It has been a crappy past few [insert time here], and so I thought “Why not put together a list of things to do that will cheer me up?” I know, I know, please hold the applause.
Now, this list won’t appeal to everyone. It’s a pretty specific to personal tastes … but hey, maybe I will introduce you to a new way to deal with the blues.
Play Mass Effect, renegade style
Being mean totally makes you feel better, as does walking around with clenched fists.
If you didn’t already know, Mass Effect is my favorite video game ever (well, besides Grim Fandango). All three of them. Never mind the fact that I haven’t yet played the first one, so I just keep replaying the final two. Anyways, you have options when you become Commander Shepard. Paragon or Renegade. In other words, you can be nice or you can be a total asshole. Usually, because I’m weird, I feel bad and choose paragon. I hug everyone and give them all toy Normandy models.
But since I’ve been depressed, I decided to go full on renegade. I’m mean and hurtful to everyone, turning down loyalty challenges and romantic advances from Tali. I punch people and kill the weak. And you know what? It’s fun. I’m in a bad mood > Shepard is in a bad mood > Everyone gets to be in a bad mood. It works.
Watch all the sad episodes of Grey’s Anatomy
I have a very personal relationship with Grey’s Anatomy.
I’ve been watching this show since the first pilot episode; since high school. I own every season, know every line, and watch reruns every night before bed. When I’m depressed, it’s especially fun to go back and watch all of the sad episodes.
Denny dies; OH GOD! Meredith drowns; Derek pulls her out of the water. George dies; Izzie sees him at the elevator. Izzie leaves; Alex cries. The shooter comes; Bailey has to let go. Callie & the baby almost die; her voice soothes all pain. THE PLANE CRASH! Yeah, I snuggle up in bed, pop in the disc and prepare to cry. From opening scene to cut. I cry. I cry and then I feel a little better. I feel better because Meredith ends up with Derek, and that means we all must have a shot at love.
Bonus: Listen to all of the Grey’s songs from the sad moments.
Eat cake
There is something pretty magical about eating cake; the $4 slices from Safeway with white icing and what-is-this filing. I sit there all sad and sulky, and then I cut into the soft edible foam. Suddenly, everything seems a little better. The overload of sugar, the nasty colored flower made of almost-inedible icing, the strawberry filling that I count as a daily fruit serving.
Cake can cheer me up for a good twenty minutes.
Bonus: Buy two slices. Then you get forty minutes of happiness.
Sing loud … very loud
I like to sing. I sing in my room, in the grocery store, on the floor after drinking too much. When I’m depressed, I especially love to pretend I’m a rock star. I put Whitney Houston on my iPod, turn the volume up as high as it will go (which is never high enough), and sing as loud as my lungs will take. No one else is home, so no one can hear me. I can’t hear myself, so inhibitions are gone. I sound just like Whitney! The crowd applauses. Encore! Encore!
Shower optional.
Dress up as a drag queen
I honestly can’t believe that I am posting that picture publicly, but whatever, I’m Loony right? Have you seen Ru Paul’s Drag Race? I highly recommend it. Nothing gets you feeling better FASTER than watching the fabulous drag queens race around looking prettier than most females.
Since I’ll never be a dude, and therefor can never be on Drag Race, the next best thing is dressing up like a queen. Which is what I did with a girl friend when that picture was taken. How does that cure depression? Can you imagine standing next to someone dressed like that? Or looking at your reflection? Yeah, try not laughing.
All of these are far better options than sulking. Yeah, they may be distractions, but a time-out from depression is always worth more than gold.
True, indeed.
Buy ridiculously expensive stuff on eBay just because I like to see it say I won. Then I realize I don’t need another silver spoon set from the Princess Diana collection for $350.
Hah! I do that with Amazon … though there is no winning involved
See, you need to do something where you have the possibility of winning, no matter how small that possibility may be. Amazon and QVC discourage this type of winning, so I boycott them. Well, I try.
yes yes yes. and exersice like a maniac till ya break through
I wish …
Singing is on my list too. I go for Muse, Kasabian or the Sound of Music. Stroking my cats helps, they purr and it makes me feel better. Things that smell good also help, like a really scented bubble bath or fragrant candles.
Ah yes, the cats help.
I dance and pretend I am actually good at it.
Adieu, scribbler
Nobody else’s list will be as interesting as this – I love it!
Well thanks!
This list just made my day. Awesome!
Thanks!
Grey’s Anatomy, I thought it was my secret escapade :sighs:
What do I do when depressed apart from GA? smoke, smoke and read a book.
I miss smoking. Sometimes …
1) Call a fuck buddy to come over to do the obvious and boost my (false) self-confidence.
2) Agreed on the cake, but I’m going to have to go with carrot cake, no raisins.
3) Any other type of horribly toxic food. I won’t stop until I literally can’t eat anything more…even then, sometimes a barf party is in order.
4) Masturbate.
5) Look at all my Facebook friends’ posts of their lives with babies and jobs and other horrible things.
6) Read my own blog (baddecisions101.com), comments, and positive emails and other narcissistic activities…
Lovely
haha
I just suggested watching RuPaul’s Drag Race to a friend who had a rough day. I love RuPaul!
Yes!!
Singing and dancing are on my list too!
Sweet!
Put in earphones and go jogging at night, slowly and with no planned route. This works especially well if the music is depressing and you can really wallow in it – I like the rescues crazy ever after (new kind of cool is a pretty depressing option) or old snow patrol or something. It also helps if you live in a city where you can feel like you’re adrift in a giant sea of people who don’t know you or each other and nameless streets and everything looks kind of the same. I’ve done this in downtown Tokyo and the feelin of isolation and alienation was so… Is perfect a weird choice of word?
This is exactly why I wish I was a runner.
haha – dont get me wrong, i’m no runner by any means. when i say ‘jogging’ i mean more like ‘shuffling. with trainers on.’
playing CRPG’s: Check (currently – again – Skyrim); watch TV Soaps: Check (see my impressive list of series I watch[ed] on my blog, and there are more now, like Shameless); singing: comes with being drunk: Check; dressing up: not exactly my cup of tea, except now it’s Carneval season in Germany, which generally makes me happy; Eating cake: I can always eat cake
I still have yet to play Skyrim … a guy I once dated took me through it one day (for hours), but then I lost out on the chance to borrow it. I wish we had Carni season here.
Yeah, well, I’m visiting my parents and my brother, who lives with them, and it’s his copy of Skyrim – I don’t have a proper computer for gaming
Boo! I think we both need to be hooked up with the proper gaming merch
The only word that comes to my mind is ‘Chocolate’!
Yes!
1. Stay in my PJ’s all day with comfy socks.
2. Turn the air down cold so I have to throw the covers over me.
3. Alternate between reading “Mansfield Park” and watching my favorite movies.
4. My “I’m feeling gloomy” selection includes but is not limited to:
– The Waitress
– While You Were Sleeping
– Pride and Prejudice
– Just Like Heaven
– You’ve got Mail (I’m in love with her bookstore)
5. A cup of breakfast tea or too
6. White Chocolate Raspberry cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory
7. Most importantly, I turn off my cell phone.
Sweet misery for a day.
You’ve Got Mail! One of my faves, and yes, I too love the bookstore!
I would definitely join you in the cake and the dressing as a drag queen.
Here is my list:
1. Chocolate, preferably in ice cream.
2. Snuggling Boyfriend.
3. Playing the Sims.
4. Going somewhere nature-iffic and gazing knowingly into the trees, or sky, or ocean, or whatever it is. Connecting to the earth. : )
Oh man, I can’t believe I forgot to mention the Sims!!
Singing out loud is definitely my fav. I also can’t go past turning Iggy pop on really loud, putting on my pimp coat and sunglasses, and dancing like a lunatic, alone of course, in my bedroom. It can be so hard to make yourself do something or anything when you feel down, so it’s great you have a whole list!
I think these are actually some good ideas that might help someone get out of the doldrums, especially the singing and drag queen. Hey, you could do those at the same time. Then, eat some cake when you’re done. It’s starting to sound fun now! That’s quite the photo!
Love this list! Mine would be:
1) Binge watch 30 Rock or Arrested Development or some funny show I’ve already seen 75 times.
2) Take a bath if I have access to a nice tub, or just stand in the shower and waste all the hot water
3) Eat Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. Whenever I was depressed in college my roommates would know b/c they’d find the telltale blue box in the kitchen!
1)Go out with a close friend for pizza or something
2)listen to your favourite music
3)exercise
4)remind yourself what you’re all about
5)read and try to find out what others think about the world
5)find someone with a similar problem that you have
6)stay calm and talk talk talk.talking always helps
been down this road already and willing to help anyone who’s walking it
Mmm pizza
Good list!
lol that’s all it takes with us huh
a slice and we’re better 
I lost my job two weeks ago, gone on countless interviews. ridiculous stress, but i have been mainlining Grey’s like crazy. Makes me know its going to be ok (side note, am gainfully employed again)
1) Listening to songs that I like to call “The Blues” or “The Mean Reds” (see the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s for the reference)
2) Singing said songs on above list
3) Pigging out on junk food – for some reason, it has to be something covered with melted cheese.
4) Watching movies from the 50s
6) Writing in my journal. A LOT
7) Watching reruns of old shows
8) Reading books
9) Working out. Sounds crazy, but exercising boosts your endorphines and makes you fell happier. Either that or I take out all the pain by overdoing it on the treadmill.
10) Praying – okay, I’m actually crying at this point, because I realise how lost I am without God.
1) Singing and dancing – who’d a thunk it? Deep breathing and getting the blood flowing works wonders, at least for a few hours.
2) Forcing myself to do any kind of “mastery” activity. Sometimes it means baking cookies or filling a page with doodles – anything to know that I am of use and can do something well.
3) Noticing if I am ruminating and then asking myself if those thoughts are actually real, meaning are they based in fact or am I going into the loop of exploring every possible (negative) angle? Am I mind reading?
4) This one is harder and relies too much on outside people/events but going out to something. Tea with a friend. An art opening, whatever, just interacting.
5) Keeping a log of actions that promote well being. A compliment, handling a situation in a new way regardless of if it was a success or not, painting, choosing to interact instead of withdrawing, etc.
Good post. Reading everyone’s tips has been very encouraging!
I love your list .. actually, I copy/pasted it onto my notepad. Thank you for reading & sharing!