We all get like it from time to time. That feeling where nothing seems to be going right, and you can’t quite figure out why you’re feeling so down in the dumps. It’s completely normal to feel this way. A plethora of different factors can cause you to feel down such as having a hard time at work, thinking about your lack of a much needed holiday, and worries about family members or friends. You’re not alone in this boat, even though it very much feels like you are. While your first port of call should be your GP if you’re worried about your low mood, there are things that you could be doing to pick yourself back up while you wait for your GP appointment. Check out these 6 non medical ways of picking yourself up when you’re down in the dumps.
Pamper yourself
One sure fire way of making yourself feel instantly better is by taking yourself off for a good old pampering session. Why not really treat yourself and head to the salon to have your hair and nails done, then come home, pour a glass of your favourite drink, pop on a face mask and soak in the tub for a while?
Me time is important and when you’ve got a small family to be running around after, it’s easy to forget to look after yourself as a parent. Give yourself that time and you’ll begin to notice how much better you feel! If a pamper isn’t your kind of thing, how about a nice long walk in the countryside? Soak in and be amazed at your local beautiful countryside.
Have a clear out
Sometimes the reason that your mind is so foggy is because you need to spring clean your home. Over the year we collect an array of different things like projects the children have done at school and vouchers that we think might be useful.
Declutter your home so that you can declutter your mind and begin to think with more clarity again. Plus, isn’t it just lovely when your home is ship shape and you can relax?
Take up a hobby
When you’re worrying about something that’s not going to be resolved any time soon, it’s a good idea to try and take your mind off the situation for periods of time. A great way to do this is by taking up a new hobby and focusing your mind on that as much as possible. Great examples of hobbies that will take you away are DIY and crafty hobbies, or even physical sports that cause you to concentrate on the game that you’re playing.
When I was diagnosed with Post Natal Depression (PND) I threw myself into crochet and gardening. In the day I would pull weeds and at night I would perfect my basic crochet skills. Now I am a cofident crochet-er and my garden garden hobby has become a lifestyle!
Eat cleaner
Did you know that when you’re filling your face with junk food, you’re actually creating a chemical imbalance in your brain? Junk food causes this and as a result, we can feel low and lose all motivation. While junk food might not be the cause of your low mood, it certainly isn’t helping either.
I used to binge eat when I first started noticing the signs of depression, but I soon realised that it was making me feel worse. Eat cleaner meals and you will begin to feel better in yourself and not just mentally either. You will feel less bloated, your skin won’t breakout as much, and you may even drop a few pounds!
Talk it out
Sometimes things can get on top of you, and that’s not an unusual thing to happen, even for the strongest of people in the world. The best remedy is to sit down with a hot brew and talk it out with someone that you trust. Whether this be your spouse or a close friend is completely up to you. Getting things out in the open often helps the brain relax a little, therefore making you feel a little better.
My husband is my best friend, and he has witnessed me at my worst. I am forever thankful to him for listening to me and putting up with me on my darkest days.
Cry it out
When you’re feeling low, it’s not uncommon to feel like you want to cry. So why not let yourself? Releasing the emotion and crying out what’s bothering you may help you pick yourself back up and carry on. Bottling up feelings isn’t something that’s going to help you mentally, so let it out and have a good cry. Of course, if this is happening often then please visit your GP to talk about whether you may have depression. You may even find that after having a good cry that your problem doesn’t seem as overwhelming as before. Emotions can easily get the better of us!
