It’s the September slump. The new school year has started, routines are in place, and we’ve said our goodbyes to summer. It’s a time of exciting new beginnings, but once the newness wears off, you may feel like you’re in a rut, just looking forward to a long year ahead.
But luckily, there ARE things you can do to improve your mood, instantly. Not all of life’s twists and turns are within our control, but we CAN affect our mood in certain ways. Today I’m going to share 20 quick actions you can take, to lift your spirits instantly!
Below you’ll see some clothing items from prAna, who provided me with products to sample and facilitate this post. All opinions expressed are my own.
20 Ways to Feel Better Right Now
1. Take a deep breath, hold it for a few seconds, and slowly release. Repeat a few times. This can help calm feelings of overwhelm and panic by lowering your heart rate and giving you a moment to clear your mind.
2. Go outside. The fresh air can be rejuvenating. If you have time, go for a walk, and if you’re able, go for a walk in nature.
3. Go somewhere else. Just a change of position or a walk around the room can give you a new perspective. If you’ve been sitting at a desk, lounge on the couch for a few minutes, or the other way around.
4. Close your eyes. Try to clear your mind. Even just a couple of minutes of meditation can relax you and boost your mood.
5. Say your mantra. Remind yourself that you are in control of yourself. You have choices.
6. Lie down. Sometimes when I’m feeling overwhelmed, I just lie on my back in the middle of my living room. You’ll literally relax, and soon you’ll find your mind relaxing as well.
7. Put on your favorite outfit. When you are comfortable, you feel good physically, and then you can focus on feeling good mentally!
8. Imagine the worst possible scenario. If you’re stressed about something, think about how bad it could go. You’ll often find that even the worst possible situation is something you could handle. And chances are good it won’t be so bad (see what I did there?)!
9. Imagine the best possible scenario. If you get through the next task on your list, or finally confront an issue you’ve been avoiding, how good will you feel? What could you achieve? Imagining a great outcome can be the push you need to take the next step.
10. Make the appointment. If you’re dealing with any lingering health issues (a toothache, exhaustion, emotional concerns), pick up the phone and make the call to schedule an appointment. Just having it on your calendar will help you relax, knowing that it’ll be taken care of soon.
Uptown Pant: prAna
And, uh, if it means you end up with a root canal, then at least you’re solving the problem!
11. Take care of someone else. Think of someone you could help in a small way today. Bringing a smile to someone else’s face often brings one to your own! The other day I brought my son’s preschool teacher her favorite soda. Super easy to do, but I know it helped her have a good morning, and it felt good to do good!
12. Hug a baby. If you have one available that is. If not, hug a child, spouse, parent, or best friend! I’m not much of a hugger, but sometimes it’s the best remedy for feeling down!
Baby: Not by prAna
13. Take a bath. I do this almost every night! Such a good way to wind down from a long day.
14. Get active. Sweat out the stress by going for a walk, a run, playing tag, or whatever you feel like!
15. Drink some water. If your drink of choice is mostly made of sugar (ahem like me ahem), your body will thank you!
16. Make a list. Write out your to dos, or just get your thoughts out of your head and onto paper, and see if you feel less chaotic.
17. Do good. Make a “green” choice to help out the environment and improve the world you live in. That could be picking up trash during a walk, turning off your lights and fans when you don’t need them on, or patronize companies that support fair trade and sustainable practices.
18. Treat yo’self. It could be something big if you want, but sometimes buying yourself a little treat, like a lip balm or face mask, can boost your mood.
19. Laugh. It can be the best medicine. My advice? Just search YouTube for “people falling down.” You’re welcome.
20. Remember you are awesome! Remind yourself of your best traits, talents, and accomplishments. If you’re really down, ask a friend or your spouse to tell you good things. I bet they’d be thrilled to help you remember, and they might even have a few ideas that you wouldn’t have thought of.
As I mentioned above, this post has been sponsored by prAna. More than just a clothing company, prAna offers organic, hemp, sustainable, and fair trade items, with the goal of “protecting our environment and inspiring the adventurous spirit.”
I love that their clothing is so versatile. Many of their items can go from the workplace to the hiking trail. As a frequent traveler, I love how prAna’s clothing is comfortable while still looking professional. It’s nice to have pieces that allow you to sit on a plane or in the car for hours, and still come out looking nice when you arrive at your destination!
prAna has only one core belief, and that is to give back more than they take from the world. Their items are mindfully made in order to support fair trade and sustainable practices.
If you want to give prAna a try, now’s a good time, because for the next four weeks (until Oct 3, 2017) you can use my discount code MHMMT15 to get 15% off your order! I may just use it myself, as I’m coveting these pants! #WhereDoYouprAna
If you get something, I’d love to see it! And if you find yourself in that September slump, I hope you’ll use some of these tips to start feeling better fast!
1 comment
This is such a helpful list, Megan! You make the prAna clothing look even better.