Ten ways to cheer yourself up during a pandemic

If you are anywhere in the UK right now, you possibly have good reason to feel down and may be looking for ways to cheer yourself up.

We have our third lockdown since the pandemic began almost a year ago. Brexit is causing chaos in some quarters. Many of us have lost loved ones, experienced illness or are out of work. Add a relentlessly wet winter with heavy snow in many areas and we have a recipe for misery.

Many things are out of our control. Nevertheless, I have found that small, positive actions are an effective way to remain resilient. I have tried various methods to keep myself upbeat in the past year, with varying degrees of success. It has been too easy to sink a bottle of white wine or stuff my face with chocolate. Here are ten ways to cheer yourself up during these strange times without a giving yourself a hangover or piling on the pounds.

Ten Ways to Cheer Yourself Up

Practice gratitude

According to Psychology Today, cultivating a sense of gratitude can be very powerful. Focussing on the aspects of your life that are good, rather than dwelling on the negatives, can make you mentally stronger and improve your physical health too.

“Gratitude reduces a multitude of toxic emotions, from envy and resentment to frustration and regret. Robert Emmons, a leading gratitude researcher, has conducted multiple studies on the link between gratitude and well-being. His research confirms that gratitude effectively increases happiness and reduces depression.”

I remember driving to my depressing job, where staff numbers were being culled, costs were being cut dramatically, customers were unhappy and yet we were expected to do more work than ever. To appease my growing sense of stress and anxiety, I would thank the universe that I had my own home, that I had three beautiful daughters, that my elderly parents were still with me and that I had a loving partner. 

I would say a little prayer of thanks for my mostly supportive colleagues and it got me through until I could find a way out of that workplace.

Be kind

“A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.” -Saint Basil

Most of us, in doing kind deeds for others, are probably not motivated by huge benefits to ourselves. However, there is evidence that being kind can improve your physical and mental well-being.

According to science writer Marta Zaraska in this article from Women’s Health, “Research shows when we support others and do kind things for them, the activity in our amygdala (fear centres) goes down and sends our calming response to our body, meaning our cortisol (stress hormone) responds in a healthier way.”

You could also extend this concept to being kind to yourself. Don’t beat yourself up when you haven’t achieved perfection and be aware of being self-critical. Becky Goddard-Hill, author of Create your own kindness: Activities to encourage children to be caring and kind, says: “Being your own best friend means there will always be someone around to cheer you on and up the TLC when times are tough.”

Laugh

Laughter, even if you’re not really feeling it, has multiple physical and mental benefits. Who doesn’t feel better after a good belly laugh?

In fact, laughter yoga has taken off in recent years. it combines so-called laughter exercises with pranayama breathing techniques. 

The Laughter Yoga University website gives us some good reasons to laugh: “Laughter Yoga is both preventive and therapeutic. It is like an aerobic exercise and best cardio workout. It is like a breathing exercise for those suffering from bronchitis and asthma. Laughter Yoga releases endorphins which are natural pain killers, that can help those suffering from arthritis, spondylitis, chronic migraine headaches, chronic pains, fibromyalgia, autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases.

“It unwinds the negative effects of stress and strengthens your immune system. If you laugh every day, you will not fall sick easily.”

If you watch a laughter yoga session on YouTube, you will find it hard not to join in, since laughter is contagious. So, even if the last thing you feel like doing is laughing, watching others giggling will get you going.

The tale of Norman Cousins appears to add some weight to the argument that laughter boosts your immune system. He received a diagnosis of terminal illness in his 50s, but instead of giving up and waiting to die, he created his own therapy system. This involved watching funny films regularly, as well as taking high dose shots of vitamin C. 

Cousins found that 10 minutes of belly laughter would give him two hours of pain free sleep.

He lived a further 26 years, and told his tale in his inspiring book Anatomy of an Illness: As Perceived by the Patient, Reflections on Healing and Regeneration* .

Learn something new

Learning something new, particularly in later life, has been shown to have both physical and mental health benefits.

Author of Learning Later, Living Greater: The Secret for Making the Most of Your After-50 Years*, Nancy Merz Nordstrom, states: “When you look at the benefits gained from keeping your mind sharp, it’s incredible. Lifelong learning is like a health club for your brain. And an active mind can stimulate physical activity and keep your spirits high. It’s an all-around fantastic tool for better health.”

One of the few benefits many of us have gleaned from the recent lock downs is having a little more time on our hands; the ideal time to finally undertake that new hobby or online course you have been promising yourself. From teaching yourself to play guitar, to knit or crochet or learn a new language, challenging yourself mentally could help you stave off mental and physical ailments, as well as giving you a sense of achievement and well-being.

Grow something

Those of us who already enjoy a bit of gardening will be aware of how good it can make you feel. A few hours outside, sowing seeds, tending to plants, digging or just sitting with a cup of tea enjoying the flowers and wildlife gives you refuge from your worries.

Now the RHS is so convinced of the benefits of gardening, that is it undertaking new research, as explained in this post. Professor Alistair Griffiths gives guidance on making your garden good for you in his RHS book RHS Your Wellbeing Garden: How to Make Your Garden Good for You – Science, Design, Practice, written in collaboration with garden designer Matt Keightley.

Other ways to cheer yourself up

Any positive step you make can make a difference when you want to cheer yourself up. Here are a few others.

I always find tidying and decluttering gives me a great sense of achievement and control.

Connecting with friends and family via Zoom or by phone on a regular basis can help with loneliness and isolation.

Getting out into nature, especially if you are lucky enough to have woodland nearby, provides a great respite from your cares and a deep sense of peace.

Treat yourself to a deep, hot bath or shower, a DIY manicure or pedicure, a hair treatment or whatever floats your boat. A little self-care goes a long way when you need to cheer yourself up.

What actions do you take to improve your strength and resilience when the going gets tough? Please share in the comments below.

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