Cheer the hell up

It’s a New Year! Yay! Everything will be better! Or will it? Not without your efforts, I dare say. Inspired by reading “The Happiness Project," I thought I’d share a few ways I force myself to feel better when I’m in a crappy mood. Because no one likes a grumpster.

1. Keep a box—either in reality or in your head—in which you store ridiculous items that are guaranteed to make you laugh. Some things that I like to draw upon include a (new) tampon that went through the dryer and achieved the size of a teacup poodle; the incorrect way my friend Vanessa used to pronounce “sachet”; the brilliant cartoon book Unpleasant Ways to Die (side note: this book is also used as a test for whether people I know have a sense of humor).

2. Go outside with the express purpose to find a beautiful natural object. Almost everything natural is fascinating up close, so take a magnifying glass if you have one. I find that after focusing on the iridescence of flower petals, the patterning in clouds, and the range of colors in fall leaves, I sometimes forget why I was in a foul mood in the first place.

If things like this exist, the world can't be all that bad.

3. Make a fake phone call and tell the pretend person all of your problems. They will probably sound ridiculous out loud and you can laugh at yourself and move on.

4. Eat a very ripe piece of fruit with abandon, getting juice all over. Maybe this dredges up the carefree feeling of being a kid, or just helps grown-up problems seem dumb in light of all that juicy goodness…but this always makes me happy.

5. Never underestimate the power of coffee, chocolate, and/or wine, preferably in company of a friend, a good book, or a stupid movie.

Seriously?

6. Look at cute pictures, videos, or go visit some baby humans and animals. Not only is it hard to frown after snuggling a kitten, it might actually increase your productivity afterwards, boosting the satisfaction of your day another way! 

7. Do something a little scary. Learn to surf, go to the Bug Zoo, get a radical haircut. Succeeding at something scary is a great way to boost your self-satisfaction, and the adrenalin will also give you a short-lived buzz to kick you out of your fog.

I did say a little scary. This is too much for me, but may be just what you need.

What is your anti-funk strategy?