off the Cheerful Things list.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Most excellent! Thank you!

[kate_nepveu]

You're welcome; it's what it's there for, after all.

[weaselmom.livejournal.com]

Oh my lord. I had forgotten about both Dogs in Elk and The Rules for Eating. So glad you've brought these back to our attention!

[http://users.livejournal.com/anam_cara_/]

New perfume or room scent (appley/cinnamon scents for autumn) or get a Febreze scent player (I got one for Christmas and I love it). Citrusy scents cheer me too, oranges with cloves and cinnamon (just taking the time to poke cloves into oranges is therapeutic too).

Regarding the new makeup, I find that a new lipstick goes a long way to making me feel new and brighter and like I've at least made some effort to put any on in the first place. I work with a Mary Kay lady that has organized all the other Mary Kay sales people to take turns offering spa Saturdays at a place they rent (so you don't have to have parties and the like in your home). You don't have to worry about organizing anything or inviting friends, you just sign up, pay $5, get a makeover, a catered lunch (which is always interesting and yummy) and a $5 certificate for a purchase.

I would buy a single flower while grocery shopping or one of those fancy cookies in the bakery.

Eat Thai food.

Keep the tv off and have music playing through out the house all evening- your own personal soundtrack of the night (it gets everyone else dancing and humming too).

Let someone take a photos of you (like your kids), see yourself through their eyes (or pose in a favorite item, like a new hat or your ribbon coat) and let yourself notice your beauty, and not critize (this is a difficult task for me, so I make an effort to do this, and it does help).

Drink more water. This is one for me. I live on coffee, soda, and tea- when I make a concerted effort to drink more water it helps.

Buy a facial mask that peels off.

Professional PEDICURE!

I like taking photos too- it's taking time for myself and makes me stop and smell the roses so to speak. (Como Park and a camera with a good zoom = a great time really looking closely at each plant that catches your eye)

[loup_noir]

When I'm feeling down, I watch nature be silly. We have a wealth of birds here that I bribe with hummingbird feeders and seed.

Cuddling my seventy-five pound "puppy" in my arms is also good therapy. He goes obligingly limp and tucks his head under my chin.

Old Calvin and Hobbes cartoons, followed by Bizarro and Far Side off-kilterness is good for my brain.

Lavender or roses or anything colorful.

Lively music that I can dance to or chase the dogs around the living room to.

A long cuddle with my husband, who has learned that I have my down spells and will hold me until I feel better.

[mayakda.livejournal.com]

Go to the local playground and swing as high as you can.
Re-read the "good parts" of a naughty book and then lock the bedroom door and treat yourself to a "happy". (Seriously)