ImPerfectly Awesome Ways To Keep Your Chin Up When Life Gets You Down

Life isn't all roses and rainbows. Sometimes life can get you down and it can be hard to stay positive. So how do you get through those days that are weighing you down? Here is a list of helpful suggestions to make the hard days a little easier.

1. Don't deny it!

It's okay to have a bad day, even a bad week. You can't feel happy all the time. Mike Robbins, author of Be Yourself Everyone Else Is Taken, says "Because of our self judgment, we sometimes don’t give ourselves permission to feel. Giving ourselves permission to feel what we’re feeling is critical to our ability to honor and move through our emotions in a way that serves us, our relationships, and our life."

2. Don't Feed Your Monster Blues

Yes it is important to let yourself feel down if you are, but it is equally vital that you don't feed the blues or you could get stuck in a cycle.

Simon A. Rego, Cognitive Behavior Therapy expert, gives this counsel “Don’t wait for your mood to improve. Start acting opposite. People’s moods often drive their behavior, so if in a bad mood, people will be predisposed to engage in negative behaviors, such as isolating themselves, listening to sad music or looking for signs that life is unfair. The result is often a much darker, depressive mood."

"Instead", Rego says "the task is to do, read, watch or listen to things that generate an opposite emotion. Tell a joke. Shake someone’s hand. Go out into the world and be social." Rego says "data suggests a two-way street between physiology and mood. We smile when we’re happy, but the act of smiling has likewise been shown to improve happiness."

3. Even If You Don't Feel Like It- Eat Healthy

Eva Selhub MD of Harvard Health and Nutrition explains the significant affect food has on mood

"Think about it. Your brain is always “on.” It takes care of your thoughts and movements, your breathing and heartbeat, your senses — it works hard 24/7, even while you’re asleep. This means your brain requires a constant supply of fuel. That “fuel” comes from the foods you eat — and what’s in that fuel makes all the difference. Put simply, what you eat directly affects the structure and function of your brain and, ultimately, your mood.Like an expensive car, your brain functions best when it gets only premium fuel. Eating high-quality foods that contain lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants nourishes the brain and protects it from oxidative stress"

4. Vent- Let It Out

Talk it out, write it out in a journal, cry or yell it out. Often venting can make you feel better and relieve stress or frustration. It is easier to work through things in your mind if you get them out.

Barton Goldsmith PhD says "If you have been sitting on your stuff to the point where it's starting to hurt, it's time to let it out. How you choose to do it is up to you, but just keeping your pain inside will eventually lead to some kind of a meltdown.Learning that it's okay to talk about our problems can feel a bit like a trip to the dentist. You know that the discomfort will stop once you get the tooth fixed, but you don't want to go though the process because it hurts too. And sometimes, with emotional issues, you may be embarrassed to share what's really going on for you. That's why it's so important to talk with someone who is comforting and nonjudgmental.There will always be problems in our lives, but sometimes we don't have the capacity to handle them all by ourselves. Getting a 360-degree view is impossible when all you can see is what's going wrong. And talking with another person can give you perspective."

5. Be Grateful

Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., an expert researcher specializing in gratitude, has conducted multiple studies on the link between gratitude and well-being. His research confirms that gratitude effectively increases happiness and reduces depression. Gratitude reduces feelings of envy, frustration, sadness, anxiety and regret.

Keeping a gratitude journal has been life changing for many individuals, probably the most famous being Oprah Winfrey. Pray to a higher power, thank the universe, appreciate mother nature. Find your power in gratitude

6. You got to keep moving

Exercise, fresh air and dancing will all help you get rid of the blues and get perspective.

Professor Peter Lovatt Reader and Principal Lecturer in Psychology University of Hertfordshire stated in an interview with News Medical that "There's a growing body of evidence that suggests that dancing is good for people's mental health. This is being shown in patients with depression. There have been published peer-reviewed papers, which suggest that when people with depression engage in certain types of dance, their symptoms can be reduced. One paper, for example, looked at patients who had been hospitalized for their depression and were put in sessions of recreational dance. In this study, they found a reduction in depressive symptoms."

"Other studies, in non-clinical settings, have also shown that teenagers with mild to moderate depression showed reduced levels of depression, when they engaged in a 12-week program of dance and movement."

7. Meditate and Breathe

Meditation and living in the moment can make all the difference when you are feeling overwhelmed. Forbes Magazine recently showed seven benefits of meditation. One of them was that it has similar affects to anti-depressants. "Johns Hopkins looked at the relationship between mindfulness meditation and its ability to reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and pain. Researcher Madhav Goyal and his team found that the effect size of meditation was moderate, at 0.3. If this sounds low, keep in mind that the effect size for antidepressants is also 0.3, which makes the effect of meditation sound pretty good. Meditation is, after all an active form of brain training. “A lot of people have this idea that meditation means sitting down and doing nothing,” says Goyal. “But that’s not true. Meditation is an active training of the mind to increase awareness, and different meditation programs approach this in different ways.” Meditation isn’t a magic bullet for depression, as no treatment is, but it’s one of the tools that may help manage symptoms."

8. Set Goals....Even If They Seem Small.

Setting goals every day is important if you are feeling like you are in a rut. Even if it is just leaving your comfort zone for one task. Set a goal of going for a walk, making a phone call that has been stressing you out or getting something on your to do list done. You will feel a sense of accomplishment and be able to look at life in a more manageable way if you break your overwhelming tasks into smaller goals that will get you to your big plans in life.

The Manhattan Center for Cognitive Behavior Therapy states "Having a goal in mind can increase your motivation and confidence to achieve what you set out to do. Setting goals can be helpful in many areas of life, such as:

looking for a new job

reconnecting with friends from the past

starting a new hobby

spending more quality time with partner or children

around the home (e.g., cleaning out the attic)

saving for a vacation or other goal"

9. Forgive Yourself

The Greater Good Science Center at Berkeley tells us "Importantly, self-forgiveness need not be all-or-nothing. It’s a slow process that may not result in a full release of negative feelings or an exclusively rosy view of oneself. Rather than being a form of self-indulgence, self-forgiveness might be better seen as an act of humility, an honest acknowledgment of our capacity for causing harm as well as our potential for doing good. elf-forgiveness interventions have been shown to be most helpful when combined with responsibility-taking exercises."

10. Live In The Moment

You can't change the past. Live in the moment. Reader's Digest explains some of the benefits of living in the moment in their article Mindfulness Tips "The idea of being mindful—being present, being more conscious of life as it happens—may seem contradictory to those who are used to sacrificing living for pursuing their goals, but cultivating mindfulness will help you achieve your goals and enjoy life more. In fact, you're more productive when you're mindful, among other science-backed benefits.But more importantly, being present is undoubtedly the only way to enjoy life to the fullest. By being mindful, you enjoy your food more, you enjoy friends and family more, you enjoy anything you're doing more. Anything. Even things you might think are drudgery or boring, such as housework, can be amazing if you are truly present. Try it: Wash dishes or sweep or cook, and remain fully present. It takes practice, but it's incredible."