Sometimes it can be difficult to get back in a positive mood when it seems life has been keeping you down in the dumps. Especially with the chilly winter days outside, seasonal depression peaks for many, making it hard to be cheery in such a dismal environment. One way you can turn that frown upside down is to compile a list of things that make you happy. I’ve decided to do that here, or, you can use some of my favorite things for mood-booster inspiration.
As Julie Andrews sings in my favorite movie, The Sound of Music, “These are a few of my favorite things”:
Waking up early and having a slow morning
Nothing is better than waking after a good night’s rest and having time for yourself in the morning before starting your day. I spend my time cozied up in bed with a hot cup of coffee, planning how to spend the rest of my day. The peacefulness is pure bliss.
The perfect cup of coffee
While I typically enjoy coffee in any form, taking a first sip (especially of coffee made at home) and realizing you nailed the cream-and-sugar-to-coffee ratio is the key signal for a good day ahead.
Watching sunrises and sunsets
Sometimes with all of the negativity and hurt in the world, we can forget Earth’s true beauty. I love it when these events catch me off-guard, too, because it feels meant for you. I often wake up extremely early for work, which can be exhausting, but when I am met with a breathtaking sunrise on my morning commute, it makes my day a little better. The same goes for my drives home after a long day of being in class.
Hanging out with cats
I think Taylor Swift and I relate to each other with this activity, but it is true. Sitting and cuddling with a cat that’s softly purring and nuzzling against me fills my heart with so much love. I don’t think any other activity could be cuter.
Cooking and realizing you made your best dish yet
While I enjoy cooking, it is time-consuming and can be a lot of work, so it is disappointing when your food does not taste as good as the effort that went into it. However, being a relatively new cook, sometimes I try new recipes that become my favorite, renewing my passion for cooking.
Solving a difficult puzzle
Puzzles are another one of my hobbies, but sometimes they are so difficult to complete that I become frustrated along the way. This being said I have an extremely stubborn, determined personality, so when I want to complete a puzzle, I will not give up. Putting in that last piece to complete the picture of a painstaking puzzle makes all the hours that went into forming it worth it.
When a song comes on while driving that perfectly matches the emotional and external vibes
Sure, you can gear your playlist toward your mood and the weather while driving, however, it is unrealistic (and unsafe) to continue searching for the song you want to hear while traveling down the road. When a song begins to play on its own that fits the world around you, it makes me feel like I’m in a movie, and I scream-sing the lyrics.
These are a few of the little, simple things in life that change my mood right around, making a bad day a good one. Plus, since they all come at little to no cost, they are perfect to try to intentionally practice to counter the seasonal depression that winter often brings.