[Bobbi]

#1074961

I can tell you what I did to keep my spirits up: I watched comic movies and Bill Cosby monologues on my TV. Anything that can make you laugh will help you a lot. We all have different senses of humor (I do not laugh at the movies my son finds funny!), so you need to find things that make you laugh. But it really does help.

The other thing you need to do is ruthlessly eliminate all but the most essential activities. That is hard to do during the holiday season, but if you do not wear yourself out, you will not feel as many "down" days. Wearing yourself out is guaranteed to make you feel worse.

I had my RAI right before Thanksgiving many years ago, so I was at my lowest ebb then. I figured out how to minimize my activities: I bought prepared foods, I didn’t make Christmas cookies, I got help putting up a few decorations, but settled for playing Christmas music on the CD player instead of my usual level of activity. I ordered from catalogs. ANYTHING to cut my "to do" list down to the miniscule size it needed to be for my physical condition. After the holidays, my oldest child told me that she thought I had "gone all out" for Christmas and had made it really special! So, my point is: we are more important to our families than what we "do" is. Being there for them, during the holidays, instead of being frantic, or frazzled, is appreciated. Many of us tend to be Type A doers, but right now, we cannot do what we normally would. A way to judge: if your very best friend felt the way you do right now, would you ask her to do "X"? If not, then you shouldn’t either.

Wishing you happy holidays,

[malia]

#1019911

Hi there!
I am looking for ways to cheer myself up on the bad days with Graves. I’m wondering what you all do (cheeply or at no cost) to keep yourself feeling good?
I’m gunna steal your good ideas ” title=”Wink” />
Malia

[npatterson]

#1074962

I watch SISTER ACT! I really enjoy wrapping gifts, so I do it a lot. What’s inside may not be much, but the package is usually very pretty and interesting. People have learned to appreciate the wrapping, because no telling what’s inside. I’m from the era that got apples and oranges in your stocking, and socks and underpants for presents! Also, I like Christmas music. I am in the choir, and play lots of sing-along music in the car. Happy Holidays.
That doesn’t mean I don’t get down, but I try to work really hard at staying upbeat. My biggest pitfall is not getting enough rest. That will ruin just about anything, and keep me in tears.

[Kimberly]

#1074963

Hi Malia – A couple of my favorites have already been mentioned: Humor and Music.

Humor: I prefer to own my DVDs, but you could rent to bring the cost down. There are services like Netflix and Blockbuster that will deliver right to your door. Some of my favorites to watch this last year have been the British & American versions of “Whose Line is it Anyway” (improvisational comedy), The Simpsons, and Beavis & Butt-head. I figure that anything that makes me laugh so hard I cry is a good thing. ” title=”Very Happy” />

Music: Go with what you love here. I use iTunes to make compilations of specific types of music. Some days I like heavy metal to release my frustration – other days I listen to Hawaiian music to try and get into a peaceful state.

A couple of others:

Activity: On the days when I’m dragging, I usually feel better if I try to do some activity…even if it’s just a quick walk around the block.

Meditation: I am not as diligent with this as I would like to be, but I do find that I have a better overall outlook when I can take a few minutes of silence morning and night.

Good luck!
Kimberly

[cathycnm]

#1074964

Malia – I can suggest several books on the new science of happiness that talk about the sorts of things that help anyone live a more connected, happy life. A couple of favorites – What Happy People Know by Baker and The How of Happiness by Lybomersky (? spelling on the latter). The How of Happiness actually has several activities that have been researched and found to make a big difference in happiness.

Laughter and music are great suggestions. Eliminating anything that is not necessary will free up time to do what you are happiest doing, so that is also a good one. The list is long and there is now research to help guide us with making choices.

Learning what your strengths are can be huge, too. There is a free test that is used internationally by psychologists and other health professionals. http://www.viasurvey.org/ and register to take the 20 minute test. The reason this is free is that the Values in Action folks are actually collecting data on strengths. They are highly reputable and there is no hidden agenda to get you to buy anything. These folks really want to make the world a happier place. Once you learn your strengths, the page has suggestions for using them daily – you can also come up with your own list. I am a creative so it helps me to do anything that is creative. Strengths will determine which activities are the more happy ones for you. I encourage you to try the test. Cathy

[Louisa]

#1074965

My comfort and Joy is spending time with the Lord, reading the book of Psalms and singing.

[gemsile]

#1074966

I know its been mentioned, but MUSIC is very powerful for healing. Listen to everything and anything you like. Don’t worry about seasons or volume or what other people want to hear. Play it loud as you want and sing along. I sometimes sit in my bed and learn whole musicals by heart with just the CD and the little lyrics pamphlet. Then on really bad days, when I don’t even have the motivation to sing, hearing the songs is a comfort.

Don’t be afraid to listen to some sad songs too. It can hit a spot in you that just needs to know someone else is there.

One of my favorites: listening to Christmas music (usually Trans Siberian Orchestra) in the spring and summer when it’s bright and sunny outside. Its surprisingly uplifting.

Also, read some books, they can be fiction even! Unfortunately I had a lot of trouble concentrating during the worst of mine, so I couldn’t read anything without getting headaches and reading the same sentence 10 times. But if you have the concentration, immerse yourself in a book!

[Author]

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