The day is beautiful outside, but you still feel gloomy. Some things didn’t go your way. Someone isn’t returning your texts or calls. You’re snippy, and everyone around you is quietly avoiding you.
I’ve had that day more than once. Nothing is wrong enough to explain it, and nothing feels right either. These are the ways to feel better today that I keep coming back to, and most of them take less than an hour.
Table of Contents
Make Yourself Feel Beautiful
When I’m not feeling great, I start with how I look. I wake up, take a long bath, pick the best clothes, and put on my favourite lip gloss or blush.
It sounds shallow, but it works for me. I may feel horrible, but I look great! Looking in the mirror and liking what I see changes the whole mood of the day.
1. Buy new hair products
I don’t know about you, but having healthy hair makes me happy.
A new shampoo, a new leave-in conditioner, a new oil or cream that helps seal your split ends. Trying something new on my hair gives me something to look forward to, and a wash day with a product I’m excited about is a small treat.
2. Practice your makeup skills on someone close
My cousin is usually the victim, but anyone nearby will do. Trying a new look on someone else takes the pressure off. You laugh more, you focus on the brushes instead of your thoughts, and sometimes the result is actually good.
3. Have cute nails
This one is simple: have cute nails, and do them yourself if you can. It doesn’t need to be fancy. A fresh colour, a clean shape, anything that looks like you made an effort.
It’s slow, quiet work. You sit down, put on a show or a playlist, and for the next hour the only thing you have to think about is staying inside the lines. Your mind gets a break, and when you’re done, there’s something pretty to look at every time you reach for your phone or your cup.
You can keep it as easy as you like:
- Remove the old polish, trim and file your nails into a shape you like.
- Pick a colour that matches the mood you want, not the one you’re in. Soft pink or nude if you want calm, a bold red if you want to feel in charge.
- Add a top coat so the colour lasts. Press-on nails or a small bit of nail art are fine if you don’t have the patience for polish.
On a gloomy day, looking down and seeing pretty hands is a small thing that makes the day feel a bit more under control.
4. Go shopping
Retail therapy is real, guys. The process of picking clothes and trying them on makes me forget all my problems, even if it’s for a little while. I feel great wearing my new outfit outside.
It doesn’t have to be a big haul. One top, a lip balm, something small you’ve been eyeing. Set a limit before you go so the good feeling doesn’t turn into a bad bank balance.
Rest Your Mind
5. Pray and tell it all
If you’re a person of faith, tell the Lord everything. The bad day, the ignored texts, the things you can’t say out loud to anyone else. You don’t need nice words or a plan. Saying it out loud is often what lets it go.
6. Watch the show you never had time for
You know the one. It’s been on your list for months, and you keep saying you’ll get to it. I’ve got a few lined up already. Today is a fine day for it. Make a snack, get under a blanket, and start episode one.
7. Put on a playlist
You don’t have to match your mood, honestly, because that makes you feel worse. Just listen to your favourite song. Then play the next one, and let it build until you’re singing along.
Small Ways to Feel Better Today
8. Step outside
The day is beautiful, remember? Walk around the block, sit on the step, stand in the sun for ten minutes. You don’t need a destination.
When you’re stuck in a gloomy mood, the room you’re sitting in starts to feel like part of the problem. The same walls, the same phone, the same thoughts going round. Stepping outside breaks that loop without you having to fix anything.
Leave your phone behind, or at least put it in your pocket. Notice small things instead: the colour of the sky, a neighbour’s garden, the warmth on your arms. If you’re in a bad mood and someone is avoiding you, a short walk alone is also a good way to cool down before you say something you’ll regret.
Even five minutes counts. You can always go back inside afterwards.
9. Drink water and eat something real
Sometimes the gloom is partly hunger or a headache from not drinking enough. Have a glass of water and a proper meal before you decide the whole day is ruined.
I know a snack or a coffee feels like enough when you’re in a mood, but it usually isn’t. Sit down and eat something with actual food in it, like rice, eggs, a sandwich, whatever you’d cook for a friend who looked like you feel right now.
Give it twenty minutes. If you still feel the same afterwards, at least you’ve ruled out the easy cause, and the rest of this list will work better on a full stomach.
10. When It’s More Than a Bad Day
Everything above helps with a rough day. It doesn’t fix everything, and it isn’t meant to. If your problems feel beyond your control, talk to an actual therapist. Taking your mental health seriously is not an overreaction.
You don’t have to wait until things are at their worst. If the low feeling keeps coming back, or lasts for weeks, or you’ve stopped enjoying the things you normally love, that’s worth saying out loud to a professional. If you’re not sure where to start, Find a Helpline lists support options by country.
FAQ
What should I do when I feel low for no reason?
Start small. Drink some water, eat, step outside, and do one thing that makes you feel put together. If it keeps happening, talk to someone about it.
Does shopping actually help you feel better?
For a little while, yes. A small treat can lift your mood, but it won’t fix what’s underneath, so keep the budget small and pair it with something free from this list.
When should I see a therapist?
When your problems feel bigger than you can handle on your own, or a low mood sticks around for weeks. You don’t have to be in crisis to ask for help.
Related: self-soothing techniques
