As I've told you a couple of time before, my health is something that isn't always at its best. I can have times when I'm fine for a period of time, and can do every day activities and live my life, but then I can have days, weeks or even months of feeling really ill and not having the energy to do anything. Over the years I've picked up a few simple tips that help me to feel a little bit better, even if only for an hour or so to get me through a rough patch.
Take a long shower
Unfortunately I no longer have a bath in my house, but I'm lucky enough to have a flip-down seat in my shower, so when I want a really long relaxing soak I can still somewhat manage it. I love nothing more than blasting my music in the bathroom and filling the shower with my favourite scented pamper products. I've been known to spend the better part of two hours in the shower when I want to go all out with my favourite shower goodies, but I always feel so amazing afterwards. I usually follow up with lots of TLC to my skin, and even if it tires me out, I feel so much better for it.
Binge on Netflix
Netflix can be a great resource for cheeriness, no matter what kind of mood I'm in there will be something on there to make me feel better. Whether I want to binge watch an entire season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia or catch up on the latest Hollywood releases, Netflix is my entertainment of choice when I'm not feeling up to leaving the house.
Listen to Spotify
As we all know, music can be a great healer, given the right song or playlist my troubles can simply melt away. That's why I love Spotify, I can create playlists of my favourite feel-good songs and find new artists all in one place, and with the Premium service I don't have to listen to the annoying ad's that you're usually met with after a song or two.
Tidy Up
This may seem like an odd one, because housework is the last thing I want to do when I'm not feeling my best, but if I can force myself to I feel a lot better for it. Nothing makes me more down than having an untidy bedroom, so if I'm unwell enough to spend a lot of time there that can take a real toll on my mood. An hour of tidying up helps to clear my mind and makes me relax knowing that everything is in its rightful place.
Do something productive
When I'm feeling rough the last thing I want to do is expend lots of energy on something that doesn't have any initial value, but if I force myself to do something, no matter how small, I feel a lot better for it. Things as simple as making dinner instead of grabbing something out of the freezer, writing a blog post or even painting my nails can make me feel as if my day hasn't been a total waste. If you're so ill that you're confined to your bed there are still things you can do, you just have to get creative and find ways around it.
Fake it 'til you make it!
This old saying maybe corny, but it's often true. If I'm feeling unwell, down, or just not quite with it, I'll often get dolled up and try to act as though I'm fine. This isn't for anyone's benefit other than my own and I think it's important to make that distinction. If you try to put on a happy face when all you want to do is cry, you'll end up confused and mentally exhausted. However, if you're only trying to fool yourself, that can sometimes be a good thing. Often if I force myself to watch comedies when I'm in the mood for a drama, I'll laugh when I thought it was impossible, and the same goes for my mood; by putting on my favourite make-up and outfit, by forcing myself to talk to other people and participate in things, other people's moods can rub off on me. I've caught myself by surprise a few times by doing this, a good mood will often sneak up on me and I'll realise that I feel better than I did at the beginning of the day.
Of course, having said all of this, if you really do feel like doing absolutely nothing, that's ok too. There are times when we all need to switch off completely, and we shouldn't have to feel guilty about that. It's very easy to get bogged down with work, relationships, hobbies and social media, so occasionally it's lovely to turn off the wi-fi and have a 'me' day.
Have you got any tips to help you feel better when you're not in tip-top shape? I'd love for you to share them in the comments.
Netflix can be a great resource for cheeriness, no matter what kind of mood I'm in there will be something on there to make me feel better. Whether I want to binge watch an entire season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia or catch up on the latest Hollywood releases, Netflix is my entertainment of choice when I'm not feeling up to leaving the house.
Listen to Spotify
As we all know, music can be a great healer, given the right song or playlist my troubles can simply melt away. That's why I love Spotify, I can create playlists of my favourite feel-good songs and find new artists all in one place, and with the Premium service I don't have to listen to the annoying ad's that you're usually met with after a song or two.
Tidy Up
This may seem like an odd one, because housework is the last thing I want to do when I'm not feeling my best, but if I can force myself to I feel a lot better for it. Nothing makes me more down than having an untidy bedroom, so if I'm unwell enough to spend a lot of time there that can take a real toll on my mood. An hour of tidying up helps to clear my mind and makes me relax knowing that everything is in its rightful place.
Do something productive
When I'm feeling rough the last thing I want to do is expend lots of energy on something that doesn't have any initial value, but if I force myself to do something, no matter how small, I feel a lot better for it. Things as simple as making dinner instead of grabbing something out of the freezer, writing a blog post or even painting my nails can make me feel as if my day hasn't been a total waste. If you're so ill that you're confined to your bed there are still things you can do, you just have to get creative and find ways around it.
Fake it 'til you make it!
This old saying maybe corny, but it's often true. If I'm feeling unwell, down, or just not quite with it, I'll often get dolled up and try to act as though I'm fine. This isn't for anyone's benefit other than my own and I think it's important to make that distinction. If you try to put on a happy face when all you want to do is cry, you'll end up confused and mentally exhausted. However, if you're only trying to fool yourself, that can sometimes be a good thing. Often if I force myself to watch comedies when I'm in the mood for a drama, I'll laugh when I thought it was impossible, and the same goes for my mood; by putting on my favourite make-up and outfit, by forcing myself to talk to other people and participate in things, other people's moods can rub off on me. I've caught myself by surprise a few times by doing this, a good mood will often sneak up on me and I'll realise that I feel better than I did at the beginning of the day.
Of course, having said all of this, if you really do feel like doing absolutely nothing, that's ok too. There are times when we all need to switch off completely, and we shouldn't have to feel guilty about that. It's very easy to get bogged down with work, relationships, hobbies and social media, so occasionally it's lovely to turn off the wi-fi and have a 'me' day.
Have you got any tips to help you feel better when you're not in tip-top shape? I'd love for you to share them in the comments.
