Even if you are generally an upbeat person, it is normal to have days feeling temporarily depressed. You could just be in a weird mood and lack the energy it takes to pull you up again. In those tough situations, simply telling yourself to "be happy" does not do the trick. Luckily, you can learn ways to feel better by making simple moves. You may not know it but many small things can make you feel better when you are upset about something or feeling discouraged in life.
Things to Do to Make Yourself Feel Better
As mentioned already, it is normal to feel depressed when things do not go your way, but what matters is how to take disappointment and encourage yourself to keep moving ahead. Interestingly, you do not need to make any serious changes or spend a lot of money to make you feel happy again. Smaller things can always do the trick. Here is how to make yourself feel better:
1. Pamper Yourself
A little bit pampering always helps. Just spend some time beautifying yourself and you will start to feel better again. Change your hairstyle, get your nails done, put on some jewelry and wear an outfit you love the most. Looking good will help boost your self-esteem and it also makes you feel confident about yourself. Making these changes will brighten up your mood, even if these changes last for a day or two. Just make sure to beautify yourself to your own standards, not to please someone else.
2. Spend Some Time with a Life-Long Friend
Do not let an upsetting situation get on your nerves. A simple way to distract your mind and actually feel better about life is to call all high school friends, childhood friends, and even old college roommates. You can even call your life-long friend and share how you feel about life and those situations that make you feel depressed. People who have seen you through all the challenges life has thrown your way will always find a way to encourage you to keep moving ahead.
That friend who knows your past will remind you of how well you have managed challenges from the past. They can remind you how resilient you have always been and how you have dealt with stressful situations in the past. This will make you believe that if you have done it in the past, there is no reason why you cannot do it again.
3. Plan a Trip or Take Some Time Off
Wondering how to make yourself feel better? If you can afford to enjoy a trip to another nice place, plan it. If you are not in a position to travel, you should still plan something that you can enjoy in the near future. The idea is to encourage yourself that there are better things in life and you can enjoy those things once you get past your current situations. You will feel motivated when you have something to look forward to, and this is going to bring energy into your life.
4. Get Something and Read
Even if it feels difficult at first, you will be amazed to see how happy you will be once you start reading something interesting and absorbing. What you want to read depends on your own taste. Sometimes, you can make yourself forget about your problems by reading about someone else's. You can read another interesting book that does not talk about any problems and helps you escape your reality even for a short time. You can even read something that tells you how to deal with certain situations in life. Those few hours spent in reading can brighten up your mood and give you new energy to tackle your situations in a better way.
5. Consider Journaling
One way to learn how to make yourself feel better is to start journaling. The idea is to let your emotions flow out of your system. That piled up energy can make you feel worse about yourself, and writing about your experience provides you with a perfect emotional outlet. Moreover, you can also go through what you have written to process the circumstances behind your feelings. You should seriously think of writing about your experiences if you do not feel comfortable sharing those problems with anyone else. Not only does it help decrease emotional pain, it also helps find you some relief from emotional distress.
6. Pay Attention to Your Physical Health
If you often find yourself under stress, you may want to change your lifestyle a bit and include regular exercise in your routine. You do not always need to spend hours in the gym to distract yourself, but even a short 15-minute walk can do the trick. The idea is to make your body release endorphins or feel-good hormones, and exercise helps in this regard.
7. Explore Your City
The idea is to clear your mind, so that you could feel better about yourself and think straight. Simply pack some gear, slip on your walking shoes, and start exploring your local area. You may be surprised to know that you have always missed some great things about your city.
8. Spend Time Doing What You Love
Every time you feel low, start doing something you love. If you have always been busy in making life better, you may be surprised to realize that you do not actually know what your favorite thing is. Well, you should take your time and find out what interests you the most. It could be painting, gardening, or playing a musical instrument. Whatever it is, just be sure to find time to do it.
9. Cook Something Nice
Cooking can elevate your mood because it requires focus and attention. When you start thinking about what you are cooking, you are a little less concerned about things that are not going in your favor. Once you have prepared something good, that satisfaction is also going to help brighten up your mood.
10. Seek Help from a Counselor
Once you have tried ways about how to make yourself feel better but are still struggling, you may want to consul a therapist. A professional can always guide you in the right direction and better equip you with tools to deal with frustration, anxiety, stress, and depression. Moreover, they can also recommend support groups, medications, and other helpful resources.