Curing the Blues - 14 Feel-Good Ways to Get Out of the Dumps

Everyone goes through that "in the blues" feeling once in awhile. The best cure is to be around people that you care about; family, friends; and keeping yourself busy enough to change your mind. Here are some "mood changers" to help you overcome those "down- in-the-dumps" feelings.

1. Less Fortunate

Visit a hospital or chronic care home to pass out small inexpensive surprises to the residents. They will enjoy the care and attention from something so unexpected.

2. Pamper Yourself

Pamper yourself with a candlelit bubble bath, then prepare your favorite gourmet meal while sipping on a glass of bubbly white wine in one of your special crystal glasses.

3. Something Special for Others

Plan some community work - help out at the local shelter, volunteer at your local church, work with other volunteers to spread some caring amongst your community. It'll make you feel better about yourself and happy that you've helped out others less fortunate than yourself.

4. All in the Family

Spend some quality fun time with your niece or nephew or other child in your family.

5. The Gift of Time

Offer to do some work to free-up some time for your spouse or parent. For example, cleaning Dad's garage or a full-house vacuuming for your wife. How about for your best friend - you can walk her dog or baby sit one evening.

6. Long-Distance Caring

Call your favorite aunt whom you haven't seen since she moved far away, or your best friend who transferred to another country - let them know you're thinking of them.

7. Just For You

Have you wanted that delicate pair of earrings for awhile but kept putting off the purchase? Give yourself a special gift - you deserve it!

8. Seize the Day!

It's a beautiful day! Invite a friend out for a walk to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air; the peaceful sounds of the birds and the wind blowing through the trees. Or go for an aerobic power walk with your friend or by yourself. It's a well-known fact that exercise releases endorphins, the body's "feel good hormones" which can calm and de-stress you and generally help to change your outlook on life.

9. A Movie Night

They say "laughter is the best medicine". Rent or go see a funny movie, either by yourself or with a friend.

10. Dance up a Storm

Go to a line dance class, one that you don't have to pay for a series of. You'll be amongst many happy people and you'll learn a few dance moves while you're at it!

11. Gym-Dandy

Go to the gym to work out (again, those endorphins!)

12. Holly Hobby

Get out your favorite hobby and start on that project you've been putting off - don't stress yourself about finishing it all in one day; at least start it and who knows...you might get into a feverish pitch and accomplish quite abit!

13. Tee-Time

Do you golf? Go to a putting range and hit a few. Or do another sport that you enjoy; invite a friend or relative..or go alone; you might make a new friend.

14. Thought Process

Start a journal - explain in detail why you feel "down". In a few months, read what you wrote on this day. Perhaps you will see everything in a new light and all those gloomy thoughts will have disappeared.

http://www.whimsies-online.com

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.

About The Author

Heather Diodati's whimsically humorous personalized cartoons can bring a giggle or a smile to someone's lips. Choose one of her designs and request personal changes such as hair color, glasses or even a moustache, or order a custom personalized cartoon! Fr~ee - Personalized gift with any purchase. Sign up for our ezine, On A Whim for a little sunshine and laughter in your life!

http://www.whimsies-online.com

info@whimsies-online.com

In The News:

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/03/AR2008120300446.htmlcid=1277046728ei=Tug2ScuGD6DM8ATnt4msDwusg=AFQjCNEbTSzV-e17feGtYpFj7F6LJXNw0gimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=n4llAStNxT4Jimgurl=media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2008/12/03/PH2008120300447.jpg width=50 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Washington Post/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jMmEGIJahMhaousdkCt-fO9lY9MAD94R50500cid=1277046728ei=Tug2ScuGD6DM8ATnt4msDwusg=AFQjCNGJkAOkkQ9B8k4higlixgB4PJ6cKAPistons#39; Wallace uses technical foul as bmotivation/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fThe Associated Pressnbsp;-/font nobr10 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Sometimes he even uses them as bmotivation/b. After being hit with a technical with 15 minutes remaining, Wallace scored 17 points, including three 3-pointers b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php%3Ft%3D492961cid=1277046728ei=Tug2ScuGD6DM8ATnt4msDwusg=AFQjCNHjSrPG9JyHz467DhkpCVUh6VO7YgIverson, Wallace lead Pistons past Spurs/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrSportingNews.com/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1277046728hl=ennobrall 403 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2008/dec/02/chargers-notes-/%3Fchargerscid=1276889992ei=Tug2ScuGD6DM8ATnt4msDwusg=AFQjCNGSQGtZXK9unJJaI1RI-DyUDaYEFAFacing Raiders on national TV will serve as bmotivation/b Thursday/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fSan Diego Union Tribune,nbsp;CAnbsp;-/font nobr16 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1And while they technically do, they also are searching for other reasons to be up for Thursday night#39;s game against Oakland (and the three that follow it), b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/huskies/390211_husk02.htmlcid=1276517838ei=Tug2ScuGD6DM8ATnt4msDwusg=AFQjCNFKQ-Bi4G62tY7XORMj9N65hM3pFADawgs digging deep to find last-game bmotivation/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fSeattle Post Intelligencernbsp;-/font nobrDec 1, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Finding bmotivation/b figures to be a challenge for a squad coming off a 16-13 double-overtime loss in its rivalry game. Willingham insisted he won#39;t use his b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/huskies/2008457491_uwfb02.htmlcid=1276517838ei=Tug2ScuGD6DM8ATnt4msDwusg=AFQjCNF2VxG0wUX5NbLTk0y73YDc_7-JNQUW to get close look at Jeff Tedford/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrSeattle Times/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1276517838hl=ennobrall 17 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.kvue.com/news/local/stories/120208kvue_Get_Motivated-cb.2366e8fc.htmlcid=1276915717ei=Tug2ScuGD6DM8ATnt4msDwusg=AFQjCNH0D21weftih3_jRrKAvRiRRUD-twThousands descend on Austin Convention Center for bmotivation/b seminar/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fKVUE,nbsp;TXnbsp;-/font nobrDec 2, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By QUITA CULPEPPER Organizers say it#39;s a way to get inspired and find the secret to your success, while hearing from a dream team of successful politicians b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/ny-skpiner035950370dec03,0,5047493.storycid=1277101699ei=Tug2ScuGD6DM8ATnt4msDwusg=AFQjCNE8ROODRz713e0Bk5HbE_j-EBfiBgJansen wins Piner award as Nassau#39;s top LB/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fNewsday,nbsp;NYnbsp;-/font nobr11 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1For Wantagh#39;s John Jansen, who took home the Piner Award as Nassau County#39;s top linebacker on Monday night, the bmotivation/b to be the best was in part a b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.statesman.com/business/content/business/stories/other/12/03/1203seminar.htmlcid=0ei=Tug2ScuGD6DM8ATnt4msDwusg=AFQjCNGk8XMZJvm7bQP1-aIQZ-mXETLKDgAustin businesspeople seek bmotivation/b in hard times/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fAustin American-Statesman,nbsp;TXnbsp;-/font nobr15 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By Lori Hawkins When Gregg Linberg heard an ad touting an upcoming daylong bmotivational/b seminar, he decided it was just what he and his co-workers at b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12010_4579303,00.htmlcid=1275860959ei=Tug2ScuGD6DM8ATnt4msDwusg=AFQjCNHDutINlPkx0hBzyHMCpAN1m54iiwimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=QkxU77i7jEUJimgurl=img.skysports.com/08/05/218x298/Barry-Gareth_906608.jpg width=59 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2SkySports/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12010_4579303,00.htmlcid=1275860959ei=Tug2ScuGD6DM8ATnt4msDwusg=AFQjCNHDutINlPkx0hBzyHMCpAN1m54iiwBarry reveals England bmotivation/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fSkySportsnbsp;-/font nobrDec 2, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By Chris Burton Last updated: 2nd December 2008 Gareth Barry admits that four years in the international wilderness made him all the more determined to earn b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.exchangemagazine.com/morningpost/2008/week49/Wednesday/1203012.htmcid=0ei=Tug2ScuGD6DM8ATnt4msDwusg=AFQjCNG6h_LZ7Nw3MUTQteUE_Ww0e0fQdAquot;Keep the Moquot;: Daily bMotivation/b Builds Momentum/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fExchange Morning Post,nbsp;Canadanbsp;-/font nobr5 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1While most leaders believe bmotivation/b is the key to any organization#39;s success, many struggle to keep their people motivated on daily basis. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.forbes.com/markets/2008/12/01/opec-oil-update-markets-commodities-cx_ll_mlm_1201markets36.htmlcid=1275582631ei=Tug2ScuGD6DM8ATnt4msDwusg=AFQjCNF80pJLBoRY_2cOU88HoyoFQtU_yAOPEC Cuts: A Barrel Of Laughs/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fForbes,nbsp;NYnbsp;-/font nobrDec 1, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1quot;The major bmotivation/b for sellers is the discounting of the OPEC decision,quot; said Mike Fitzpatrick, vice president of MF Global, in a report, quot;but bmotivation/b b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.tulsaworld.com/site/articlepath.aspx%3Farticleid%3D20081203_92_B1_NORMAN70543%26allcom%3D1cid=1277242917ei=Tug2ScuGD6DM8ATnt4msDwusg=AFQjCNEOUO4QPFuqfiGFkjyH9LpffvwaHwFrankly, OU has no reason to apologize/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fTulsa World,nbsp;OKnbsp;-/font nobr11 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1quot;So I think it might give us a little extra bmotivation/b.quot; The negative backlash the Sooners have felt ever since Sunday#39;s announcement that they had edged b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
motivation - Google News

Walk In The Light

It was a mild October night, weeks after the horrific... Read More

Glass Half Full

YES MY GLASS IS ALWAYS HALF FULL AND YOURS CAN... Read More

Full Steam Ahead, Just Dont Go Off Half Cocked!

Do you do things that you don't want to do?... Read More

Motivation: Tearing Down Your Own Limitations

Q.: I've always been sort of cynical about all this... Read More

Dismantle Self Imposed Limits

Round about us is an invisible box that we have... Read More

Mid-Year Success Check: Are You Halfway There?

In a couple weeks, we'll be heading into the second... Read More

Who Is The Inner Critic?

The inner critic is that voice inside your head that... Read More

I?ll Do It In A Minute... Or Maybe I Won?t

'Procrastination is like a credit card: it's a lot of... Read More

5 Forgotten Secrets to Beating Procrastination at Home

It's not easy to stay motivated and beat procrastination while... Read More

Motivation: 5 Powerful Emotions You Can Use

Experiencing strong emotions is not uncommon. What is uncommon is... Read More

Questions for the Game of Life

"If you could eliminate one day from your past so... Read More

Hey Me, Get Out Of My Way

Hey Me! Get Out... Read More

Activity Versus Accomplishment

Each and every day, all of us continually search for... Read More

The ONE Question Winners ALWAYS Ask?.

Over the past several years I have experienced my fair... Read More

Can One Person Increase Motivation in Another Person?

The answer is yes, of course, right? People motivate other... Read More

Power Of The Mind

THOUGHTSJames Allen in his Book "As a Man Thinketh"says Mind... Read More

Top 5 Reasons Why Youre Not Living Your Dream

1. "I'm too old to make a change." Maybe you're... Read More

The Lies We Live By

How many times have you lied to get your way?Many... Read More

Pushing Through Your Comfort Zone

Our greatest growth in life comes from pushing through our... Read More

The Time to Act

Engaging in genuine discipline requires that you develop the ability... Read More

10 Easy Ways To Stop Procrastinating

It is counterproductive to concentrate on so many tasks that... Read More

Discover The Upside of Anger

Most of us are prone to anger! As we grow... Read More

Nurturing Your Vision

There is a new television show, called Blind Justice that... Read More

Being Genuinely Curious

Yesterday at the dinner table, my eleven-year-old daughter asked me,... Read More

We Are Trying To

How many times have you heard this in your life?... Read More