Self love: 6 ideas to change your mood

I woke up on Wednesday with a sore, stiff neck. I expected it to go away in a few hours but here we are on Friday and it's still a problem. I've had two Chinese massages, taken anti-inflammatory painkillers and used a topical menthol/heat cream. Needless to say, it's kind of tainted my week and left me feeling bummed. 

I barely slept last night and after a few things went wrong at home and with work, I decided I desperately needed to turn my day around. Luckily my invoicing is finished and Friday is my housework day so I could afford the time. 

So, I took myself on a brunch date :) 

I needed to check my emails, update our business website, make two calls and plan out some things but all of those could be done via my phone at a cafe. 

Sometimes, just getting out of the house makes a world of difference. So does eating something decent, I'm guilty of skipping meals or eating junk when I'm having a bad day. And not having to prepare food or clean up afterwards can feel like such a luxury! 

So here are my favourite quick, cheap ways to turn my day around: 

* get out of the house and enjoy some fresh air. A walk, sitting in the garden with a cup of tea, even a drive around town with the window down (there's a row of mansions near me that I love to drive past and daydream about) 

* retail therapy Nothing major but I love, love, love getting new socks. The quirkier the pattern, the better. But a new set of incense sticks, a new cushion, a new headband, a new nailpolish colour or a new hand cream are also equally exciting and give me a boost. 

* time out. I'm not a big fan of TV but if the day allows it, I love to chill out with a magazine, watch YouTube videos or even listen to a podcast while I do my chores. If I had a different job, I'd probably add nap to the list, but Murphy's Law says that the minute my head hits the pillow, someone will call, so I don't tempt fate. 

* cooking Im not much of a baker but I enjoy making delicious meals for my family. Browsing recipes, gathering ingredients and trying out a new recipe is something that is really fun for me. 

* cleaning/organising. Im not talking about wiping down the kitchen bench for the 400th time that day. I mean the little things that you've been meaning to do for days... or weeks... or months. The things that stare you in the face every day, taunting you, like sorting out your tangled necklaces, or making a craft caddy, or restocking your first aid kit. Or even just picking up everything off the floor (which is always, like, 95% of our belongings. I must have so many empty cupboards, drawers and shelves) and then vacuuming and mopping the floor. The feeling of being productive is such an instant mood improver! 

* music putting on a favourite song always cheers me up! The usual suspects are Shake It Off- Taylor Swift; Hey Ya - Outkast (I know it's actually a sad song); Happy- Pharrell Williams; Must Have Done Sonething Right- Relient K; In The Meantime- Spacehog; or any kind of 90s compilations (there's a reason that R'n'b Friday is my housework day, haha)