When you are having a bad day, what do you do to make it better?

Walk, get out in nature, be silent. A meditative hike can do wonders.

V-O-D-K-A!!!!!!

Water the garden.

I calmly walk up to a calendar & punch the date, works a treat.

As a shut in, my alternatives are quite limited. My bad days normally come from my limitations. My condition has ebb and flow effects. I have days when I don’t dare try to cook, or do any chores. Typing is a mess, everything i touch I drop. I am at risk of burning, stabbing, cutting myself and falls. My best bet is to line up two or more movies I can laugh at, until the curse is lifted. Whenever those episodes end, I am awfully tired.

Lately, jigsaw puzzles. They require enough focus to distract me, and the order-out-of-chaos process centers and soothes me. Three to five minutes at a time helps a lot, if it’s really a high pain or depressing day I have a Pixar movie or something similar on in the background and I’ll devote more time to the puzzle.
And scruffling the pup.

I love music. I put in my ear buds, and listen to some tunes that helps a LOT…

The last hurricane we had, I put them in, and only took them out, when something jolted the house. Then I would go out and do some repairs, and go back to the ear buds. That worked well…

@zenvelo That is my go-to as well. Even a walk in my yard will flip a switch for the better.
@SQUEEKY2 that is a very effective bad attitude eraser. Personally looking for less volatile solutions.
@Pinguidchance I love doing that and will have to wait till spring to do that. As indoor watering can will have to suffice
@ucme I can see a little chin music for the calendar on Mondays and court dates.
@Patty_Melt Netflix to the rescue! Works for me!
@canidmajor I love doing puzzles on the weekend just because!
@MrGrimm888 Ear buds and Spotify is near bullet proof for fending off the blues.

I call songbirds bad names.

Driving down the PCH. Or sitting and watching the tide come in and out. The ocean always brings me peace.

The bay isn’t quite the same. But it’s still nice to be close to a large body of water.

@raum Sittin’ on the dock of the bay helps me too. ;-)

@canidmajor Sittin’ an’ flutherin’ away, wasting time…

@lucillelucillelucille I threaten my houseplants. What are some names of these songbirds you cast about?
@canidmajor I have always wanted to whistle like that song…I can get close but still butcher it every time I try.

Vignette – Cardinals are red-headed !#$%^&rs
Canadian Geese are !@#$%^&&%$$%&()&^%((&^%&*(&^%
Chickens are tasty

@lucillelucillelucille Feeling all better now?? I suddenly want buffalo wings. Almost game time.

@Vignette -Getting there, thanks.:)

I stop and feel the life in me.

I eat a decent meal, take a nap with the dogs, and reboot.

No matter the time of the year, I go to streaming movies & watch a Christmas lineup. Christmas movies ALWAYS make me cry…NOT for myself but still a good cry. After 1 or 2 (maybe 3) good movies with tears for somebody else, my mood seems to lift & I can continue on in a MUCH better mood!!! Crying for myself only makes me sadder, where crying for other reasons seems to lift the funk!!!

Lately, I use my mind to get out of sadness. I have a multitude of different strategies, all borrowed from positive psychology. I still get sad, but it goes away quickly.

This free course taught me most of them.

In the past, I have used uplifting music, nature, animals, social connection, exercise, funny movies, and light. While all of those are important, I think the cognitive strategies have the added benefit of being useful absolutely anywhere. In addition, they foster lasting change in thinking patterns rather than just offering momentary relief.

I’m feeling quite low today, and not improving.
This list actually makes me feel worse, seeing these lovely things I cannot do.

^((Hugs))

Thanks.
Right now I wish I had a big broad chest to weep upon without restraint.
No, that is a need. What I want is to be me again.

Thanks for the hugs.

Pharma