Hey girls,
Everyone has off days – I know I do. You know, the ones where you wake up, nothing goes right, you end up thinking you look hideous, you’re tired, you feel like you’re in a rut, you look and feel ill, you had a rough day, etc. So I decided to compile a list of things to do to cheer yourself up and brighten your day when you feel like crawling back under the covers and hiding from the world.
1. Workout – “Exercise gives you endorphins; endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands.” (Legally Blonde). It is true, exercise is proven to improve mood, give us energy, and it will make you feel like you have accomplished something and done something good for yourself.
2. Take a long bath or shower – Nothing revitalizes me like a long soak. I take the time to pamper myself with a hair mask and listen to gentle music or white noise for a little while.
3. Put on a face mask – Perk up your skin and feel like you are treating yourself! I really like the ones from Freeman (available at Ulta) and the Queen Helene Mint Julep mask.
4. Get dressed from start to finish – I don’t know about you (but I’m feeling 22! – Ignore that…), but I always feel much, much better about myself once I feel fresh and put together. So take the time to do your makeup and hair without a rush.
5. Try a new look – If you are in a rut, it’s fun to give a new look a whirl – so maybe try that smoky eye you’ve been eyeing or a red lip and a top knot. You could change your hair parting or if you usually wear it up, wear it down, etc.
6. Wear something snazzy – A great pick-me-up is wearing an outfit that makes you feel good about yourself and confident. You could rock some heels or that pretty sundress you haven’t worn in a while or your favorite watch. The point is to ditch the sweats that are baggy and boxy, drowning our figures and making us feel frumpy.
7. Go shopping – They say that shopping is the best medicine. It is good to leave the house and get some fresh air. And shoes.
8. Get a fancy coffee – Go to that ridiculously overpriced cafe and get yourself a lavish latte or creamy cappuccino that you would normally never splurge $6 on. It just makes the day feel a little more special.
9. Go to a book store – I, being someone who reads way too much, love books. There is no activity in the universe I enjoy more than reading. So, grab your purse and your fancy coffee (or go to a book store with a coffee shop inside of it!) and head to your local book store. In an era of eReaders, we sometimes forget the simple pleasure of strolling through the shelves, thumbing through pages of a random novel. The book store is also a good idea because it will get you out of the house.
10. Read a magazine – College sorority cliché or not, flipping mindlessly through a tabloid or magazine can be fun, give you inspiration, and let your mind wander for a little while.
11. Have a cup of tea – How bloody British 
One of my favorite ways to treat myself and wind down is a cup of tea (I am drinking a cup of Earl Grey as I write this because I woke up at 2:30 this morning and could not fall back asleep.). Pick a flavor that invigorates you or soothes you and enjoy!
12. Try a new perfume – I know that I sometimes get in a “scent rut” if you will. A great way to spruce up your day is to change the perfume your wearing for the fun of it and for the sake of change.
13. Clean – I know some people detest cleaning, but I personally find it cleansing. It makes you feel good when you tackle that one dreaded chore because you are no longer dreading it and it is just done.
14. Organize – Pick a small space, like your bathroom drawers or your nightstand or the pantry and organize it to perfection. It is a lovely sense of accomplishment and doesn’t take too long – not to mention it is now much cleaner and easier to find what your searching for.
15. Explore a new website – If you are getting tired of YouTube videos, Google News, and Facebook, try out a new site that you haven’t been on before or go back to one that you put aside for a while! You can search for blogs on topics you’re interested in or maybe a random site like AddictingGames, Pinterest, or HauteLook.
16. Buy new music – I am someone who really thrives off of music and it is really nice to treat myself to a new CD or song on iTunes once in a while. Maybe try a new band or genre that you aren’t familiar with. Who knows? Maybe you’ll love it!
17. Try something new – Whip up a new recipe, give drawing a try, learn a new sport! Just do something you haven’t really done before!
18. Pick up an old hobby – If there was an activity you used to love but had to put aside because of a busy schedule, then bring it back out! Play your guitar or piano, paint, read a series you’ve been meaning to finish, scrapbook, yoyo, sing, do something!
19. Listen to rain – I don’t live in a climate where rain is a frequent occurrence, so I downloaded an app on my phone (for free!) that has tons of different rain sounds. You could do camp fire crackling, crashing waves, lapping rivers, crickets. Just listen to some sort of white noise.
20. Splurge – I don’t mean go crazy and buy a house or a car or a boat or an invisible ninja that opens the automatic doors at grocery stores for your home. I mean if there is that one makeup product, like a Chanel foundation, that you know you don’t really need, but that you’ve been lusting after forever, go get it! Perhaps you need a new bra or want new guitar picks or a new frying pan. It doesn’t have to be something big; it could be a lipstick or a candle. A cat? Eh, sure, why not?
21. Have a girl night – Invite a few close friends over and pamper yourselves. Go to a nice restaurant, get your nails done, gossip, etc. It is good to be around friends because it lifts your mood and keeps you centered when it feels like the world is spinning too fast.
22. Watch a movie – Pull out a movie (Let’s be honest – you’ll Netflix or iTunes it) that you’ve been dying to see but haven’t had time to, or that you don’t feel like admitting you love, or that was just one of your all time favorites. Maybe Harry Potter, the Notebook, Mean Girls, the Hunger Games, stuff like that.
23. Do a DIY project – Try a craft of some sort to add ambiance to your home or whip up a fun hair mask, or plant a garden. It is fun to do a project all on your own and every time you look at it, you can say “Yep, I did that. I’m pretty awesome… and sexy… and awesome.” You’ll just feel good looking at it and knowing that you made it by yourself.
24. Sample a new restaurant - I know that I sometimes end up in a pattern where I eat at the same places all the time. Now is the perfect opportunity to give that new pizza parlor or sushi bar a fair chance. For extra-super-special-magical-wish-granting-bonus points, try a new food too!
25. Take a nap – Sometimes, when you are having an un-lovely day, I find that the best way to counteract it is with an hour or two of shut eye. You’ll wake up feeling a little bit more rested and more able to think clearly.
I hope you all have enjoyed my 25 ways to help perk yourself up on a bad day. I’ll do a second edition if you would like more! Let me know what you do to perk up in a comment!
XOXO,
Gwyneth