Does anyone else just randomly wake up one day and feel sort of melancholy? Like you don’t even have a reason to be sad. Nothing different happened. No one said anything mean to you recently. Nothing’s wrong, but you just feel kind of sluggish and achey and sad.
That’s been happening to me more often lately this year. Sometimes I think we all need a little extra help to find a reason to smile. So I thought I’d share my list with you of things I do to cheer myself up when I’m having one of those days where I feel unproductive and kind of meaningless.
1. Read trash
I’m one of those people that needs to feel like I’m getting something done almost every minute of my day. This means that even when I’m reading “for fun”, I often guilt myself into only reading informational or time-tested classics so I still feel like I’ve accomplished something. Sure, these can still be interesting, but I know what I actually want to read. I want to read a completely unrealistic romance novel where the guy knows exactly what to say to make the girl feel completely desirable.
Recently, I’ve been reading more fanfiction staring my favorite characters. Is anyone else upset that Kylo Ren died at the end of the movie instead of having a happily ever after with Rey? No problem. There are literally hundreds of authors who feel the same way, so they rewrote it to fix the ending! I’ve found thousands of these online for free with a quick Google search. It doesn’t all have to be rated R either. Some of the sites let you choose how clean you prefer your novel to be.
2. Make a tiny bit of cookie dough
I have to be SO careful with this one. I could easily eat an entire roll of Toll House cookie dough, if my hands would let me. But of course, like many females, I’m basically always on a diet because I will never be as skinny as my beautiful friend with a great metabolism.
But, 2 or 3 times a month doesn’t hurt, right? I find that if I make literally one cookie’s worth of cookie dough, snuggle up on the couch, and pick at it very slowly while watching a funny show, it really helps. Plus it won’t completely destroy my tummy overnight. (Although maybe this is why I’ve plateaued for basically all of 2020…)
3. Pet Training
This is especially true for me right now with a new dog. If I’m stuck in a rut and have writer’s block, a productive break can do wonders. Training my puppy with something new is an excellent positivity booster!
A new thing I’ve discovered is free dog training videos on YouTube. There are actually a couple of professional dog trainers who literally tell you exactly how to fix any problem with your dog and how to teach them tricks you’ve never heard of before. There are basically endless tricks you can actually teach your dog, and the dog loves the attention. One of my favorite win-wins.
4. Holiday decorations/shopping
Hey, it’s literally never too early for Christmas shopping. And with the fear of possible shipping delays looming over my head, I’ve already started. It gives me plenty of time to browse for gifts for people that I never know what to get (like my father-in-law). I can kill hours of time on Amazon filling my cart up, while not feeling guilty about the money (because it’s for someone else.) Plus, who doesn’t love opening packages from the mail?
Not just Christmas shopping though. I have been spending a few hours every week slowly putting up more and more Halloween decorations. I decided to do a theme this year, something I’ve always wanted to try. So I’m making a lot of homemade decor to save money. But the homemade decor usually takes me hours and hours to make. So far, every wall in the living room, dining room, and bathroom is covered. But I love that I’m actually doing something where I can see the progress I’m making. Plus, next year when I don’t have as much time at home, (hopefully) I’ll be able to use all of these handmade decorations again.
5. Plan my 2021 calendar
I have no idea what 2021 will look like. Will I work in an office building? Will I hang out with friends at a club some weekends? Will I go to concerts? Not sure. Quite frankly, it seems like all the data and predictions are changing every day and no one seems to agree.
But it’s kind of fun to imagine though. If the world is once again at my fingertips, what will I do first? How many costume parties will I throw? Will I finally start a Dungeons and Dragons group on a weekly basis? I feel so much less caged in when I have the freedom of the unknown at my disposal. If I don’t know for sure what will be available to me in six months, I might as well have fun hoping for the best. Then if I don’t get to use my calendar in 2021, I can try again in 2022.
6. Game Grumps
Thank you, thank you, Arin and Dan. You make me giggle. Game Grumps is a comedy show on YouTube where two men scream at each other like children fighting over the last spot on the swing set. I love finding free entertainment, and these guys are funny enough that I’d be willing to pay.
Basically, they play every video game on the planet, tell jokes, and throw hilarious rants when they die. Not everything is child-friendly, just to warn you. But they have a little something for everyone.
Good Fruit 