I have been sick with a stomach flu since Monday so I haven’t been feeling my best, I basically couldn’t eat anything (or very little) for three days, had a bit of a fever too but luckily today has been the first day that I have genuinely felt better, health wise. Anyways, whenever I’m sick with a cold or the flu, I find it’s really hard for me to get my spirits up, even after I’ve gotten over the illness, my body feels really tired and my mood can be a bit down, which is quite bad. I thought I would share 7 things that help me brighten my mood and maybe they’ll help someone else too.

1. Pamper yourself

I think this one is both the easiest and the hardest, sometimes we feel that we don’t deserve to be taken care of, but I think that treating yourself to something nice is super important. And it can be in any form or shape that suits you – for instance I find taking a bath really relaxing and soothing. While I was sick I just took showers so to finally have a bath felt really good. But maybe your not a bath-fanatic like me, so it could be something different. Just putting some body lotion on can feel really nice, or painting your nails (I haven’t painted mine since the end of summer, if you don’t count clear nail polish, so applying some fun glitter nail polish today has made me very pleased. It makes it finally feel like spring.) If make-up is your thing, putting some on can really lift one’s mood, I haven’t put any on since last week, but I’m exited about tomorrow going back to work and having some fun with my make-up before hand. Pampering yourself means doing whatever it is, that makes you happy, by taking care of yourself (even if it’s a bit selfish). I’d say shopping can be a source of happiness but I’d definitely be careful with that one. Do pamper yourself, but don’t go overboard. (A little goes a long way.)

2. Go for a walk

Give it a try. It doesn’t have to be a long hike, even a short walk can really lift one’s mood. Getting any exercise in will help, but especially after an illness, you may want to go slow. So taking a walk is really ideal. I’m planning on going for a nice walk this evening and I’m really happy about it – the fresh air will be so nice, mainly cause I’ve been indoors four days straight and a change of scenery will also do a world of good.

3. Read something or listen to music

It can be an article in a magazine or newspaper, a blog post (wink wink), a short story or a whole novel, whatever makes you happy or makes you think or entertains you. When I’m forced to stay in bed and not be able to to do anything physically, reading really helps me and I feel much happier. I’m not as bored as I otherwise would be. And once I’m feeling better, reading is even more enjoyable. Listening to music also makes me happier, music can help me focus or it can help me relax. And it can really cheer me up too.

4. Clean up, clear up

This one is the one I probably struggle with the most – I admit I’m a bit of a hoarder so I do have loads and loads of things and they can pile up. My working desk tends to be a mess of books, pens, papers, my laptop, my tablet and phone and then all the chargers. I have to clear it up so that I can do some proper work at my desk (I have some studying to do) and I know once I clean it up, I will feel happier. Clearing up my closet has definitely helped me to find clothes faster and to lift my mood. As did organizing my shoe room (but I do have to reorganize it again and put all my winter shoes away). Doing a bit of cleaning or clearing can really make a difference in how I’m feeling. Or doing anything for the place where you live. We recently bought new wallpaper for the second bedroom (Dracul’s room) and now one wall is like a forest. It looks really interesting and I love that it’s different (being in Dracul’s room after he wasn’t with us anymore was really hard for me but it has helped to make the room look different to how it looked before.) Below is a photo I took of the wall and I love how it looks, so unique.

5. Have some fruit

This is one of my favorites things to do if I need a mood change, I have something yummy to eat. I love fruit and vegetables. I love healthy foods but I also love unhealthy foods, however, eating the unhealthy ones can lead to my body feeling unhappy (bloated, too full, unsatisfied) and my mind as well (besides literally having a headache, I tend to feel guilty for eating junk). Eating fruit is a much better alternative, I’ve learned to snack on cucumbers and cheery tomatoes, or I have an apple or basically whatever it is that we have at home. Strawberry are like heaven. Any berries really. Fresh fruit and veg can sometimes be daunting (I hate it if I forget that I bought some of it and then it goes bad, such a waste), so dried fruit is also great, I absolutely love dried apples and dried bananas. Bonus is that my pet rabbit can have some with me 🙂

6. Talk to someone or cuddle with a pet

This one is so important. Contact with the outside world can make a huge difference in one’s inner world. I tend to close myself up and shy away from others, but having someone to talk to is very important. I turn to M or to my sister or my bestie if something is troubling me and talking about things really helps in a lot of cases. Other times, if I’m feeling down, having a cuddle with my pets also really helps. I once read somewhere that petting a furry animal ten minutes a day supposedly really helps with a bad mood? My dog Buddy is the sweetest dog and was always a great remedy if I was feeling lonely and bunny Bananas is also a great furry friend. She’s cuddling to my boob in the photo below, which granted is a bit awkward, but darn it she looks so cute, I had to add it.

7. Do something for someone else

My parting tip for a better mood. Doing something nice for someone else actually really has a positive effect on my mood. It can be helping someone I know or a complete stranger. Last weekend I helped install a new computer for M’s parents and it took a while (I first had to do a backup of the old PC, then set up the new one and then install everything), but I felt really great for being able to help them out. I also try to be nice to people I don’t know in everyday life. I also think little random acts of kindness help towards a good mood, for instance holding the door open for others or if I see a neighbor with lots of shopping bags I ask if they need help. Little things like that. Let me know what your tips are towards a better mood if you want to and I hope to be back with some outfit posts next week, xo.