Feeling Blue
Feeling blue is easy to do. There are so many reasons that you may feel down and blue. Life can be challenging, especially now. Our world doesn’t look the way we are used to it looking. We are facing a pandemic and there is a great deal of social discord. People come into my office daily to share their feelings with me. Right now more people are down and blue than normal. People who don’t usually suffer from the blues are complaining about being in a funk and having a hard time shaking it. What can you do to feel better?
What You can do to Beat the Blues | Happy Hygiene
How do you feel better when you are feeling blue? My answer, Happy Hygiene! Hygiene is practices that are conducive to maintaining health. Happy Hygiene is practicing things that are conducive to maintaining your mental health. The following is a list of things that you can do to practice Happy Hygiene and beat the blues.
Make your bed
The first thing to do in your Happy Hygiene day is to make your bed. When you make your bed it serves several purposes. First, you are less likely to crawl into it. This will encourage you to get on with your day and get moving. It is motivational. Second, it can be your first success of the day. Something that you accomplished and it’s still the start of the day. It will contribute to keeping a tidy house which, as you will see below, is another Happy Hygiene practice. Finally, it feels really good and rewarding to crawl into a made bed at the end of the day.
Exercise
Exercise is an important part of a Happy Hygiene day. Exercise is known to boost your mood. It distracts you from your worries and helps to build confidence. By exercising, your brain releases endorphins. Physical activity stimulates the release of dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin. These brain chemicals play an important part in regulating your mood. Exercise is fun to do and gets you out experiencing the outdoors and the world around you or being around people at the gym for a social experience. The physical and emotional changes that occur with exercise will not only lift the blues but make you feel better about yourself too.
Physical Hygiene
Make sure you keep yourself clean and tidy. You are worth the time that it takes to care for yourself. Clean your body, do your hair, and put on your makeup if you enjoy wearing it. Shave! Shave your legs and shave your face. Look like you care about yourself and you will feel like you care about yourself.
Get Dressed
This may sound simple but getting dressed is an important step in your Happy Hygiene day. Getting dressed will set you up for your day. I have heard clients talk about staying in their pajamas so that they can hide from their life and responsibilities. By getting dressed you are setting the tone for your day. You will be ready for a pop-by visitor or a random errand. Dress in clothes that make you feel good about yourself. Walk by the mirror and notice how nice you look. This will bring about positive thoughts rather than looking into the mirror and seeing someone who looks blue and unkempt.
Keep your House Tidy
Work to keep your house tidy. Don’t let yourself fall behind. When you fall behind it will make you feel more blue and overwhelmed. Being on top of your responsibilities at home will make you feel more successful and accomplished which in turn will make you feel better about yourself. A tidy house is a peaceful environment. You can look around and have visual reminders that you’re are capable of taking charge of your life.
Eating Well
Eating well and drinking water will make your body feel better physically and emotionally. Your body is a machine. When you put good fuel into your body it can perform. When you put junk into your body and deprive it of water you will feel sluggish, unmotivated, and increasingly blue. Garbage in, garbage out.
Think Happy Thoughts
Your brain is so powerful! Use it! What we tell ourselves is what we belief and what we become. Would you tell someone that you loved that they were worthless, ugly, fat, unsuccessful, or lacking in any way? Of course not! So why do this to yourself. We need to work to build ourselves up emotionally. I ask my clients to confront their negative self-talk out loud. Tell yourself out loud that these are lies and untruths. Instead, build yourself up with positive self-talk and encourage yourself. Love yourself, you are worth it!
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