Activities for down days

I think we all have days where we want more than anything to be productive but there is something inside ourselves stopping us from actually stepping out, getting up from the sofa, and doing much at all. I know I've had plenty of these, battling with my mind and putting myself down because I haven't achieved anything that feels 'productive' that day. 

Well, if you are looking for some simple activities that can make these days feel slightly more positive, then you are in the right place. 

I have compiled a short list of things you can do on your 'down' days that will hopefully raise your spirits, and once you've completed just one of these may help you to build a little motivation for the rest of the day. I wrote this list when I was having a down day, I literally did not feel like leaving my bed, and it made me feel awful. But even just writing this list made me feel 10 times better, and completing a couple of the entries felt amazing! 

I'll stop rambling... Here is the list:

1. Take a long, slow walk- there is no rush, take deep breaths and observe your surroundings, listen to the birds sing and enjoy the stillness of nature. When you feel a bit better (which you will because down days do not last forever) you can feel good about the fact that you got yourself outside and got your steps up. 
2. Make some food- even if it's just a sandwich, physically putting together ingredients feels fantastic when you feel rubbish. Or you could even try out a simple, quick new recipe which you can add to your food bank. I'm currently compiling a 'baking book' that I hope to keep for years; I'm storing all of my favourite recipes in there that I know I love and work well for me. Not only does making something with your bare hands feel productive, it saves you a few minutes of being in your own head thinking about what you could be doing with your time. 
3. JOURNAL!! I can't stress this enough, just start somewhere with journalling. Write what you had for dinner and if you liked it. You will notice that the more you practice the easier the words just fall onto the page, even if they don't make sense. You will also notice how much better and lighter you feel after splurging your feelings out onto the page. It is not cringey, no one has to ever see the words, and personally I quite like looking back over my journals years down the line to see who or what I was moaning about in 2016 or whenever. Journalling also helps you uncover the true cause for the way you are feeling, you may not think there is one, but believe me journalling brings out all sorts of emotions you didn't know you had haha! 
4. Scroll through puppy Pinterest.This is up there with one of my favourite past-times I can't even lie. I have a board fulllll of the most adorable puppies to have ever blessed the earth, and who doesn't love a puppy?! The pictures are endless on there so you will never ever hit a dry patch. If you want a place to start follow my puppy board here. Oh, and here is an example of what you will find if you go through that link 😌
5. Cry it out. I am a sincere believer that sometimes we just need a good cry. Even if at the time you don't even know what you're crying for! Crying releases so much tension and stress from the body, especially when you're feeling overwhelmed. I feel it helps to re-align and regain a bit of perspective. So don't hold back, I'm talking sad playlist blasting out, sobbing into the pillow, whaling in the shower type crying, let it alllll out. 
6. Lastly, have a soothing hot drink, or place a soothing heat pack onto your neck or other tense areas. There is something about warmth that brings me joy, I think this is why I'm a sucker for our mini heatwaves here in the UK. Just feeling the warmth hit your stomach sends tingles through me, and instantly cheers me up.

Well, that's all from me. I hope you found at least one thing that seems manageable in all that. If you did, let me know, I would love to hear from you over on Instagram. I truly believe that we all need to be accepting of our down days, we need to have them in order to appreciate the good days when they come, and they will come. Stay strong, you got this. 

Love, Vicki ♡