What You Do to Lift Your Spirits

by Next Avenue Staff

We asked our readers, how you stay positive and calm when times are rough.

Watching the birds at a backyard feeder. Cooking a favorite meal. Talking to a friend. Reading poetry. Going to the library. These are just some examples of the simple suggestions we received when we posed the question “What do you do to lift your spirits?”

We all need a mental health boost now and then. Hopefully you’ll find some advice from your fellow readers that will help you find a little joy.

Definitely doing stuff outdoors with a friend or two — often with my husband, but importantly not always, activities like:

• hiking
• swimming across a pond
• kayaking/canoeing
• cross-country skiing or skating
• working in my yard

Indoors:

• Planning a trip
• Talking with a friend on the phone
• Staring outside at the beautiful view across a pond
• Watching the birds at the feeder
• Sometimes, cooking a really great dinner

Nature experiences are totally reliable for lifting my spirits. There is so much beauty and complexity out there, far more than I will ever comprehend.

— Ann G.

>>Read full article for more ideas