How Do I Get My Happy Back?

Image courtesy of PixArc at Pixabay.com

Stressful day at work?  Loved ones struggling at the moment?  Financial woes?  Another shooting on the news?  Life is grand.  Sometimes life is a grand piano falling out of a third story window… towards your car… that you are still in, digging for change to feed the expired parking meter.  So what do you do to get your happy back?  Try doing yoga, or taking a walk.  Wait, what?  Seriously?  Let’s face it, those things require a certain amount of motivation and/or special pants.  But here are 5 dirt cheap easy things that maybe, just maybe will help you get back up:

1) Hug your dog.  I mean get down on the floor and really hug your dog.  My dog loves this.  I can tell by his top speed tail wagging, and hissquinty-with-pleasure gooey eyes.  Ahhhhhh…

2) Watch the movie that you and your best friend obsessed over as kids.  This is probably the same movie that you and your best friend still obsess over.  Pop some corn, melt your cares, or at least some butter.

3) Play a retro video game.  Super Mario Brothers comes to my mind.  Play whatever you like and/or have access to.  Turn up the volume and remember, buttons are for mashing!

4) Go outside and look up.  If it’s dark, find pictures in the stars.  If it’s cloudy, find pictures in the clouds.  If it’s both dark and cloudy, try out an app that will show you the stars you would see if it wasn’t.

5) Get crafty.  Cut out paper snowflakes.  Slice up a magazine and make a collage.  Get glue and glitter all over the place, and go to bed without cleaning it up.  That’s right!


The point is to change the scenery in your mind.  Stop the film reel in your head from playing the same scene over and over again.  Stop watching what happened.  Stop watching previews of what could or might happen later.  Turn off your mental picture show.  Step away from technology and electronics (except for that cloudy and dark scenario from number 4).  Breathe.  Put your stress in coat check and pick it up later.  Are you ready?  I’m asking…

Image courtesy of D Sharon Pruitt