Today, I reminded myself to look at Pinterest. I said to myself, “I need to look at some pretty things.” It just cheers me up. I like to see nature pictures or beautiful medieval cities, fashion (believe it or not!) or home decor, especially including books and some nifty organizing idea.
That sent me on a little Google search about the validity of looking at pretty pictures and how it affects mood, and sure enough, there have been studies about it.
I also stumbled across studies about how nature specifically improves mood.
So with a mix of invention and borrowing, here are some *new* tips for some quick cheer-ups.
- Start an image file on your phone and download into it any time you see or take a picture that just makes you happy. When you start to feel gloomy, scroll through it.
- Get lost browsing an old photo album or go through that file of letters and cards you’ve saved over the years and read a few.
- Bring some of the outside in — plants, pine scented candles, a little water fountain.
- Make a collage wall with pictures and artifacts from your favorite adventure.
- Spend mindful time with your pet, doing something with or for her that she loves. Leave your own thoughts to focus on what she’s feeling in the moment.
- Go for a walk and touch a tree and thank it for its contributions to life.
- Get into Google Maps, change it to satellite view, and zoom in on favorite places you’ve been or want to go. Pick a road and see where it leads.
- Plan something nice for yourself, whether cooking your favorite meal or going on a day trip. Mark it on your calendar so you know it’ll happen and have it to look forward to.
- Read your favorite poem aloud.
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