Beating the Blues

We all have those days where nothing is going your way, where the little old lady is taking too long to cross the street and you are late for work. It probably is not the old lady’s fault that you are becoming increasingly more enraged, you just caught the that-kind-of-day bug. It is an ever-evolving virus, similar to the flu. One day it might take the form of a broken dish, it could be a series of never ending poopy diapers, it could even take the form of your favorite tv character being killed off. There is not yet a tried-and-true antidote for the bug.

Symptoms may include:

• Slight vacancy of positive thought
• Heavy feeling in chest
• Constant irritation
• Awareness of irrationality
• Lack of desire to get out of bed
• When out and about, there may be a constant desire to get back in bed.
• Netflix binging
• Irrational purchases from your laptop
• Binge eating the gallon of vanilla ice cream that has been sitting in your freezer for four months

Whatever symptoms you may be experiencing, here are a few treatments that may be helpful in alleviating your 24-hour illness:

LISTEN TO UPBEAT MUSIC: Have a solo dance party! You might feel ridiculous, but it is such a blast to dance when you are by yourself because no one is there to watch or judge you. Here’s a playlist that I made with some music that always helps me get out of a funk.

WATCH A FUNNY TV SHOW OR MOVIE: If you are going to give in to the binge, make sure that the show makes you smile. That is the goal when you are fighting the bug: smile, laugh, feel some pure, unadulterated joy! My favorites include Parks and Rec and The Office.

TAKE A SHOWER: If you have an extra 10 minutes, it’s nice to take a little time to yourself. I always feel better after I’ve taken some time to clean up and focus on me for a little bit.

ORGANIZE A DRAWER/CABINET/WALKWAY IN YOUR HOUSE: Organizing something in my apartment always helps me feel like I am in control and like I can control other aspects of my life.

CALL YOUR MOM:, talk to your dog, just reach out to someone who you know without a doubt loves you.

MEDITATE: Meditation, if nothing else, helps people relax. If mediation does not work for you, (I will be the first to admit that meditation is hard), try some breathing exercises. BYU has some really good recordings to help you relax. My favorite is Breathing.

GO FOR A RUN: My husband might suggest that you go for a run (or exercise in your favorite form). We all know that “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands.”- Elle Woods, Legally Blonde

 

SERVE SOMEONE: It seems like a weird thing to do, help someone else while you feel like you need help. Service is empowering; you have the power to make someone else’s day a little brighter, and you are no longer thinking about the old lady who took too long to cross the street anymore.

At the end of the day, it is important that you do something that you love and that will make you smile.