Life Sucks? What to Do About It

Have the doldrums got you down? Too many negative hits in a row making you feel like the target at a carnival shooting gallery?

Sometimes, life just sucks.

We all have off days, bad experiences and emotional lows. But if that sucking noise has gone from an occasional hiccup to a full-fledged Hoovering, it’s time to step up and do something about it:

Play hookey. Take a day off out of nowhere and devote it to having fun. This needn’t take much, or any, money if you haven’t got it. But it should consist of doing only the things you want to do, whether that be spending the day in bed catching up on your reading, or checking yourself into an amusement park for the day.

Eat like a king. Go out and buy yourself a basket full of the sort of treats that you generally reserve for holidays, birthdays and other special events. Make yourself a full Thanksgiving meal if that’s your favorite. Or if wine and cheese is more your style, revel in a good Chianti, a nice loaf of artisan bread and a pungent Pecorino. The point is to let the pleasures of the occasion thumb their noses at the gloomy bits of your everyday life.

Dance the doldrums away. Put on your favorite music and dance. If you don’t have room at home, hit the clubs or even the gym (some of those dance-based classes are indistinguishable from a party, aside from the clothing). Repeat until the beat of your own drummer drowns out that sucking noise that’s been plaguing your life.

Change your scenery. Spend the day at an arboretum or botanical garden. Go to the zoo, or a museum. Visit that nearby town you’ve been meaning to explore, or take a drive in the country. Whatever you do, get thee out of those same four walls, before they threaten to close in on you.

Have a party. It needed be a fancy shindig. Just invite a few friends over to spend the day enjoying each other’s company. Make it pot luck, if you’re down on your own. Have a picnic if your digs would cramp your fun. Or, if funds allow, take over a local spa or other hangout.

Eat your colors. Bright colored veggies equal plenty of vitamins and anti-oxidants, all of which are good for your body - and by extension, your mood. (http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/foods/fn595w.htm) The more color, the better. There’s a rainbow of food out there, from the darkest blueberries to the brightest yellow peppers to the cheeriest cherries. Indulge!

LOL. Laughter is indeed the best medicine, both for your body and your mind. Rent some funny movies and spend the weekend trying not to fall off the couch. Or drop by the library or bookstore and stock up on Wooster and Jeeves, or Calvin and Hobbes, as your tastes dictate. Visit the local comedy club, or tune the TV to Comedy Central. Whatever you do, keep doing it. Laughter is a medicine best taken in large doses, over an extended period of time.

Take a hike. Too much sedentary behavior has a negative effect on your moods. Get out of the house and get moving - take a walk, go horseback riding, rent a canoe, hit the slopes, whatever strikes your fancy. At a loss for ideas? Grab a jump rope, a Frisbee and some hopscotch chalk, then go outside and let the neighborhood kids teach you all about keeping fit while having fun.

Get a pet. Granted, it’s not a step to be taken lightly, but many studies have shown that having pets reduces both physical and mental ill health - reducing blood pressure, easing stress, improving mental capacity and mood, and even preventing heart attacks. Besides, there’s nothing like watching a cat with a sock full of catnip, or a dog with a mouth full of peanut butter, to inject some hilarity into an otherwise gloomy day.

Bookmark to: