Yeah. You heard me. You can start to feel good now. It’s true. I know a lot of us trudge through our day feeling achy, tired and moody. We work too much, play too little and sleep…what’s sleep? Life goes so fast these days that most of us can hardly keep up.
If it all seems hopeless I assure you, it’s not.
There are a few insanely simple things you can do that will help you feel good right now. I will warn you that some of these things will make you feel silly and if your co-workers see you doing them they’ll think you’ve gone round the bend, but a little silliness never killed anyone. So let’s wrangle that stress, boost that energy and feel more balanced.
1) Sublingual B Vitamins
When I’m low on energy and stress is getting to me I take B vitamins*. B vitamins are fantastic at boosting energy levels. This water soluble vitamin has some serious kick. Next time you’re at the gas station, pick up one of those energy shots and read the label. Oh! What do you know! It has huge doses of B vitamins! For the price of two bottles of that junk you can buy a full month’s supply of B-vitamins at the pharmacy. I use sublingual B vitamins. I just drop the liquid under my tongue and hold it for a few seconds. Why not take a pill? Many pills don’t fully digest. Poor quality vitamins are mostly filler that is hard for the body to break down. They usually just sit in your stomach like a rock and pass through your system with minimal benefit. Some of them even cause heartburn or nausea. Sublingual vitamins avoid those pitfalls and get into the system quickly and easily to help boost energy.
2) Write a Gratitude List
I know I’ve said this about a million times but when you’re feeling glum and in a funk one of the quickest and easiest pick-me-ups is to write a gratitude list. It can be easy to focus on the negative and lose site of all the wonderful things we have in our lives. We take all our wonderful little blessing for granted. So when you’re feeling down and out grab a pen and paper (or you can say them out loud…it’s your call) and jot down 10 things you’re grateful for and why you’re grateful for them. For example:
1) I am so grateful for my mom because she gives the best hugs which always cheer me up and make me feel loved.
2) I am so grateful for Mischa because he’s an awesome snuggle-kitty who loves me unconditionally and always makes me smile.
Got it? It’s super easy and it will help perk you up. It’s hard to be grumpy or sad when you see all the wonderful things you have in your life. Yes, some days it can be more challenging to find things to be grateful for, but it’s fine if you’re thankful for the rain because you love it and find it relaxing…or puppies, or sunshine, or flowers, or your car. You get the idea. It doesn’t matter what you find to be grateful for, as long as you’re grateful.
3) Shake Your Booty
Feeling tired? Feeling sad? Feeling tired and sad? Put on a song that is upbeat that you love then get up and shake your booty. Shake your booty like no one’s watching…or like everyone’s watching…whichever floats your boat. Afraid you’ll feel like an idiot? That’s ok. The point is to have fun and be silly, not to audition for the Joffrey Ballet. If you are unable to dance then sing along. Singing is just as good as dancing…and if you can do both all the better! My favorite song to get goofy to? Mr. Blue Skies by ELO. I can’t sit still when it comes on. It makes me tap my toes, sing along and puts a big ol’ smile on my face. Don’t believe me? Check this out:
4) Do Something Nice for a Stranger
Another easy way to feel great: spread some love and kindness. Commit a random act of kindness. Going through the drive thru at Starbucks with a line of cars behind you? When you get to the window pay for the person behind you. Hold the door open for someone. Pay a stranger a compliment. Do something nice for someone else without expecting anything in return. It will not only make your day but it will make theirs too.
5) Smile
Smile. Even if you don’t feel like it, just smile! Here’s an odd but true fact: your brain doesn’t know the difference between a fake smile and a real one. If you keep smiling your brain begins to release those wonderful feel-good hormones called endorphins! Hooray endorphins! Yes, you probably don’t feel like smiling and you’ll probably feel ridiculous doing it, but just smile and keep smiling.
Do you have any tips and tricks for feeling great (aside from shoe shopping, because, come on, that’s a given)? Feel free to share your tips in the comments here or on my facebook page. I’d love to hear what you do to pull yourself out of a funk.
Kisses & Chaos,
Alli Woods Frederick
image credits: Feel Good by Chrystal | this photograph brought to you by… by David Goehring | True to form by Monique | Disco time by Amina | In the end, only kindness matters by Jennifer | Smile by Alan Cleaver | the video is, and I admit it, all mine © Alli Woods Frederick
* I am not a medical professional & do not provide medical advice or guidance. Always consult with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any supplements. If you’re having a medical problem please contact a medical professional.
