When You Have the Blues
Are you feeling the blues? Do you want to feel better? That's not a rhetorical question. It's important to ask yourself if you're ready to cheer up. Sometimes when we've had a setback we want to grieve for awhile. It's okay to allow yourself time to be sad, anxious, fearful, upset, or whatever emotion you're feeling. Recognize the emotion and allow it.
But do yourself a favor by setting limits on your blue mood appropriate with the nature of the problem. A broken relationship deserves a lengthier grieving period than a dead car battery.
When you're ready to cheer up and eager to start to feel good again, here are some tips that will help.
Four Ways to Feel Better Now
- Reach for your feel-good file and read through it slowly, basking in the accolades you've accumulated there. What? You don't have a feel-good file? Well, it's time to start one. Make a list of every accomplishment of which you're proud. Go back as far as you can recall. From now on, every time someone gives you a compliment or you accomplish something that fills you with pride, put it in your file.
- Grab your list of personal values and slowly read through them, acknowledging that someone with this value set is a good person, indeed. What? No personal values list? You guessed it, time to start one. Make a list of every personal characteristic that is very important to you.
- Dig out your list of favorite activities, those things you just love to do. Pick one at random and jump into it. If it isn't practical to actually do it, simply daydream about it. Imagine being immersed in this activity and the pleasure you feel whenever you do it. Oops! You don't have this list either? It's time to start a list of everything you really love to do. Go back as far as you can remember. Even the activities you loved as a child have adult versions that will give you just as much pleasure.
- Consciously use one of your core personal strengths. You know, the five or six signature strengths identified when you completed the VIA questionnaire. If you don't have this list either, jump over to the University of Pennsylvania site and get started. It will only take a few minutes and you'll receive a wealth of very useful information about your top strengths. Now pick an activity that uses one of your signature strengths. It may already be on your favorite activity list, or you may want to think of a new way to use a strength.
Feel Good a Step at a Time
Learning to feel good is a step by step process. Shoot for a little better feeling using one of these tips, then repeat the process over and over. Add even more hints for feeling better from this article.
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Jerry Lopper - IPPA member, business and engineering degrees. Jerry's passion for personal development shows in 5 books, hundreds of articles & ...
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