10 Ways To Snap Yourself Out Of A Slump
[ 10 August 2008 ]
Ah, yes. Feeling blue. The doldrums. Sad & listless. A feeling of ennui. Apathy & lassitude. Stagnation & tedium. Quelle drag! We all feel like this from time to time, & it can be hard to know what to do about it. Especially when all we really feel like doing is hanging out in our pyjamas (which are probably in desperate need of a wash), flicking between the channels, eating chocolate & pouting at ourselves in the mirror!
What you need is what I like to call a glee jolt! Something to snap you out of your sad, shuffling ways. A sweet little blip of excitement & joy to propel you forward into the next phase of your life. Here are some of my favourite ways to break the shackles of a slump. Let us know your suggestions in the comments!
Drive quickly!
Go for a strop around the block & see if it doesn’t make you feel better. Drive safely, of course, but put your foot down. There is really nothing like a quick blast of blood to the back of the brain to wake you up & get your adrenaline pumping! Watch the sights go whizzing by, feel the tyres bite into the road below you, crank up some of your favourite tunes & enjoy yourself. You don’t need to drive anywhere specific, though if I had my choice I would probably head towards the sea for an ice-cream. (If you don’t drive, have someone else be your personal carriage service.) Admittedly, I’m a bit of a speed demon. I have lots of great memories from childhood where I sat next to my father while he absolutely booted it down the road as he drove me to school, so this may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it certainly works for me!
Yell some positive affirmations
I know that the concept sounds lame, but honestly, they work. What we say or think out loud we start to believe, so you might as well feed your psyche with positive messages! In my experience, affirmations work best if what you say means something to you, if you say it loudly while looking in the mirror & if, at the same time, you beat on your chest like Tarzan! Yes, it sounds ridiculous, but trust me when I say that it amps you up! If you need to wear some tiger-print gear to really feel it, then damnit, just do it! Feel free to yodel & swing on vines if you have the urge, too!
Scare the hell out of yourself
We all reach a point of complacency & boredom at some stage. One of the best ways to deal with this is to do something which terrifies you. Maybe that means doing aerobics in public, taking an acting class or ditching your relationship which isn’t working, but whatever it is, you should do it! If not now, when?, & all that stuff. The best thing about doing something which scares you is that when you’ve actually done it, once the trembles have subsided & your heart-rate returns to normal, your body will inflate with a sense of accomplishment & general awesomeness. You will be amazed at how well you just did. You will feel gooooood! You will feel unconquerable! You will feel emboldened & fabulous & ready for serious, magnificent change! Those kinds of feelings are worth enduring the shakes for. Don’t be timid — be vivid! — & reap the rewards.
Get away from everything
If you’re feeling bogged down & sluggish, escaping your normal life can be a fantastic way to get back on track again. It feels so good to do something completely different for a while — it gives you an entirely new perspective on what your life is like & what you should do next! Your idea of what “getting away from it all” is will depend on your situation, & could range from a weekend on the ski slopes to a night dancing in Las Vegas to a week in a silent meditative retreat. I also often find that just the simple act of planning or dreaming about a holiday is enough to break me out of my doldrums, but maybe that’s a Virgo thing! Wink wink!
Spend time with an unusual person
Like Sark says, “Invite someone dangerous to tea”. Of course, your workmates & close friends are wonderful, but sometimes what you really need is someone to give you a bit of a shake-up. They don’t need to be an ex-con or someone with Problems (with a capital ‘P’), but someone with radical political ideas or a penchant for wearing wigs can stimulate your brain & get you feeling excited about life again. Conversations with people like that are fantastic; you never really know what they’re going to say next & they can give you all sorts of ideas that may never have struck you before. Don’t be afraid of new people — they might be just what you need.
Find some aesthetic stimulation
I think that mostly, the feeling of being in a slump comes from a lack of enthusiasm about what’s going on in your life. You might have a goal but perhaps you feel discouraged, or just a bit demotivated. I’m a very visual person so for me, having pictures which delight & thrill me is really important. I love to peg advertisements & photoshoots on string, but when I lived alone in Auckland, I had a wall behind my couch covered in photos of my friends & I having fun. If you’re in a city that doesn’t really turn your crank (like I was at the time), having a visual reminder that your life is actually pretty awesome is a great thing.
Start flirting
There’s nothing like a fledgling romance to make life shiny & new again! Oh, the excitement! The deciphering of text messages… the thrill of getting to know each other… the glee as you discuss it all endlessly with your best friend! You get to hold hands, share sweet fluttery kisses, have sleepovers & compose filthy emails — all valuable past-times! It doesn’t have to be an epic romance for it to be fun & worthwhile; even if it only lasts a couple of weeks, it’ll still be fun!
Dress in one colour
...But not black. It doesn’t count, you goth, you! Pick something bright & marvellous — like pink, purple, orange or blue — & go crazy! If your wardrobe isn’t comprehensive enough to make this happen, talk to some friends & see what you can borrow in those shades. Then make a day of it. Pile on all your pink/purple/orange/blue clothes & hit the town. Go to the supermarket. Walk the dog. Eat some cake. You’ll be gob-smacked by the response you get from the general public (honestly, they love pretty much anyone who takes sartorial risks) & being surrounded by all the bright colours will make you feel incredible.
Switch up your routine
Even the smallest change to your day-to-day life can make a huge difference to the way you think & feel. It doesn’t have to be expensive or extravagant either — though, of course, expensive & extravagant changes can be a lot of fun! Try something simple, like catching the train to work instead of the bus. Go out for dinner instead of ordering in. Visit your local pool after work & have a spa. Trade books for television or vice versa. Take a French class or paint your bedroom. Just make little tweaks, & see how they impact your general happiness.
Exercise
This one gets mentioned last because it makes an appearance on pretty much every self-improvement list ever published on the internet, & I know that gets tired. But hey, the reason exercise gets name-dropped with such ferocity is because… wait for it… it works! Okay, so you don’t have to go for a run if you don’t want to. Make it enjoyable! Try bunny-hopping across your living room, dancing the can-can, lying a broom across two chairs & doing the limbo underneath it, doing some contortion or climbing some trees. & if you simply cannot find something which gets your heart-rate up that you enjoy, bribe yourself to do it by buying yourself a chocolate bar afterwards!
Bonus ideas
Hunt for treasures in vintage stores. Find a hammock. Throw yourself an unbirthday party (complete with cake, candles & alcohol). Buy fireworks. Hire a fancy dress costume & wear it to your friend’s house. Record your lover snoring. Make a video of you impersonating a celebrity. Write long love letters. Sleep upside down. Refuse to get dressed. Start a collection of false eyelashes. Re-write all your social networking profiles. Stretch. Eat flowers.
Love letters & feather headdresses,
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This came at just the right time. You’re like a mind-reader. I really needed this… :)
I love this. Especially the scaring the hell out of yourself. It’s a favorite method of mine. I also want a tea party with ONLY dangerous people. My dream party…
Love the article, Gala :) Quite simply, you are AWESOME.
The timing couldn’t have been better…Just a hour ago I was at a Starbuck’s wining to my best friend about my so called “rut” that I can’t get myself out of. But again with your inspiration I’m going to be back on my feet tomorrow. Thanks for all the suggestions. You really are FABULOUS!
-M
hell YES! this is what i’m talkin’ about! You’re on to it Gala! I ate a lily once just to prove i could, but it was poisonous, so I had to go to hospital. It’s raining and quite glum. I’m thinking of going for a jog to the pool… hum.
- take photos of yourself & friends all dressed up for no reason! – rearrange the furniture in your house/apt/bedroom/anywhere! – dress up your pets. don’t ask, just do it!
Sometimes if myself of my friends are in a rut we’ll go to a 24/7 grocery store and be quasi obnoxious and loud and just silly. nothing illegal or dangerous — just getting away with more in public than you would in the daytime ;)
muah!
that is perfect timing Gala. I need motivation to keep going with things in life sometimes.
I find going up to the people who think they know you best and doing something completely unexpected is a great mood lifter when you see their reactions.
xxxx
Gala, I LOVE you for writing this, ive been in very wierd moods lately and this totaly rocks my world THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!
Golly, your articles are always just what I need!
I have a few good ones (slumps happen to me A LOT):
-Turn off the TV
-interview a tree
-listen to odd music
-sort through your junk
-research something
-open a window
-meditate
Hi there!
I am here to introduce myself. I am new to the Blog community and would like to meet new people. Your blog attracts me, so I posted a link on my site. Stop by and say hi sometime~
Perfect timing, yet again…
I find (and I’ve been battling depression for about half my life now, so I have a fair bit of experience with slumps) the BEST thing is putting on really loud music and dancing like a crazy person. Also, making inspiration walls/boards with photos of things that you love.
Oh, and I love the photo of the girl on the piano, kinda freaks me out though!
YES!!!! Here are some things that help me:
-Take the time to cook yourself a real meal (one with lots of vegetables) and invite someone to share it with you.
-Stand on a chair/counter/bed/bench and look around.
-Go for breakfast with a friend at a non-breakfast time (I like 2 am or 2 pm)
Collecting false eyelashes—awesome!
I find it great when I’m feeling down to just:
Lay on the grass and watch the stars
Cry until I have no more tears left and then start some project
Dance until my feet hurt
Dye my hair
Give myself a makeover
Watch VH1
my input:
♥ treat yourself.. cupcakes and sweet delights
♥ write all your worries and sorrows in a journal
♥ cry and then move on
♥ pamper yourself, facials, manicures.. the works
♥ kick back and relax with your old time fav movie with treats.
muffin ♥♥
I’m in the middle of my “getting away to regain my sanity” vacation, and yesterday I bought $60 worth of Lush to start my new skincare regime. I’ve had a lot of time on my hands lately, so I’ve started to really take care of my skin.
Also, I might splurge on an entire set of MAC pigments.
Why?
Because I am make-up obsessed and you can’t beat $300 for 54 full-size MAC pigments.
And I need something to be happy about right now.
Love,
Katie Bird
Ooh la la. Wonderful article, Gala! I can’t wait to try some of these out. Thank you for the ideas. :D
Wonderful, insane and awesome once again.
Ways I get myself out of slumps
-throw myself into a new series/book/comic
-finding new blogs/websites
-goofing off with my sisters for the day
-laying in my backyard-watching the clouds pass by
-taking a nice long nap
-riding my bike around town
-cranking up some music and doing something productive (dirty bedroom I’m looking at yoouuu)
-getting off my ass and attacking whatever I’m avoiding that’s causing my to slump/laze about (cleaning my room, writing that blog post, talking to that person etc.)
Things I might try
-wearing one color for the day
-hunting for treasures in vintage stores
-Write long love letters [to myself]
Scare the hell out of yourself
Get away from everything
Two of the main things I am going to try at some point in the near future. I need it.
This came at the right time. I have been in a rut lately (even on holiday I somehow manage to get into a rut _)
Perfectly-timed and -executed, as always, Gala! My suggestions:
-sit in a public park and write in a journal
-make candles out of crayon stubs
-clean your closet
-do yoga, even if it’s just a few basic poses on your bedroom floor
-dress up and take outlandish pictures of yourself
-re-code your blog layout (boring for some, therapeutic for me!)
-blast your music
-spend time with the very old
-...and very young
-(re)organize your hard drive
-make lists of anything and everything that comes to mind
-choose your five least-worn tees and perform tee shirt surgery
-write/draw/paint/compose/sing/dance — whatever outlet of creativity you like best!
Good luck!
Looooovely suggestions, kittens! Keep ‘em coming!
Invest in a guinea pig. Having a soft and long haired creature that is easy to maintain yet will always look up to you is very inspiring.
my point:
tinyurl.com/6lqzal
It purrs too.
Dance expressively.
Get out of the house.
Play loud music.
Go to the beach.
. . . grab your ipod and do all of these at once!Oh, the clock! It´s in Prague and worth seeing, because the corpse is ringing a bell and everything in there is moving (as life is!).
Thanks Gala for the wonderful article!
I´ve just recovered from the whirlwind in Italy, that I survived. This is the right thing to pick me up!!!
Awesome tips! I’m all inspired now!
...The number one thing that’s worked for me, though?
Prozac. Haha!
For me there are two things that usually perk me up when I’m feeling glum:
+ listening to my favorite music. For the rock n’roll side of me it’s the Pretenders or the Who; noisy yet melodic, loud and brash, yet compelling and contemplative. For the jazz baby in me it’s any and all 1920s music; fun to practice one’s Charleston. But it must be music before 1929; don’t want to be reminded of the eh hem, “Great Depression.”
+ cleaning; usually with the music listed above as my soundtrack. Cleaning gives one a sense of control, it’s a light form of exercise so one is always moving, and it may sound slightly mad, but I always feel a little bit better and at ease when my home is in order. I think the idea of straightening one’s space helps create “mental order” in one’s mind.
I really adore this post. Thank you, Gala!
Seek comfort in your support system. Talk to a trusted friend or family member and tell them how you’re feeling.
Find a creative outlet. Making art or writing can help you process emotions and also give a sense of productivity.
Sometimes, I like to do something nice for someone else. Even if I’m the one feeling glum, seeing someone else happy, lifts me up.
Other times I “run until my muscles burn and my veins pump battery acid” and then savour the delicious endorphins afterwards.
ur fantastic Gala.
the chocolate, the PJs, the rut – u read me like a book!
this little piece of inspiration has given me the boost i was longing for.
thank u!
i might get myself dressed and go for a run around the lake now!!
I have to agree with everyone – what timing! I’ve been feeling run down and blah for weeks now. I’m sure its winter, but thanks for the suggestions. I have a holiday in a week and a half – that should shake me up!
My usual solution – dancing! Whether it be out with the girls, just at home or one of the classes I go to, that always perks me up for a while at least.
I find a good cure for the winter blues is to head to a beach (I like Auckland’s west coast for this purpose) – wrap up warm and go for a walk, getting blown along the beach. Its especially good if you take someone you can talk to… or a dog :)
You have spookily accurate timing, Gala Darling! xxo
I needed this!
-design some fashion styles
-start a crazy project, like making a dollhouse out of cardboard boxes or embroidering
-reorganize your closet
-have a silly backyard tea party and invite only your pets & some old dolls
-pretend you’re a princess, or a celebrity, or a time-traveler
-write a story about zany characters
-fold as many origami cranes until you get bored;
-glue rhinestones onto anything and everything;
-play with a 96-color box of crayons
-make up nonsense songs
-make pretend countries out of the bedsheets
-go all out & curl your hair :)
What a perfectly timed post! As an art student, something that always perks me up is experimenting with new medias. I’ve just brought some new gouache – I think I’m in love! Excellent way to get a spark out of a creative slump as well..
But what about things you can do to cheer up a friend who’s in a rut?Gala, thank you for this! I’ll have to look to it in the winter months, when the sun goes away, the snow piles high beyond belief &my man isn’t here to cheer me up!
Thanks! :]
awesome list & perfect timing as always! maybe its the depressing NZ winter? adding to the dressing in all one colour: go to the supermarket and only buy things that match the colour you’re wearing. cadbury choccies, eggplant, grapes, wine, etc. I did this once with a huge pile of green packaged foods but the checkout lady didn’t even bat an eyelid!
I love all these suggestions! May I ask, what is the photo with Kirsten Dunst for flirting? It looks really pretty, like some sort of fabulous movie.
This came at a perfect time. This list is amazing. I’ll add it to my own list of things that make me happy (go to the zoo, dance in the rain, exhange meaningful glances with strangers, etc)
I’m so glad you posted this!!!! I saw it on twitter, and I said (all alone in my room, yep) “YESSSSSS” just like a little ten year old boy who just got a new package of baseball cards.
I am in an epic slump. Yipes.
Will try some suggestions, stat! :) Thanks!!!! xo
It’s nice to know I’m not alone in my ongoing rut, that others are going through the doldrums too. This article just gives me the zing to keep climbing the mountain to get over the peak.
Good luck to all of us rut-goers at the moment! And thank you so much Gala for this perfect article.
your best article yet!
I am unslumped!
I often get that slump once a month, if you know what I mean… Chocolate, cigarettes and partying work well for me, but the things you’ve suggested are perfect and don’t give me bad skin! I’m on to it, Gala, thank you :)
Virginia — It’s a still from The Virgin Suicides! If you haven’t seen it you should, it’s reeeeally visually arresting.
i love you you amazing creature xxxxxxxx
It is so strange how you and the things you put up here on iCing match my life. It just keeps on happening and it makes me happy because it feels like you are an active part of my life, which inspires me.
This article is perfecly timed for me since I had a sad sunday with the guy I love who is leaving me and that topped with a stressful notice from work left me in a pretty poor state.
Now I can brighten up my day just by reading a bit of your article every now and then and that already makes me feel better.
This came at the best time.
thank you so much =]
i have a list of things that i want to do before i die, a ‘bucket list’ if you will (although my list has been kicking a lot longer than that movie has). Every time i think to myself ‘gee, wouldn’t it be fun to…have a picnic at night, dress up as a giesha, take salsa lessons, meet the pope’ i add it to the list. It’s a pretty large collection of large and small goals.
whenever i feel a bit flat, i do my darndest to cross one item off my list.
I love the un-birthday idea.
Its abit like what my friends did for me the other day, they threw me a surprise birthday party. Totally surprised me – my birthdays in april.
Gala, you are too awesome, this is too awesome. Tooooo awesome, I say!
I get stuck in those ruts all the time. Each time I’ve tried a zillion different things to jolt myself out of it – & never have I came up with so many inspiring ideas as you have! Just reading this made me excited – I’m almost looking forward to the next time I’m in a slump!
Somethings I usually try are listening to a CD I haven’t heard in yonks, going for a long walk, or washing my dog.
Thank-you times one thousand million billion, Gala & everyone giving out their own ideas!
one of my kitties sneakily eats flowers!!! i just found her sneaking some fresh jasmine right beside me, i hope she feels betterer!!!!
teehee
love you all!!
xxx
haha i have quite the false eyelashes collection from dancing. i
hey gala!
serious mind reader for sure!i dont know about anyone else but im actually quite shy when it comes to striking up conversations with random people.it sounds like soo much fun though and im generally quite open with people who im familiar with.
how neat would it be to have a meet up for wellingtonian non pareils?a picnic or outting of some kind!anyone agree?
this came at the perfect time!
boy trouble of the him-ignoring-me kind is enough to get me out of a great mood
so i’m listening to jerry lee lewis, drinking mocktails and painting my toenails
but of course if all fails i’ll buy shoes
This may fall under the “adrenaline” thing but I prefer to think of it as “getting my groove back”... once the miscellaneous car expenses have come out of the bank this month, I’m getting my next tattoo (I already have a gothic butterfly that was my 21st present) – it’s just one little word (proper noun) that is pretty obscure to everyone else but means the world to me … Peitho. I’ve wanted it for ages so there’s the emotional boost of finally getting it, plus the extra fluffies it gives me by being so mysterious to others :)
Ooh! Ooh! I realized, I have one!
And it NEVER fails.
MAKE YOURSELF SCONES.
Magic!
(http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1729/ultimate-scones)
Slice in half, butter them up & spread strawberry jam, or clotted cream.
Have them with (cinammon? masala chai? Earl Grey?) tea!
If you make a whole afternoon tea kind of ritual out of this, with friends, or in the garden with an umbrella for shade, it will be even more effective.
i so needed this… thanks.
:)
Reading this while in bathrobe, time is afternoonish. Thanks for this great list of inspirational things. I think I might even get dressed now and try a few!
Love Sanne
I needed this so much right now. Thank you.
this is maaaaarvelous! eating flowers?! hahahahaha!
another thought: get a new bra and rock it — colored, patterned, push-up, or all of the above!
Oh, this was a really good time to hear this :)
Number four sticks out for me, as I have had an urge to read a poem loudly in the middle of my town centre for a while now. I may just go and do it next time I’m shopping :)
I completely agree with meeting new people (and maybe starting a new romance). New people means a fresh outlook on life…nothing makes me feel better than that!
Great advice, Gala.
Hey! This is such a fab post It made me smile just reading it :)
Some that work for me would include lying on the grass and seeing what shapes the clouds make (making up silly ones is always good!) and going up somewhere high, or just out your window and looking at the view for a moment :)
Here’s me, sitting at home in my dressing gown, procrastinating on the internet when I should be at the gym… And there’s you, writing a post about how to get yourself out of a slump! How did you know I was in one?! I am sure you are psychic Gala! This is exactly what I needed, I am usually rally good at going to the gym regularly but the last week I have really struggled and you’re right, it WORKS! Xxxxxxxx
i really want a hammock. but of course no hammock is gonna fit in my little nyc apartment!
Thanks for putting this up, weirdly i was just starting to get into this state of mind. Perfect timing!
What is it about dads and having this incessant need to drive 10 over the speed limit everywhere? Not that it isn’t fun, it’s just funny. Back when I was without a license, my dad dropped me off at school every day on the way to his office and it seemed like, typically, everyone we passed was about standing still.
Oh, this is great, Gala! It reminds me of this quote. “Boredome: desire for desire.”
Late last night my boyfriend was feeling glum and a bit ill, so we went for a late walk at midnight. I got my tripod out and camera and we had fun taking photos of cars going past on a really long exposure. Going on photography expeditions really cheers me up!
flickr.com/photos/afeitar/2750…
And also having a really long bath and dolling yourself up. Sit there with your make up bag and try out new things you’ve always wanted to try, or even just draw moustaches on your face and prance around the house pretending to be French!
I like long walks with catharsis in the middle (walking old haunts, or in nature) and a simple goal at the end: bring a bag of oranges to your favourite cafe. Or ingredients for cupcakes and a film to a friend’s place. Or go to a cliff face over the sea where you can scream as loud as you need to, then drink a gin and tonic, or chew salted caramels.
Or just writing the sorts of things you’d do.
Tip for hammock lovers in tiny flats: if you mount the right kind of hooks high on your walls (garage storage hooks come to mind) you can hang your hammock across your room when you want it (after all, you won’t need to cross the room too oten when you’re in it) and let it drape colourfully on just one hook the rest of the time.
Make sure the hardware is the right type for your wall material and that it can bear a one or two-person load.
Ahhhh, bless. I JUST shook off a weeklong funk that appears to have been hormone-driven, but I am printing this list out in preparation for my next visit to the doldrums. I especially love the idea of inviting someone dangerous to tea. It helps so much to inject new energy into your life when you’re feeling sluggish, and an unusual personality does that in an instant.
Another thing that helps me clear my head is to spend time with animals. Out in the woods, just observing, or one-on-one with a pet. A little unconditional love works wonders on a case of the blues, don’t you think?
i am not in a slump because i had the most fabulous weekend ever!
i saw katy perry at warped tour and there is just such a powerful feeling when you are so far back that no one moves in the crowd and you are dancing and belting the songs and know all the words.
it was awesome.
then jeffree star sang with cobra starship and i almost died. gala, you guys currently have the same hair color!
when i am in a slump i people watch
all of these ideas are so inspiring
i’ve got myself a little list:
- i’m going to buy a nice dress and go to the theatre with one of my best friends.
- dye my hair bright red.
- paint all of my finger nails different colours.
- get an unusual piercing.
- get some classic books out of the library.
- get everything ready for college in september-my bedroom included.
- and set up a flickr account.
but i’m ill so i can’t start yet :(
love the post gala!
xoxo
Love your blog- recipe for beating the dodrums: read gala
XOXO
Things I’ve done recently ;)
-Find a new obsession. Devote time to it. I’ve just hit a crazy Batman obsession and it’s so much fun looking at action figures and watching cartoons and films and making themed cookies. It doesn’t have to be Batman, it can be anything, as long as it’s fun.
-Buy a voice-changing megaphone. Talk to all of your friends that you see with it.
-Make your friends friendship bracelets.
-Buy lots of little cacti and put them on your windowsill.
-Read a great comic book. (Mad Love is a brilliant one.)
I think it’s getting to that point in the summer when having time off becomes tiresome! Great post Gala =) My favourite thing to do is to go into town to a cheap/2nd hand book shop, grab a bargain & then chill out by the window at a coffee shop, & read & write while people-watching.
I have a wee question, when you use other people’s pictures, do you ask permission or just give credit?
Great ideas from everybody!
I want to second Kelly’s question: What do you do for a friend in a rut? I have a friend going through a hard time, and I feel bad because besides listening I feel like I can’t help her out too much. Plus she’s a slightly down to earth (ok, cynical) person so suggestions like, “Write down things you are grateful for” or “Write a love letter to yourself” are shot down immediately. Any help?
My things to do are:
Sing at super loud volumes.
Give yourself a manicure
Make crazy faces at yourself in the mirror
Make baked goods for both yourself and other people
Swing on the swings in the park. Pump your legs until you’re really really high! It feels great!
And honestly, sometimes you just need to check out and get a really good night’s sleep. That can really clear your head sometimes.
Lately I’ve been doing my grocery shopping in fishnets. unexpected, sexy, empowering and fun!
Thanks Gala. You always make me feel fabulous for reading your blog. xx
Wow, this post had great timing for me! I’ve been in a slump for about 4 months, and it sucks, but I’ve been slowly trying to get out of it. Then today I went and did something that scared the hell out of me….I started a blog. Seriously, it did scare me! I had thought about it for a couple of weeks now, like what kind of blog I wanted to have and what I wanted to write about, but I never did it. What people think of me scares me, so putting myself out there with a blog was frightening… but I did it, and I’m glad I did :]
I am going to (perk myself up! haha):
Organise all my clothes, so that I take the right things away to school with me here shortly.
Get up early in the mornings and go for walks in random places with my camera.
Light raspberry-scented candles, which just smell so good that one cannot be down around them.
Turn off my phone for 48 hours straight.
Sleep in the hammock on my parents’ porch tonight!!
Kelly & Mandy — Try things like getting your friend involved in activities, going out, spending time together talking & just doing cool stuff together. The thing is, though, ultimately we are only responsible for our own happiness, & so if your friend doesn’t want to take any steps towards solving their case of the blues, there’s not a lot you can do. It sounds harsh, I know, but happiness is an inside job! Know what I mean?
Ahhh, lovely. You should totally do a daily outfit in all one color!
This was a wonderful article! I’m a semi-new reader – first time commenter – and absolutely love your views on life and how to live it with oomph!
Thank you so much for such an inspiring site, it really is a jewel amongst the negative filth that tends to surround the internet most times :]!
Have a wonderful day, gala! I’ll make sure to put your suggestions to good use.
P.S. Have you ever read any Chuck Palahniuk? His books are strange in the sense that they all deal with generally negative characters/themes, yet the overall effect of the book is very inspirational and positive!
I was in a slump for three weeks up until last week, so the memory is still very fresh. What I did to cheer myself up?
* I rebelled. Against the things I am, things I normally do. I walked up to strangers and asked them to dance, I licked a friend and then a stranger :D, stayed up until sun came up, shared my most personal secrets (and I do not care if they come out, either, I’d been bogged down by them for too long), had good conversations with people I’d normally not talk to, gave up my financial security blanket, went to a job interview with a job I am not even that interested in, just to meet new people etc. Yes, three weeks are a long time to be able to do all that. :D
* I also really listened to what my body was trying to tell me. Normally I eat very healthily and cook for myself, but now I had some cookies and coffee for breakfast at noon, because I simply was not hungry before that. I drank wine wiith breakfast if I was really craving it. I had junk food and did not feel the least bit guilty about it. I was just feeding my inner child.
* Also one should limit their alcohol intake. Sure, have fun and loosen up, but getting drunk (especially when in a rebellious mood) might not be the best idea. But drinking in moderation, sure, why the heck not!
* I inspired some of my friends to do crazy stuff as well. I dragged a person who is afraid of heights across the arch of a bridge in my home town. He survived. :P I egged another friend along to do some VERY expressive and modern ballet kind of dancing in a pub. She was elated and we got so many compliments for ‘doing art’. :D
* I looked a complete (and not even that attractive to me) stranger into the eyes with a ‘I want to sleep with you right now’ look. Of course it lead nowhere (heck, I am in a happy relationship), but the look alone made me laugh and feel elated after I turned away. And then I told my friends to try it. It really makes you feel naughty and alive. :D
There were many more, but this post is already getting so long. :D Hope the ones who are in slumps right now, get out of them soon. I am back to my ‘solid as a rock’, sensible self again, but it does bring a smile to my face when I think of the rebellious self I was for a few weeks. ;)
Best of luck!!!
I made a blog based on this one on my nexopia.com account (my account is -MARSHMELLOW), though you have to be a registered user to read it. So with the powerful tools of ctrl v and ctrl c, here is my blog:
Never complain about something you don’t have control over. I cannot stress this enough. You are not Mother Nature, a construction worker, ect. So when you wake up don’t let the first words out of your mouth be “shit it’s raining today”. And when you are driving to work, don’t bother the other passengers as to “how THIS SH!T SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLEAR A MONTH AGO”. It just brings you down because 1, it’s a negative thing and 2, you can’t do anything about it.
If you can do something about it, don’t just complain about it and not do anything. If you are hailing for a cab and you finally get one, and some other person decides to take it, say something. Don’t just mumble to yourself all the way home in the other cab you got. Speak up for yourself. Even if you will make a small difference, it will make you feel a lot better. Don’t not vote then complain about the results, it just makes you look stupid.
Don’t make others miserable. Trust me on this one, if you and a buddy are hanging out for a day and when you great each other and she asks how are you, don’t respond with “oh not so great, I got splashed by a car on the way here and the f*cker just laughed at me, then the bus was 10 minutes late and I had to sit next to some old man who kept talking about his dying wife!”. Your friend will not be that happy after that, then you two share negative vibes with each other all day. Not so fun.
Cut out what makes you miserable. This can range to leaving a “negative nancy” annoying “friend” to having someone put a lock (with a code you could never guess) on all local TV news programs (hands down the most depressing show on television is your local news). Throw out anything that reminds you of something bad (yes, take the “ex boyfriend shoebox of his crappy poems” and put it in the garbage).
Do something different for once or change something in your life. Monotony is depressing. This doesn’t even need to be expensive, or cost anything! Change where your monitor is located on your desk, take a different route to school, buy a new set of pens for your journal. Don’t start a pattern with how you live your life.
For fun:
Be a miss manners (or Mr.). Write a love haiku on a wall. Dress in something you’d normally never wear. Start a collection of something so ordinary it seems weird to have a collection of (I have my Band-Aids, find your own thing). Do something simple, but bad (I don’t encourage breaking the law), the child like butterflies and rush is fun (taking an extra 5 minutes on your lunch break to flirt or taking a tiny candy from the bulk ones at super store). Change your make up colours; break the monotony of what you wear on your face every day. Wear a crazy hat in public. Breathe. Wear a bright colour with every outfit (even if its just a hot pink bracelet).
I should also explain that mine was more of a “how to be more happy” then happiness “jolts”! But still all around happy.
Ahhhh I love that contortion link you slipped in there! I have loved contortionists since my uncle took me to see the Cirque de Soleil when I was wee. I thought you had to have a special sort of spine for it though, so I never looked into doing it. But the website you linked to says I can do it if I just work hard!
I don’t meant to ignore the rest of the article because it is really good, but I’m so so very excited about the contorting right now that I can’t talk about anything else very well. Maybe it will be an exercise I can actually stand.
I’ve been feeling up and down all summer,so thanks for this Gala.You get awesome points for mentioning Sark.I love her books!I have Eat Mangos Naked.. ordered. :) Here are some of things I’ve done:
-watch a Jeff Dunham video and laugh
-listen to ANY Martin Luther King Speech
-buy fun underwear
-look at the world from a different point a view-stand on your head or climb a tall tree
-make an inspiration book for yourself
-get a pen pal
-browse flickr
this is so far one of my favorite posts
xx