Having ‘the blues’ is a part of living and in this mental health topic, we discuss what the blues are and provide some helpful ways to help you bounce back and beat them.
How to Beat the Blues
Before we discuss how you can overcome ‘the blues’ we need to firstly define what ‘The Blues’ actually are.
When we talk about having the ‘blues’, we’re not referring to clinical depression which is a serious mental health condition. What we are referring to is when we feel down from time to time which is a normal part of life. Most people refer to it as being down in the dumps and you might feel sad, want to spend time by yourself, or lack your usual energy or motivation. These feelings generally pass before too long.
When you’re feeling them understand that you have the power within you to beat them! All you really need is the drive to get rid of them. The rest is all just a matter of how. In my role as a life coach and self-development coach, I often help clients to overcome the blues, particularly over the last couple of years due to Covid and being stuck at home. So, to help you, here are a few helpful tips that you can use immediately to help you bite back against them.
- Avoid wallowing in your problems. If there’s a specific thing that’s causing you to feel down, avoid dwelling on this issue. Take action to resolve the challenge. If this is too difficult at the present time, then concentrate on something else. Shift your mind over to something that makes you happy. A powerful tip is to write down everything in your life you are grateful for.
- Keep busy with things you enjoy. If you have free time, why not fill it up with things you like? Go with the tried-and-true activities that you enjoy doing. Chances are that you’ll have a smile back on your face in no time.
- Seek out the company of others. You may get the blues because you feel lonely. There’s probably somebody out there that you can spend some time with, even if it’s not one of your close friends.
- Pursue a new hobby. Start a new hobby that you’ve always wanted to try. You might even embark on a new lifetime of enjoyment through this new activity.
- Take a class. Pick a subject that you have interest in and sign up. If you get yourself jazzed up about a new class, you’ll likely leave your blues behind in the process.
- Meet new people. You can find new people to chat with everywhere. You can even do it without leaving your home by finding likeminded people online. Meeting a new friend that you connect well with will certainly improve your mood.
- Start new adventures. Try something new with your friends. If you prefer to be alone, you can always go on a solo adventure. Let your mind go wild with fun ideas. Your blues will dissipate as you begin planning an exciting new journey.
- Activate your muscles. You can beat the blues just by becoming more active. Even taking a walk in the fresh air can improve your mood. Your blues mindset might tell you that you don’t feel like it or you’re too tired, but chances are that once you get moving, you’ll be glad that you went out of your way to get some exercise. Exercise and movement acts as a powerful mood enhancer.
- Get in touch with your spiritual side. Even if you’re not a religious person, you can contemplate the answers to life’s big questions. When you focus on the big picture, sometimes your own challenges don’t feel as large anymore.
- Don’t turn to alcohol and/or other drugs. Alcohol is a well-known depressant. Minimizing the blues-inducing aftereffects by drinking less or even not at all if you are sensitive to this nasty side effect is crucial to not bringing your mood down any further.
Here are a few other ideas and strategies you can also adopt to bounce back.
- Don’t go overboard with the caffeine.
- Don’t procrastinate or avoid. Get on with the tasks that need to be done.
- Don’t take out your bad mood on others. This will only make things worse!
- Eat healthy, avoid sugar, and drink plenty of water.
- Watch or listen to funny movies, comedies and podcasts that will make you laugh 🤣
- Remember past successes and give yourself a pat on the back.
- Stop watching the news and get off social media for a day or so.
- Do something for someone else. Acts of kindness improve your mood and boost your self-esteem.
Try these strategies the next time the blues bring you down. Just one of these tips may be just the thing to help you turn that frown upside down!
In Conclusion…
If you would like some life coaching to help you, please reach out. I can be contacted at https://adammedaglia.com/contact/
Adam Medaglia
Life Coach
Author of WARRIOR: How I Defeated PTSD.
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