Member-only story

17 Things to Do When You Are Feeling Blue

Tips for bringing joy back into your life

Amy J. Wall
6 min readNov 15, 2019
Photo by Ryan Moreno on Unsplash

Perhaps today you woke up feeling blue. We’ve all been there because, well, we are all human. It is normal to feel down sometimes. Negative emotions can be a result of anything from suffering from a tragedy to just feeling sad for an unknown reason. When you feel stressed or sad, it is important to slow down and take time out for yourself. If you’ve been feeling this way for an extended period, it might be time to mention it to your doctor.

If you are reading this, chances are you want to do something to lift your spirits. It is helpful to have a list of things that make you feel good to keep in the back of your journal or hidden in a drawer for moments when you might need them. It may be hard to think of things when you’re in a tough spot. Below are 17 ideas of things to do when you feel blue to help give you a lift:

1. Get Some Exercise — Exercise is a natural, healthy coping strategy for stress and feeling down. Getting your heart rate up releases endorphins, feel-good chemicals, which help with viewing your circumstance from a more balanced, positive perspective. Exercise has also been associated with increased creativity which helps with problem-solving. Even 10–15 minutes can help make a difference.

--

--

Amy J. Wall
Amy J. Wall

Written by Amy J. Wall

All American & ranked 1500 meter masters runner. SDSU XC/Track alum. Write about running, health & well-being. Editor at Runner’s Life. amywallauthor.com

Responses (4)