853 - Encourage your family and friends every chance you get, especially when things might be a little tough for them. Think about when people encouraged you when you were having a difficult time. It's also good to give cheerful messages for no particular reason at all!
854 - Rent a cabin in the woods by yourself! Read, fish, paint, write - whatever suits your fancy! You will be on nobody's timeline but your own. If a cabin is not feasible, go someplace where you can have a space of your own, like a private room at the library, or an empty pavilion or bench at a park. The important thing is to block out a large chunk of time to do whatever you want to do.
855 - Get some friends together and try paintball. It's just running, hiding, and jumping out, using a paintball gun. Check to see if you have paintball in your area.
856 - Do a research project on the history of your town. You can check the library, your local historical society, and even do some interviews with people who have firsthand knowledge of your area's history.
857 - Make up a holiday to celebrate by yourself or with friends. It could be the anniversary of something important in your life. You might celebrate "Corn on the Cob Day" with a meal/s featuring lots of corn on the cob. Once a friend and I had a corn eating contest - we tied at 8 ears each! That's my kind of happy day! Or you could celebrate the number of years you've been in your house, or your car's age, or your child's academic or athletic achievement. Balloons! Streamers! Sparklers! Signs! Fun food! Thank you to Sarah for this great idea!
858 - If you have a friend who likes photography as much as you do, go on an adventure together and look for interesting things to photograph.
859 - Instead of trying to organize your millions of photographs, try putting them in albums out of order! There will be a wonderful conglomeration of photos for you to enjoy. There are no photo police, so you can do whatever you want!
860 - Put flowers all over your house - in vases and/or pots. One time I had some friends over for lunch and I had flowers everywhere. I even put flowers in the bathroom. That even impressed me!
I am an author and artist. I have several time lines for the next release of my book and two upcoming visual art exhibits. To encourage myself, I typed out "U CAN DO IT' on a small label and placed it on my easel where it is easily seen everyday. That small phrase keeps me going. People enjoy my finished work, but sometimes in the process of creating a little positive reinforcement can go a long way.
ReplyDeleteI am connected with an agency that introduced me to the WRAP plan almost ten years ago. The wellness recovery tools have served me immensely. I am continually adding to my wellness toolbox as well. To counter my seasonal depression, I gathered a litany of music, quotes and activities in a September to Remember series on my Facebook. Thanks for sharing your story.