10 Things To Do When Life’s Got You Down

Sometimes life is shitty. It’s a fact. Some days are better than others, but when those shitty days come around, they can make you forget the good ones pretty quickly.

I’m not gonna lie, I’ve had a fair few (if not more than enough) shitty days over the last few months/years, but I’ve gotten pretty good (if I may say so myself) at learning how to turn them around. I think there’s a strength that comes from learning how to handle a shitty day, taking control and making something good of it.

There’s obviously a million and one different ways you can make yourself feel better, and learning what works for you is a strength in itself. Through plenty of trial and error, I’ve found that these 10 things help at least a little bit when life has got me down.

1. Turn off your phone, seriously. Turn it off, put it in a drawer and set a time for when you’ll come back and get it. Trust me, when the time comes, you won’t have even missed it – and I’m saying that as someone who is basically chained to theirs.
2. Read that book. You know the book/magazine you’ve wanted to read forever but haven’t had the time for? Take it out, put some cosy clothes on and just read.
3. Bake something delicious. Sometimes physically making something out of your bad mood helps so you’ve something tangible at the end of it. Also, this is not the time for healthy baked goods – go all out and bake a brownie from a box mix. Delish.
4. Write it out. Although writing isn’t for everyone, grabbing a pen and a pretty notebook and scribbling down everything that’s on my mind really helps clear my head. Sometimes I make lists of things I want to do, places I want to see, restaurants I want to eat in. Planning for the future helps to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
5. Do something you’ve been putting off for ages. Clear out that drawer, go through your wardrobe, tidy your makeup. The satisfaction factor alone helps me feel less like crap and like I can take on the world.
6. Call a friend. Ideally, going outside and going on a walk together would be the best option, but I usually don’t have the energy to go that far. Send a voice message, long text or FaceTime someone who you know will make you feel better (not worse).
7. Look through old photos. This is something I’m working on at the minute. I’m getting a load of pictures from my phone together (I’m talking about 200+) and using a website like Snapfish to print them out, then putting them all in a big photo album and keeping it on my desk for when I need a pick-me-up.
8. Drink tea from your favourite mug. This one’s so simple, but I find that it’s v effective. Even if you don’t have the time to do anything else on the list, there will always be time for a cuppa tea.
9. Watch YouTube videos. Although social media tends to make me feel worse, funnily enough YouTube always makes me feel better. Safiya Nygaard, Emma Hill, Hello October, I Covet Thee and Ladylike are some of my favourite channels.
10. Google things you love. Okay, I know I said to stay off social media, but this is an exception. Looking through Doug The Pug and Norbert’s Instagram pages always makes me smile, and scrolling through Pinterest for apartment decor inspiration, outfit inspiration and motivational quotes usually works too.

I’m pretty sure working out/exercising should be in there somewhere, but when I feel like crap, there’s nothing I’d want to do less. As I said, it’s all about finding what works for you, and then making the time to do it.

I hope you liked this list, and if life has you down at the minute, things will get better. Promise.