An Antidote to Malaise

…10 ways I keep the blues at bay

Let's talk about how depressing this time of year is. Good grief. I've been reflecting on what I know I can do to keep my spirits up.

If you're struggling with malaise or glumness these days, here's a grab bag of tools that work for me.
 

10 Tools to Keep the Blues at Bay

  1. Remember you're a giant baby. I wrote a whole letter on this. Ask yourself: Am I getting enough sleep? Am I exercising? Am I eating healthily? Am I drinking enough water?

  2. Go outside everyday. Ideally before the sun goes down. GET THAT VITAMIN D and all that info for your microbiome.

  3. Take a shower. It's a fast track, symbolic reset.

  4. Do a social media cleanse. I wrote about this recently but the gist is: let yourself take time away from it. Delete the apps from your phone, or deactivate for a week or a month. And ENJOY the brain space you gain.

  5. Reach out to someone you love. You don't need to have an hour-long zoom call. Just send someone you care about a text that says something brief, "I'm thinking of you! I hope you're well."

  6. Get lost in a good book. If you start one but can't get into it quickly, don't force it. Keep hunting till something grabs you. I've been reading a lot of Japanese authors recently. Just started Breasts & Eggs by Mieko Kawakami and LOVE it.

  7. Cook or bake something you've always wanted to. I did a few Ottolenghi recipes for the first time. They're immersive projects that expand your food knowledge, require your focus and taste AMAZING.

  8. Commit to a ONE A DAY project. Set a project for yourself to do one of the same thing, everyday, for 10, 21, 28 or 100 days (you choose). It could be to do a drawing, write a poem, write a post card. It should be something FUN not punishing. And creative. If you miss a day, just pick it up again.

  9. Engage in creative projects. Dive into your work. Ask yourself, what's the version of this, or what are the tasks, I can do RIGHT NOW with the limited resources I have. There is always something. Get obsessed. Work on it everyday.

  10. Learn something new. There are loads of online courses and trainings, and some of them are free. Seek out topics and teachers you want to learn from. It doesn't have to be career related! Enrol and relish being a nerd. I've LOVED my Masterclass membership. David Sedaris' writing class was a revelation for me.

I hope these ideas help to brighten your day. After I hit save on this blog, I'm heading out for a walk in Peckham Rye Park to get my vitamin D and see some trees.

Looking for some more life hacks? Take a look at my free resources page to get a whole host of tips on creative process and living an artist’s life.