Life Sucks? What to Do About It

Have the doldrums got you down? Too many negative hits in a row development you feel like the target at a carnival shooting gallery?

Sometimes, life just sucks.

Artisan Riding

We all have off days, bad experiences and emotional lows. But if that sucking noise has gone from an occasional hiccup to a full-fledged Hoover, it's time to step up and do something about it:

Life Sucks? What to Do About It

Play hooky. Take a day off out of nowhere and devote it to having fun. This needn't take much, or any, money if you haven't got it. But it should consist of doing only the things you want to do, whether that be spending the day in bed catching up on your reading, or checking yourself into an amusement park for the day.

Eat like a king. Go out and buy yourself a basket full of the sort of treats that you commonly reserve for holidays, birthdays and other special events. Make yourself a full Thanksgiving meal if that's your favorite. Or if wine and cheese is more your style, revel in a good Chianti, a nice loaf of artisan bread and a pungent Pecorino. The point is to let the pleasures of the opening thumb their noses at the gloomy bits of your everyday life.

Dance the doldrums away. Put on your popular music and dance. If you don't have room at home, hit the clubs or even the gym (some of those dance-based classes are indistinguishable from a party, aside from the clothing). Repeat until the beat of your own drummer drowns out that sucking noise that's been plaguing your life.

Change your scenery. Spend the day at an arboretum or botanical garden. Go to the zoo, or a museum. Visit that nearby town you've been meaning to explore, or take a drive in the country. Anyone you do, get thee out of those same four walls, before they threaten to close in on you.

Have a party. It needed be a fancy shindig. Just request a few friends over to spend the day enjoying each other's company. Make it pot luck, if you're down on your own. Have a picnic if your digs would cramp your fun. Or, if funds allow, take over a local spa or other hangout.

Eat your colors. inviting colored veggies equal plentifulness of vitamins and anti-oxidants, all of which are good for your body - and by extension, your mood. (http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/foods/fn595w.htm) The more color, the better. There's a rainbow of food out there, from the darkest blueberries to the brightest yellow peppers to the cheeriest cherries. Indulge!

Lol. Laughter is absolutely the best medicine, both for your body and your mind. Rent some funny movies and spend the weekend trying not to fall off the couch. Or drop by the library or bookstore and stock up on Wooster and Jeeves, or Calvin and Hobbes, as your tastes dictate. Visit the local comedy club, or tune the Tv to Comedy Central. Anyone you do, keep doing it. Laughter is a treatment best taken in large doses, over an extended duration of time.

Take a hike. Too much sedentary behavior has a negative succeed on your moods. Get out of the house and get inviting - take a walk, go horseback riding, rent a canoe, hit the slopes, Anyone strikes your fancy. At a loss for ideas? Grab a jump rope, a Frisbee and some hopscotch chalk, then go outside and let the neighborhood kids teach you all about holding fit while having fun.

Get a pet. Granted, it's not a step to be taken lightly, but many studies have shown that having pets reduces both bodily and mental ill health - reducing blood pressure, easing stress, improving mental capacity and mood, and even preventing heart attacks. Besides, there's nothing like watching a cat with a sock full of catnip, or a dog with a mouth full of peanut butter, to inject some hilarity into an otherwise gloomy day.

Take Time for yourself. Sometimes escaping your life can be as easy as picking up a book, taking a hot bath, watching your popular television show or even meditating. If your life feels overwhelming, taking time for yourself will refocus your mind and refresh your outlook.

Life Sucks? What to Do About ItLife Vividly Lived, Part 1 - Flower's Gallery, London Tube. Duration : 4.47 Mins.

www.inishturkbeg.com In September 2009, Inish Turk Beg, a private island off the West Coast of Ireland held its first annual Artists Residency. Pieces created from this unique experience are on display in February 2010 in London's Flowers Gallery, and one piece from each artist has been donated to the island for future visitors to enjoy. The artists selected for the inaugural Inish Turk Beg Artists week were Nicola Hicks, Scarlett Hooft Graafland, Kay Harwood, Shoichi Sakurai, Peter Jaques, Laura Brennan and Darren Edwards. The artists were each chosen for their experience and skill with different media and their instinctive relationship with the environment. They were invited to spend a week living on Inish Turk Beg in what is hoped to become an important event in the art calendar. They each created a piece of work in response to this incredible environment, communicating the islands unique creative energy and philosophy of Life Vividly Lived. Inishturkbeg is situated in Clew Bay, County Mayo, a remarkably beautiful part of Ireland on its wild and rugged West coast. A fascination with islands led owner, Nadim Sadek, to wish to share the beauty of Inish Turk Beg and the island is now available for rental for those who want to enjoy its special energy which they claim delivers a real lungful of life. The energy of the island leads to a passion to do everything with a bit of a tilt! This is seen in all the Inish Turk Beg brand projects: Artisan food, Maiden Voyage Inish ...

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