The B.C provincial government announced today that it would be extending the ban on social gatherings with anyone outside of your immediate bubble/ household. I don’t know about you but that felt like a massive punch to the gut, especially as someone who has been following the rules and have friends who have been following the rules too. I miss seeing the faces of my friends in person and creating memories that are not just me sitting on my couch. 

But that is the world we are living in right now and as much as I was ready to wallow in self pity that I have to wait indefinitely to see my friends I decided to go out and create a day for myself instead, which basically consisted of doing some of my favourite things.So I went out and got myself some flowers, a coffee, I went for a walk and then finished off by getting myself some take away lunch (supporting all local places of course). Maybe it’s just the capitalistic tendencies in me but it made me feel better to go and do something with my day even if I had to grapple with the fact that I can’t see my friends at least for another month. 

There are other ways to enjoy a nice day without having to buy a bunch of things to cheer yourself up (and I do know how to cheer myself up without buying things). So if you were saddened by the continued restrictions like me, I have some ideas for you to do a quick cheer up at home or socially distanced. (Also things could definitely be worse for us, let’s be grateful that we are not living in Ontario or Quebec right now, seriously, perspective helps and our circumstances could suck way more). So let’s begin with some free ideas!

Go for a Walk: Back to the idea that we are way better off right now than some other places like Ontario, we are also dealing with way nicer weather than our fellow neighbouring provinces. Some places are dealing with terrible weather right now and literally snowed in on top of being quarantined in.

 So take advantage of our fresh air and green grasses and go for a walk. It’ll help you clear your head and release those endorphins so you’ll feel a lot happier and fresher faced by the end of it. 

Pump it up more by playing some of your favourite happy songs and get your groove on while walking because it is hard not to be in a good mood when you’re listening to something like “Good as Hell” by Lizzo. 

Do a Little Spa Day: A way to relax and pamper yourself at home can get the good feelings flowing and this can look different for everyone. 

One option could be to take a bubble bath (especially for my ladies out there, I’m sure you got some bath bombs during Christmas that you could use up), personally I don’t enjoy baths to the extent that other people do but I could imagine this being relaxing and if your like me and don’t like baths you could replace it with a hot shower instead. 

Another way could be is to do a face mask or an in depth face routine. By taking care of your face you are taking care of yourself and with all the acne from constant mask wearing it’s a good idea to take extra care of your face. 

A last idea could be to paint your nails (toes or fingers!) I don’t think I have actually painted my nails myself since high school, but there are a ton of nail polishes in my house ready to be used and it is a good way to decompress. It’s something small to focus on and it’ll make you feel more put together. Combine all 3 ideas for the ultimate at home spa day. 

Journal Things Out: There is something to be said about writing your feelings down and trying to get out of that funk. Even if your problems seem trivial compared to what the rest of the world is going through, it’s better to feel those emotions and not stuff it by telling yourself those feelings aren’t valid or you should not be feeling that way because someone has it worse. (Which is something I have done on many occasions).

Photo via www.talkspace.com/

So writing down how you feel will ultimately make you feel better, it might be because it feels like a release when it is jotted down or because it somehow makes you stop thinking about that problem but there are so many benefits to doing this. It’s the cheapest way to cheer yourself up, so let those feelings pour out. 

Call A Friend or Family Member: The ultimate point of our sadness, not being able to socialize the way we normally have (on top of the world feeling like it is caving in underneath us). Calling a friend or FaceTiming them is the best way to get that socializing in and cheer yourself up.  

Word of advice, it’s best to focus on the positive things while you catch up if you’re looking to feel better after the conversation. I have had chats with friends since the pandemic began where we just talk about everything that is going wrong and it just gets you more sad. I’m all for authentic conversations but if this is to cheer you up, keep it light and focus on the positive.

Try a friend or family member who is important to you that maybe you haven’t talked to in a while, or a friend you tag memes in all the time but don’t actually talk to as much. I’m sure it will brighten their day just as much as yours.  

Hope these ideas gave you some inspiration to brighten your day, this pandemic period in our lives is not forever and we all do feel drained, so hang in there, you are not alone in feeling this way!