Hello TCSers!

Let's say you're having a bad day; things just aren't going your way and it seems like the world is working against you... How do you turn the day around? What brings you comfort and joy that you can apply to a particularly bad day?

I get  lost in a book.

Sleep, hug my dog. He always makes me feel better.

Music and my 3 boys always.

I pour a glass of wine, order dinner to be delivered, and light a fire in the fireplace (candles work, too). Then I snuggle into the sofa and watch the flames, it's very soothing for me. After dinner it's a movie or video games, either will take my mind off of things for awhile. If it's a really bad day, I'll usually have a shower first thing to wash the day away… if we had a bigger / better tub I'd have an epsom salt bath instead.

I've lost 4 immediate family members in the last 5 years so I've had some really rough days. When I'm crying a lot, splashing cold water on my face is surprisingly helpful.

Taking a walk helps during work hours.  There's a really great park near my office.  It's called The Elevated Acre, on Water Street in downtown NYC.  You have to take an escalator up to it.  It's on the waterfront, you can see to Brooklyn.  It has all kinds of nooks and crannies to sit in (mostly) alone and yet, has an open feel.  The lawn is the realest fake grass I've ever been on.  Native plantings, in the summer you get a breeze up there (winter is biting, but I go anyway if I can).  

At home, sleeping.  If I'm really stressed, I just want to go to bed and put everything behind me.

A good book, a cuddly kitty and a cup of coffee.

First I need to get somewhere quiet, away from people, low light, little noise.  Once I settle a bit I can think more clearly.  Next, I have to make sure I drink some water, and eat if I am hungry.  Finally, I sort out what I am going to do next.

I sing. Alone. I load up my playlist and just sing my heart out. Karaoke-style, minus the alcohol and body shaking.

Only alone. I'd die if anyone heard me.

FhiCat said:

 
I sing. Alone. I load up my playlist and just sing my heart out. Karaoke-style, minus the alcohol and body shaking.

Only alone. I'd die if anyone heard me.

Click to expand...

That's so cool, FhiCat..     I do that too..

Going to the nearby park sit on the bench and feed the ducks, geese, and swans weather permitting.   

A big bowl of ice cream.

Otherwise I found that the best way out of depression for me is to have any kind of small success that I can start feeling good about myself.   It can be any small task like cleaning my closet or doing a load of laundry.   That way at the end of the day I can feel that I did something positive.   Baby steps....

It depends on the season.  In cooler weather I'll make some tea or hot chocolate.  If it's "gardening season" I'll go check my garden.  That only works if I can go out without kids and have time to listen to the birds and nature noises while I'm out there.  

Sometimes I'll play a mindless game on my kindle for a little bit too.

The best thing I can do for myself is to walk it out. I will find myself all stressed-out and having a terrible day at work or everything is going wrong. I can't deal with it anymore. So I walk for about an hour or so, listening to my iPod. And somehow, life seems better.

If I'm home alone, then I'll turn the music on and sing along. I've even been known to dance in the kitchen. 

I sit on the porch and hold my cat. Most of the time, we are in the rocking chair. She loves it and so do I. If I cry, she seems to know it and is extra "purry" and snugglely.
What would we do without our cats. They are such comforters.