30 Ways to Brighten Your Mood and Increase Your Creativity.
Both men and women, introverts and extroverts . . . we all have off days, hormones, moments we lose motivation, sad times, the need for distractions, etc., so I thought it’d be a good idea to develop a list of ways to put a smile on our faces, ideas for how to slow down and enjoy life, ways to be more active and enjoy our friends, and more.
To help you during those times you want to immediately feel better, immediately be inspired and more creative, or simply change your outlook on a seemingly gloomy day . . .
Here are 30 ways to brighten your mood and increase your creativity right away.
1. Think up the title and first few scenes of the movie they’re going to make about your life.
What will the theme of the movie be? Who do you want to play you in the film? How do you want people to feel after they watch the movie?
Also . . . important question coming here . . . who is going to play your main romantic interest in the movie?
2. Call your mom/dad/uncle/grandparent who made a positive difference in your childhood and remind them of how grateful you are for something specific they used to do.
Ex: Thank you for always making reading such a priority. It’s what started my love for books and allows me to write them now.
Ex 2: I can’t stop thinking about how happy I was as a child when you used to take me to Mexico. I learned so much about another culture and had some of the best experiences of my life. Thank you for doing that.
Ex 3: It is so impressive to me that you used to handmake my clothes for me. It taught me that no matter what happens, there are always ways to create amazing things yourself.
3. Find and complete a creative project outside of what you normally do.
If you’re a food blogger, reupholster a chair. If you’re a lawyer, take a painting class. If you’re a painter, cook a creative meal and/or host a picnic.
4. Imagine how you will introduce yourself (and explain what you do and what your next project is) when you meet Oprah or one of the politicians/officials/celebrities you most respect.
I have my spiel for Justin Timberlake and Paula Patton completely prepared.
5. Take 15+ photos outside (with your mobile device or camera).
Then edit your 3–10 favorite photos with VSCO Cam or Snapseed or some mobile app. See how you feel about posting one or more of them on Instagram and/or Facebook throughout the day.
6. Get up from wherever you are and go on a walk.
Like, right now. If you’re feeling stuck, sad, not at all creative, overwhelmed, etc., then sitting in the same place stewing in your thoughts is not likely to help–trust me, I’ve tried professional stewing before–apparently no one will pay you for it.
7. Download one of your favorite happy movies or TV show episodes on your phone, iPad, or other device so that you always have your movie with you — even if the Internet isn’t working. Also, take a break and watch your movie right now.
For me, I go with either a Zoolander-ish movie, or something super feel good like Age of Adaline.
8. Write, or voice record, a story (for 10 minutes straight) about anything you want to. Pick the first two random thoughts/items that pop in your head and create a story that connects them.
Like, a story about orange juice and spies . . . or your next birthday and spies . . . or spies and ice skating.
All stories involve spies, right?
And no. Please don’t ask me why I have this photo, or where we got the guns from, or what we were doing, or why I was wearing such heavily colored eye shadow, or my feelings on gun control . . .
9. Go grocery shopping for foods you don’t normally eat and create a concoction with them — without the help of a cookbook or online recipe.
Ish. I mean, if you’re prone to make something super terrible without instructions (don’t feel bad, you’re not alone), but maybe consider getting a little help from an online recipe.
10. Visit a bookstore and roam until you’ve found 3 books that interest you. Grab a seat and thumb through them or read for a little bit.
I’m not gonna lie to you right now. I’m usually that awkward person who has plopped onto the floor in the middle of whatever aisle I am in (typically business books or food books), sheepishly moving myself and my pile of books out of the way whenever anyone passes.
It’s totally normal. Try it.
11. Write an encouraging email to your future self using FutureMe.org.
Tell yourself a quick story. Dream about what you hope to be doing 6 months or 5 years in the future when you schedule the delivery of your email. You get the point.
It’s therapeutic. I used to laugh at it–I was against journaling and any other forms of self-reflecting through writing, but now it’s one of my favorite activities.
12. Try to invent your own card game or board game.
Plan it out. What would it be like? What are the rules? Is it trivia . . . is it all chance?
13. Re-arrange a bookshelf or cabinet near you in an attractive way.
This epic lady Heather Freeman over at The Decor Fix even even has a bookshelf styling class for those of us who are style challenged. #HandRaised
14. Try your hand at crafting or painting something.
Listen, there’s no way you paint more horribly than I do, so just try something. It feels good to create something that there are no expectations on. That no one else has to see. That no one is grading or judging.
15. Buy a new type of candle, oil, or generally awesome-smelling item and use it in your home or workspace.
I personally like to have a different scent in my kitchen, office area, and bedroom.
16. Listen to one of your favorite types of upbeat music and dance for at least seven minutes.
This doubles as exercise so it’s a win-win situation.
17. Play a logic/brain game or puzzle.
That is, if you like those sort of things, which I do. You can find several free ones on the Internet or you can grab a whole book of them on Amazon.com right here.
18. Check in at a hotel or offer to house sit for a friend so you can change locations for a few days.
I have my most productive, creative, fun days when I’m staying somewhere like a hotel so that I don’t have all my stuff there to distract me.
19. Leave your house with no plan of where you’re going and just end up somewhere cool and appreciate the moment — no matter how brief.
You might end up at a park, you may drive by the house you grew up in many years ago, you may end up at your favorite vegan ice cream shop, or you may simply walk to the neighborhood corner store and grab some Reese’s Pieces.
20. Try out an adult coloring book or art therapy course.
You can color animals or you can color irreverent phrases and let out some of your stress.
21. Try to build a table or sew a pillow/quilt.
Look. I’m not gonna lie to you, I’ve never built a table . . . it’s just an additional suggestion if you don’t want to sew a pillow . . . which I have done, many times.
22. Get on Pinterest and create a private board where you plan your bachelor party, next birthday party, wedding, or a friend’s retirement/launch party.
In my other dream life, I’m a crazy successful event planner. In reality, I could probably plan a moderately decent event, but Pinterest has this wonderful way of leveling the playing field in my mind. You can find so many awesome ideas, designs, and event tips there . . . seriously, try your hand at event planning via Pinterest.
23. Head to a public place with a friend and take turns making up stories about the lives of the people who pass you.
Can we say “all-time favorite activity” here? I feel especially skilled in the art of making up random stories about people. It’s super fun and helps you access some of your creativity.
24. Take a online class on something you’ve been wanting to learn (cooking, photography, social media, quilting, having better conversations as a shy person, etc.).
The next thing I want to learn . . . finally . . . is how to actually apply makeup well. I’m a grown up and I still have maybe middle school level skills at makeup.
25. Meet up with a friend you haven’t seen in a while for coffee, a run, a window shopping extravaganza, or a bookstore browse.
I vote for a quick tequila, a tasty dessert, or a visit to a nearby lake/museum.
26. Buy yourself a flower arrangement.
You can go all white and put them near your bed hotel-style, or huge and colorful and put them in your kitchen or living room. I used to tell myself that I didn’t like flowers as a silly gesture from a guy, but then I realized that truly beautiful flowers do smell good and look good, so I needed to stop being a hater.
27. Spend a full 20 minutes looking up quick standup comedy routines or cat videos (or whatever is equivalent to entertaining, light, and cute/fun to you).
Zone out and watch something that makes you feel good. Have another one queued up for your next break or for when you need another quick smile.
28. Sort through the clothes in your closet and select ones that no longer make you feel good when you wear them, or ones you haven’t worn in forever and a half. Bag them up and take them to the nearest donation center.
Getting rid of clutter AND giving clothes to others who many need, use, and appreciate them will feel amazing.
29. Dream up a business idea that you wouldn’t mind carrying out one day.
Do you have an idea for an app? For a restaurant + bookstore combo? For a yoga hotel? Dream, plan, and write a little bit about your business. It will feel good to get out of whatever you were just in to think about the future a bit.
30. Plan a trip.
It can be for an upcoming birthday, it can be for a holiday, it can be to help you practice a new language, it can be for no reason at all . . . but, plan a tip. Either on a Pinterest board, or in Airbnb, or in a document on your phone. Where will you go? Why? What top things will you do when you’re there? Who do you want to invite to go with you?
So, did I miss any of your favorite activities? Please let me know in the comments below.
Regina out.
