20 Ways to Brighten Up Your Day

1. Have a winter picnic. Invite some friends. Put a blanket down on the floor and serve pizza or fried chicken, potato salad and coleslaw. If you are ambitious you can even dig out the barbecue and make some burgers! Use paper plates so there are no dishes to do later!
2. Rent a tropical movie and imagine yourself relaxing on the beach.
3. Clean out your closet and give everything that no longer fits or is out of style to charity, It will give you an inner smile to know that you helped someone, plus your closet will be clean!
4. Try something new. Take a cooking class, a dance class or a martial arts class.
5. Do something outside. Go skating, sledding, build a snowman, have a snowball fight or just go walk in a park.
6. Go to a zoo. Sometimes they have cheaper prices during the winter and there are no crowds.
7. Turn off the TV. Ever catch yourself aimlessly flipping channels? Read a book, play a board game or make a puzzle instead. You might be surprised!
8. Eat an ice cream sundae. Add all your favourite toppings like chocolate, strawberry or caramel syrup, crushed pineapple, marshmallow topping, bananas, strawberries, chocolate chips and chopped nuts. Don’t forget the cherry on top! (An alternative is to have a Sundae party. Assign each guest one topping to bring.)
9. Make a fancy meal for your family. Invite them to dine at “your restaurant”, find recipes in a cookbook and expand your skills.
10. Get a massage, a facial, manicure or a pedicure, this is for guys too! Schedule it a week in advance so that you have something to look forward to.
11. Say no more often. If you have too many things to do, politely decline requests. (This is not an excuse to avoid doing your chores!)
12. Put a do not disturb sign on the bathroom door and take a bubble bath. Don’t forget the radio and the candles!
13. Paint a picture with finger paint. Don’t forget to display your artwork on the refrigerator!
14. Go bowling (5 or 10 pin) or roller skating (the old fashioned kind where the wheels are not in line) or play laser tag.
15. Go swimming. Always a summer activity but the pool is just as hot in the winter. Often they have slides and rope swings to play on.
16. Laugh. Watch sitcoms, comedy movies or cartoons and laugh out loud!
17. Be optimistic. Try to find the up side in the situation for a change. Your attitude can make a huge difference in your mood.
18. Grow a plant. Visit a nursery or get a winter bulb. For example, Amaryllis plants grow from bulbs that are often forced to bloom in the winter and can be found even at the grocery store. You could also start and herb garden in small pots on a window ledge from seeds.
19. Don’t answer your phone. Let the voice mail or machine get it and call them back later if necessary. Take some uninterrupted time for yourself.
20. Whatever you do, don’t just sit there. Once you get out and do something the blahs usually disappear.