Mood-Boosting Ideas to Help You Stay Positive
Keep swinging, slugger.
Hank Aaron famously said, “My motto was to keep swinging...in a slump...the only thing to do was to keep swinging.” But sometimes the bat can feel so. Damn. Heavy. Our predictions about the fall ahead are about as reliable as the Magic 8-Ball of our youth (current mood: “reply hazy, try again”), but we can be pretty sure about some unexpected bumps along the way. How to keep swinging when we’re hardly batting 1.000? Never fear, The Verse is here with slump-busting ideas for everyone.
Keep your (not-so-close) connections.
It may feel counterintuitive if we’re compelled back to our individual hidey-homes, but without the benefit of serendipitous run-ins, it’s all the more important to plan for human connection. Virtual meet-cutes are infinitely better when they’re planned with some intention—reducing the risks of making a bad connection (you’re on mute!).
Book Club. Other than a shift to BYOB, this is something that rather easily translates to virtual from IRL. Try mixing up frequency or book choices to meet the mood and match the realities of members’ time and energy.
Study Group. Something piquing your curiosity? Think about enlisting others to join you in the study carrel. It could be as simple as taking an online class together paired with regular discussions, or choosing a subject and letting everyone pursue unique related content (podcasts, articles, documentaries), followed by an obviously riveting discussion.
Cooking Club. Since we’re all head chefs of Chez Nous anyway, we may as well make it a social opportunity. One of us Versers has been part of a cooking club—to delicious effect. How does it work? We pick a recipe (usually one that demands added TLC) and agree on the steps we’ll have completed by the time we connect—and then we finish it together. In between, we ask questions, share recipes and generally connect over our love of food.
Game Night. We’ve previously professed our love for Houseparty’s games like Trivia and Quick Draw!, but there are also basic games like charades that work well (use this generator for ideas) over Zoom. With this board game in one person’s hand, you can let the Family Feud ensue.
Music Club. Without a commute or traditional radio, you may be struggling to discover new music (but please, tell us you didn’t miss the 90s moody-pop flavor of Folklore). So maybe it’s time to gather all your cool kids and have everyone pick a playlist, album or artist to listen to and discuss (try the Switched On or Dissect podcasts to ignite some inspo).
Conjure up something new.
Creative pursuits have been known to reduce stress and anxiety, but they also focus your thoughts and boost overall happiness—not to mention the mood-boosting high of bringing something new and different into the world.
Get cooking. Try breaking out of the “I have to cook...again” drudgery of it all and experiment. A theme night (a la Comfort-Food Friday) gives you a license and framework to tackle some new dishes. If you want more than a dash of creativity in your culinary attempts, mix things up with this new membership to learn from top chefs.
Snap happy. Modern technology makes us all better photographers, but there’s an art to mastering the basics. Why not put your trigger finger on that oh-so-complicated camera stuck in a drawer and show it the light of day? We love this list of photography projects as a snapping-off point.
Make it write. Dear diary: We’re big fans of The Isolation Journals for their weekly journaling prompts. Even if we don’t actually put pen to paper, simply thinking about what we would write opens our minds and transports our thoughts.
Visit the greats. Since roaming a museum has become a little less soothing, try admiring some art from a distance every day. Thanks to Google Arts & Culture, your quest for beauty is just a click away.
Let others lead. We don’t always have to be the ones doing something creative to appreciate it. Whether it’s arming children with crafts or binge-watching Project Runway, seeing creativity in play is equally beneficial for our minds.
Get out there.
There’s lots of science behind what we somehow know intuitively—exposure to nature is good for our health. No tree-hugging necessary (but, by all means….).
Walk the walk. This one seems fairly obvious, but are we giving ourselves a reason to do it? Some incentives to tie those laces: Pick a favorite podcast (or album or playlist) and plan to walk for the duration of it. Replace pre-COVID drinks with friends to a socially distanced (and masked, please) walk with friends. Why not take a sunrise stroll? Set your alarm and time your walk to catch it (extra credit for snapping it with your new-found photography skills).
No yard? No problem. Use this primer to up your indoor-gardening game. Even a houseplant can produce the benefits associated with interacting with nature (and give you something else to talk to). If your thumb could use some greening, go the lower-maintenance route with succulents like these hardy specimens.
Trade views. When a new outlook’s in order, try Window Swap. Scroll through randomly generated views from others from other users’ global perches—and submit your own view to the world.
Glean your way to gratitude. Community kitchens are understandably busy right now—and more hands are needed to glean the extra food from farmers (like our favorite Farm to Fight Hunger) and get it to those in need. This map will help you locate gleaning projects in your state—a sure-fire way to raise your spirits through the gifts of gratitude.
Take stock. Creativity? Check. Nature? Check. Nature journaling checks all the boxes (look at you multitasking). This guide is full of prompts and ideas to get you on your way toward the awe and wonder that happen when you take note of your surroundings.
