3 Free Ways To Cheer Yourself Up
Maybe it’s because of the time of the year, or because you’re worried about the state of the world, or it could have been your toddler demanding “Mommy!” 413 times too many. Whatever the circumstances, something got you in a bad mood. A pumpkin spiced latte always gives you a boost, but spending money on all those lattes is just going to add up to a bad mood on another day. Luckily, we’ve come up with some free ways to cheer yourself up. The next time you’ve got steam shooting out of your ears, give these activities a try.
Call Your Friends
If you haven’t made time to catch up with your equally busy friends, reach out. Telling them what you’ve been up to can give you some big-picture perspective on your reality, and giggling over past exploits will remind you of who you are.
Involve the kids: You have friends and family with kids, and it’s time to mobilize the troops. Start a Zoom playdate for the children with charades, Mad Libs, or Battleship. Then, retreat to a corner to call their playdate’s mom.
Change Your Environment
You have a great home, and you love the things in it—you bought them, after all. But the same environment day after day can just wear on you. Don’t buy more things or start a home improvement project you’re bound to leave unfinished. Instead, redecorate with what you already have. Move that accent chair to another room, display your favorite leopard pumps in the china cabinet, or raid the attic for old baby shower décor. Make some real improvements—or just give yourself a laugh.
Involve the kids: Give your kiddos knickknacks with instructions to find them a new home. Ask their opinion on the room makeovers. Be careful not to ask them for suggestions because they’ll get mad when you decide not to turn the living room into a blanket fort.
Work Up a Sweat
“Exercise” is probably the last word you want to hear, and you might have to move heaven and earth to get on that treadmill. But after about 30 seconds, you’ll give in to the music in your earphones, put your endorphins on alert, and start feeling smug about how virtuously healthy you are. Let the sweat flush out your toxins and your bad mood, too.
Involve the kids: Throw a dance party! You’ve probably forgotten how much of a workout it is to do the Dougie, and it’s silly enough to entertain the kids. Look up dance challenges on TikTok to try or have the kids make up a dance move that you can name after them.
It’s hard to shake off a bad mood, especially when you feel like you’re never alone at home and can’t indulge in spontaneous retail therapy. But all the freeways to cheer yourself up are more satisfying than the ones you have to buy. Treat yourself to some stolen time; then, get back to your life.
