Often when we are unhappy we get an urge to overhaul everything in our lives. Yet it’s the small steps that lead to the lasting change we desire. It may be hard to notice at the time, but it’s usually the small or simple improvements we’ve made that can help to positively impact our well-being (e.g. changing how we travel to work)
Here are a few things people have noted can feel helpful. You may wish to print them off and add on some of your own ideas, or write a complete new list yourself.
- Try not to ‘bottle up feelings’ and aim to find a way to externalise them.
- Write a journal/Make a Zine-This helps us to explore, clarify and externalise our feelings.
- Talk to someone you trust about challenging as well as positive feelings.
- Spend as much time as possible with people who make you feel good and in doing activities you enjoy.
- Be aware of how much time you are doing things you feel obliged to do and aim to reduce this as much as possible.
- Connect with others and work towards a shared goal-eg join a band, attend a support or common interest group.
- Seek purpose-volunteer for a cause that means something to you. It’s also a great way to make new friends and develop meaningful connections.
- Eat a little healthier-small changes add up to big differences.
- Get creative-try out a new dish, customise a jacket or maybe paint a picture. Remember to focus on your experience rather than how you think others may feel about it.
- Invest in having experiences over possessing things. Its experiences and relationships that tend to enrich over lives rather than objects.
- Get more sleep-sleep has a powerful impact on our mood.
- Set ‘smaller’ goals on challenging days and give yourself permission to go at the pace you need.
- Watch a sad film and have a good cry.
- Spend time around animals and wildlife.
- Feel grounded in green spaces.
- Focus on acceptance of what’s happened in your life, this does not mean you have to forgive or forget. That is always your choice.
- Draw a self-care diagram. List all the things that make you feel good.
- See a comedian/watch a funny show-laughter releases stress, gives a sense of belonging and can also help us have perspective.
- Try Positive affirmations eg look in the mirror each day and tell yourself that you are a kind and resilient person (or however you would like to feel).
- Make use of the psychological properties of colour-green and blues can make us feel more relaxed and red’s more alert and energised (or anxious).
- Get lost in a fantasy novel.
- Try mindfulness, yoga or perhaps incorporating breathing exercises. These can help us to feel more relaxed and present in our lives. This can then lead to feeling less stressed and anxious and more at peace in our lives.
- Write a list of all the things you appreciate in your life.
- Have a self care day-maybe treat yourself to a massage or seeing a movie.
Image Credit
By Diego PH Licensed under Creative Commons