Sometimes when I feel down or need a pick me up, I have a list of things I choose from to do for myself or others that make me feel better. We all need a few things to make us feel good again. We all have our moments of sadness or loneliness or just need something that makes us smile again. Here are a few suggestions I put together to help with those feel good moments. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Maybe you can even add to the list! Have any suggestions that works for you and  would work for other people? Add them in the comment section please! If the list grows long enough we can always  have something nearby to help with those moments when we need a pick up!

1. Email a close friend or family member you haven’t spoken to in a while and reconnect with them.

2. In our ever-expanding digital world, everyone enjoys getting some ‘real’ mail.  So take a few minutes and send a paper greeting card directly to a friend or relative by using enGreet or American Greetings. (this is one of my favorite things to do. Just imagine the smile on a friend or relatives face when they receive a ‘real’ card or short letter.)

3. Inspire and spark your creative mind by looking at a rolling slideshow of the highest rated photos on Flickr from the past 7 days. (this one is sure to please!)

4. Add the gentle sound of rain to your environment using RainyMood.com and then simply meditate and relax for a few minutes. (I do this when I need a few minutes down time or need to refocus on a story.)

5. Support a good cause for free at Freerice.com or donate a few bucks to a good cause via GoFundMe. A sure fire way to feel good again. How can you not after helping someone for free?

6. Listen to good music, or find a new musical artist to listen to based on music you like at Grooveshark,  Pandora, Spotify, last.fm, or Deezer (international). I love music of all kinds. I have some on my ipod that I don’t understand the language it is sung in, but the music  and the voice makes it all worth while and I don’t need to understand the words to make it special.

7. Start reading a classic book online for free at Project Gutenberg, The Online Books Page, Gizmo’s Free Books Online, or the E-books Directory.

8. Create a cool graphical mind map of some of your recent ideas at bubbl.us, Mindomo, or Mindmeister. This is always fun to do and might just solidify some of those scattered thoughts we all have.

9. Spend a few minutes watching the sunset with someone you care about.  Nothing more is needed.  Just sit still and take in the natural beauty of the sky, and appreciate being able to share it with someone special. Sometimes it’s hard to be with that special someone just at the time the sun is setting, but that’s okay, imagine that special person there with you and I guarantee it will make you feel good. I do it.

10. Keep track of the things you’re grateful for.  You can’t help but feel good when you literally count your blessings.  Start a gratitude journal and express your thanks on a daily basis.

11. Get your body moving and your blood circulating.  Jump, shake, twist and spin around.  Let yourself feel the joy of moving to your favorite music, or just the sounds in your head.  Run, walk, and bike to your heart’s content. I personally dance around the house a lot. ha! And no, there will be no pictures! 😉

12. Stop to help someone.  In life, you get what you put in.  When you make a positive impact in someone else’s life, you also make a positive impact in your own life.  So the next time you see someone pulled over with a flat tire, or in need of a few minutes of assistance, stop and ask how you can help.