Hi there!

We all have a bad day once in a while. Here are 10 tricks that will make you instantly feel better… and turn your day into a good day:

1. Hugs.

We often overlook human touch as a form of therapy. It reduces the harmful physical effects of stress, including its impact on your blood pressure and heart rate. The next time you’re feeling a little wonky, reach out to your partner, a close friend, or a family member and share a quick embrace.

2. Listen to your favourite song and sing along.

In your iPod, make a “Mood Booster” playlist that includes songs that work for you. Try to choose positive, uplifting songs that you can sing along to and make you more confident. “Hands to myself” by Selena Gomez works for me every time.

3. Take a deep breath.

Deep breathing has a naturally therapeutic, stress-reducing quality that can help you quell the rush of stress hormones that a bad day can bring about. Take a few moments to close your eyes. Practice inhaling deeply through your nose for a two-second count, pausing for two seconds, and then exhaling for another two seconds. This will help quieting down your stress response.

4. Take a shower.

I’m not sure what it is about taking a shower, but I feel that it helps clear your mind from negativity. Take quick shower, and switch between cold and hot water. For example start with a warm shower and then slowly turn the temperature of the water as cold as you can stand for 20 seconds. Then bring the temperature back up again.

So combine your hot and cold showers to get the benefits of both.

5. Write down your frustrations and then write something you are grateful for.

Writing in your diary is a great way to release stress and anxiety since it helps you get things off your chest in a safe way. The fact that you wrote it down will make dealing with the stress a little easier. After you wrote down what is bothering you, you also write a few things that you are grateful for. This will help you get out of your slump and bring you into a positive state of mind.

6. Delete the Facebook-app from your phone.

Social media has done many positive things to bring people together, but there is a dark side. Many studies have shown that checking social media can actually trigger depression because we often compare ourselves to others, creating feelings of insecurity and doubt. So deleting the app from your phone helps you not getting temped to go on Facebook when you open your phone. Keep in mind that people always pretend their life is perfect on social media, so don’t compare your insides to somebody else’s outsides.

7. Watch a funny YouTube video.

In a study performed at the University of Western Ontario, participants who watched a funny YouTube video were more productive and better able to solve problems than groups who listened to depressing music and video clips. In theory, watching funny YouTube video can actually boost productivity.

8. Walk barefoot in the grass.

Being stuck inside all day without connecting to the energy of nature, can actually made a bad day even worse. Exposing yourself to the ground, usually with your bare feet, helps to boost happiness and stimulate energy. The theory states that the earth’s magnetic field can lower stress hormones. So go and sit outside, read a book for a while, letting your heart rate and stress levels go down.

Do you have any other tricks? Let us know!

Love,

Lily~Rose and Kiki~Jane