It's been an abnormally rainy June, and all that dreary weather can make anyone feel, well, blah. Whether you're stuck indoors all day, or you have someplace to be (work, an internship, a family gathering), sometimes you can't help yourself from feeling a little down. It's summer—you should be frolicking in meadows and having picnics, right? While it's normal for seasonal changes to alter our moods, the most common form of seasonal affective disorder manifests in the winter months. However, that's not to say that weather-related mood changes are isolated to when it's cold and snowy outside. I'm far from being an expert on depression or psychology (any knowledge I've gathered has stemmed from reading an article here and there and watching the news when there are medical specialists on for guest segments), but I've felt a bit off lately, and I feel that the weather could be one of the factors. It's easy to get tired of all those torrential downpours and changes in the air pressure, especially when you live in a region with a more temperate climate. Although a look at weather.com informed me that it will be mostly sunny this week, I thought I'd compile a short guide of things to help make the best of those times when you've got the rainy-day blues. (Well, some of these ideas depend on the power remaining on...or on venturing to a market or convenience store if you don't have, say, flowers lying around or gummy candy hiding in the cabinet. )
As they say, laughter is the best medicine. Read the funnies in the newspaper (or find 'em online). Watch your favorite comedy (romantic, slapstick—it's up to you). Tune into
The Daily Show or
The Colbert Report. Look up clips of old sketches from
Saturday Night Live. Google some jokes. Memorize them, and tell them to your friends and family. Have you heard any good jokes lately?
Make origami. (I know most people don't have origami paper handy, but you could always cut construction paper or computer paper.) Look up tutorials online if you don't know how. Create a whole paper menagerie. When you're done, get some string and hang up the animals to make a mobile.
Take out that sketch book you've abandoned. Or some watercolor paper. Or a blank journal. Or computer paper, if that's all you've got at home. Draw or paint whatever comes to mind—beautiful bouquets of flowers, unicorns and dragons and knights, all kinds of sea creatures. Don't worry about how good or bad you may be. Make a series of illustrations and tell a story through pictures. Display your work when you're done.
Paint your nails a funky color. Better yet, do nail art. Make designs—shapes and swirls or Pokémon or fruits and vegetables. Not into nail polish? Look up makeup bloggers'/YouTubers' makeup tutorials and pamper yourself with a makeover. Have you done any cool nail art lately? Have any favorite beauty blogs?
Unleash your inner domestic goddess and bake something scrumptious. It could be that tried and true, fail-proof (but oh-so delicious) Nestle Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe. Or it could be something new. Why not try a vegan recipe, for a change? (Especially if you aren't a vegan.) Have a recipe you'd like to recommend?
Eat gummies. Not just the classic bears, but sharks, berries, frogs. Or eat whichever kind of candy suits your fancy. Reminisce about childhood candy memories. Was there a certain candy shop you always went to?
Take out your favorite old toys (if you still have them) and play with them like you did when you were a kid. Let your imagination run wild. Act out crazy adventures. Little People, Polly Pockets, Trolls...what were your favorite playthings?
Brighten up your day with fresh flowers. Buy your favorite kind. Smell them. Inhale the familiar scent. Think about planting a garden one of these days, if you haven't started one already.
If you're at home, step outside for a few moments (if there's not a lightning storm). Without an umbrella—you can always change your clothes. Dance around. Sing, if you feel like it. Don't worry about what other people will think.
After an exhilarating experience in the rain, warm up with a cup of your favorite tea. Green. Chamomile. Mint. What kind do you prefer? Sit down in a comfy chair, open up a book or a magazine, and sip your tea.
...Or, if you don't have anywhere to be, stay in bed for a while. Stay in bed for the whole day, if you feel like it. Grab that book you were reading or the one you kept meaning to finish, or crack open a new one. Luxuriate in feeling cozy. Do you have a favorite rainy-day ritual?
All images found on Tumblr.
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