by Colleen Moulding

Got the colder weather, sour relationships, no money, poor

health, plain ol' down 'n dirty blues? Try some of these

strategies to blow away those dark clouds and let the

sunshine into your life again.

1) Dance! Put on your favourite music, turn it up loud and

dance! This is guaranteed to make you feel good. If you

are unable to dance, don't let that stop you having fun -

sing at the top of your voice instead.

2) Smile! Force yourself to smile even if you don't feel

like it. This tricks your brain into thinking that you are

happy. You do want to be happy don't you? Okay then - a

great big cheesy grin. After three, one, two, three, - smile:0)

3) Spend time with children. Their natural zest for life is

infectious. As well as the pleasures of a spontaneous hug or

a chubby little hand in yours, try to take away with you some

of their joy in simple things, licking an ice cream, playing

with water, tramping through fallen leaves or following a

butterfly.

4) Reward yourself. If there is a job that you hate to do,

household accounts, home repairs etc. don't keep putting it

off so that it is constantly nagging at you. Just get it

done. Then reward yourself with whatever you love, a shiny

new magazine, a bunch of flowers, a long soak in an aromatic

bath, two bars of chocolate or an evening in front of the

tv doing absolutely nothing. Or even all of the above if you

can afford it. The peace of mind that comes from having got

the job done will be the greatest reward of all.

5) Clear out your clutter. The ancient art of Feng Shui

believes that getting rid of clutter rids your home or work

space of negative stuck energy and allows space for positive

energy to surge into all aspects of your life. Whether or

not this is correct, it is an undeniable fact that clearing

out what you no longer want or need makes life easier. Your

home is neater, looks more spacious and is easier to clean.

There can also be a tremendous feeling of freedom as you let

go of the past and trust in the future to bring you what you

will need. Emotional clutter can be even more damaging.

We've all said or done things we regret, the trick is to do

anything you can to repair the damage and if that is not

possible, forgive yourself and toss it out of your life.

6) Take action. If something is worrying you, be it a

health problem, or debt or divorce, make that doctor's

appointment, get some debt counselling, find out your rights.

The reality is often less stressful than sitting alone

worrying about it. Try to talk over your problems with a

friend, or if that is impossible find a support group on the

Internet by typing debt, divorce or whatever into a search

engine.

7) Positive thoughts. When you leave the house each morning,

say and mean, I'm going to have a great day, it's going to

be lots of fun, rather than thinking, Oh no, another dreary

day at the office to get through. The first attitude will

attract good vibrations and positive fun people to you, the

second will ensure a depressing day.

8) Have more fun. Apparently children laugh approximately

400 times a day yet adults laugh only about 20 times a day.

When do we lose our sense of fun? Claim it back. Play games,

watch comedies, have daily jokes delivered to your mailbox or

throw a fancy dress party.

9) Make something. Being creative gives you such a buzz

you won't stay down in the dumps for long. Stencil a room,

make a cake, plan a garden, sketch or paint a picture.

Express yourself with a modern collage, change your

rooms around, display your collections or start a patchwork

quilt.

10) Keep a gratitude journal. Write down half a dozen

things every day that you are grateful for, from waking up

and seeing your children's beautiful little faces to the smell

of the roses in the local park. This cannot fail to cheer

you up if you do it regularly as it gives you a whole new

way of experiencing your life.

11) Start a new project. Learn a language, trace your

family history, redecorate your home, learn to ride a horse,

gain a new qualification, take music lessons, learn to

make your own soft furnishings or do your own auto repairs.

Visualize yourself successfully completing the project and

the benefits it will bring to your life. Then make a start

and follow it through to the end. An added bonus will be

the increased self esteem that comes from having planned,

problem solved and perfected the whole project yourself.

12) See your old friends. It's easy to get into a work,

family, housework, shopping, sleep and back to work again

routine that leaves you no time at all to be the person you

once were. The funny, up for a laugh, outgoing young woman

you used to be. Spending time with friends who knew the old

you seems to resurrect that side of your character. You will

come away feeling younger, more positive and excited by life

than you were before you met up. Go on, invite them over to

share a pizza and catch up on each other's lives.

13) Paint or accessorize a room that you spend a lot of time

in a lovely bright yellow. The colour of sunshine will lift

your spirit and bring positive vibrations. We subconsciously

know about the effects of colour on our emotions which is

why we talk about the future looking rosy or having the blues.

14) Take the happiness option. You have the choice whether

to spend this day, which you will never live through again,

in a state of happiness or unhappiness. Choose to spend it

as happily as you possibly can.

About the author: Colleen Moulding is a freelance writer

from England where she has had many features on parenting,

childcare, play, travel, entertaining and the Internet

published in national newspapers and magazines. She has also

written a variety of women's and children's fiction.

Her work frequently appears at many sites on the Internet

and at her own site for women All That Women Want.com

a magazine, web guide and resource for women everywhere.

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