1206: [Part 2] 10 Simple Strategies for Kicking Out the Blues by Victoria Vargas with Rowdy Kittens on Resiliency

This is Optimal Living Daily Episode 1206. Ten simple strategies for kicking out the blues. Part two by Victoria Vargas with RoutingKittens.com, and I'm Justin Mollick. Happy Sunday to you and welcome to the old podcast, the OLD podcast, Optimal Living Daily, where I read to you like a big ongoing audiobook, but from many different authors.

Taping a continuation from yesterday, so I recommend listening to yesterday's episode first. And I did a book raffle on Instagram a few weeks ago, another one's coming soon. If you're not following us on there now's a good time, you can find us at old podcast. And of course my monthly book raffle to someone random on my weekly newsletter is tomorrow, so joining that before midnight tonight would be a good idea.

You can find that at oldpodcast.com. But for now, let's get right to part two and start optimizing your life. Ten simple strategies for kicking out the blues. Part two by Victoria Vargas with RoutingKittens.com.

Number eight, nourish yourself. When we're feeling down, it's natural to turn to comfort foods, most of which are fatty, sweet, or otherwise unhealthy. Many people also turn to alcohol to help numb out the unhappiness of a bad day. What that accomplishes, however, is additional stress to our bodies and after the initial lift, it dropped to a lower level energetically and emotionally.

There's a proven link between anxiety and depression with sugar and alcohol intake. When we're feeling glum is when we mostly need to nourish our bodies, so it can help us get back to equilibrium emotionally and physically. Lots of healthy veggies, fruits, lean proteins and complex carbs will do the trick. I often find that cooking up a mess of lentil and leeks do, or a veggie stir fry with brown rice, helps my outlook immensely.

The process of cutting veggies, cooking them, and washing the dishes afterward is very meditative and helps bring me back to center. A warm cup of chamomile or roibost tea afterward is also seriously comforting and happy making. Number nine, get enough sleep. When we're down, our bodies need even more solid sleep than normal.

Help yourself sleep better by not eating anything at least three hours before bedtime and preparing your body to relax, by not engaging in anything stimulating before bed, like watching a suspenseful movie or reading an overly engaging book. If your mind won't let you rest and keep spending with whatever is giving you the blues, instead of counting sheep, count your blessings. It'll drift off in no time. Some sense, especially lavender, can also help calm us when our monkey minds are engaged and won't let us rest.

A little essential oil makes with a bit of sweet almond, sesame, or apricot kernel oil rubbed on our temples and wrists is extremely relaxing, and can help lull you off to your law and land in short order. Naps are especially helpful for resetting our emotional gauges when we're off our game emotionally. If I'm just not able to shake the blues, curling up with a good book for a while, something uplifting or inspirational, and then sliding into a little nap often leaves me more refreshed and centered when I wake up. Number 10, cultivate positive influences.

When you're down, the last thing you need is to surround yourself with unhappy people, stress-inducing or negative books, movies, or music, or more bad news. Instead of reinforcing the sadness we feel by lonely around with more negativity, intentionally seeking more positive input is important for getting back to a better space emotionally. One of my guilty pleasures is a light-hearted cozy mystery book series by Nancy Atherton called The And-To-Mitty Mysteries, reading the original two books in the series, And-To-Mitty's Death and And-To-Mitty and the Duke, always put me in a good place. The theme that runs throughout these books is the power of love to heal broken hearts and broken lives.

When I've had a bad day or I'm feeling down, I know a date with And-To-Mitty is a good first step to getting back to my normally happy and optimistic self. Spend some time with whatever serves in that capacity for you, my favorite book, movie, or piece of music, whatever uplifts you. Preparing for future rainy days. One of the first books I read years ago on simplicity was Sarah Van Rethnock's Simple Abundance, although the current minimalism and simplicity movement has evolved far beyond many of her initial ideas.

There are still some gems to be found in her writing. One that has stuck with me is her comfort drawer. Quote, Life requires that we prepare ourselves for the inevitable times that try our souls. This is achieved with a comfort drawer.

Comfort drawers are for those nice when you feel as if you like to pull the covers over your head and never come out. My refuge is the right-hand bottom drawer of my dresser, where I stockpile small indulgences throughout the year. End quote. Now, I don't have a physical comfort drawer like Sarah suggests.

My version of her comfort drawer is to keep several little trees around the house for when I'm feeling down in the dumps. My rainy day arsenal includes a favorite few novels, yes, of course, and to mini-misseries, but also Pride and Prejudice and a few others. A special tin of tea, a CD of sublime music, mine is Christian Daz's Breath of Life, a small embroidery project, treating something beautiful to give to someone as a gift. Always list my spirits.

A few favorite movies. Yes, I admit it, the 1949 version of Little Women and the original animated 101 Dalmatians are on this list. A couple of Sudoku puzzles, a small package of homemade bath salts, and a stick of my favorite by hardifying Bergamod incense. Keeping some of your favorite things around for when you're feeling down can be a big help when you need a little self-comforting.

Are the blues a signal that something in our life needs to shift? The point of this post is to acknowledge that sometimes we need to comfort ourselves since we are responsible for our own happiness. As I say, happiness is an inside job, and we know best what makes our hearts sing. Giving ourselves a respite from the worries and cares with a little self-comforting is a worthy enterprise, and let's just get back to giving ourselves to the world and ready to engage again in this thing called life.

Getting the blues can be a signal that something isn't working in our lives and some action is needed to move forward with peace and grace. No, it doesn't mean that if we're not incandescentally happy 24-7 that something is drastically wrong. However, recurring case of on we or the blues is a signal that something's off and is off in our body and minds way of giving us a heads up to look closer. After we pulled ourselves into a better space, then it may be time to do some soul searching.

Are you unhappy in your job? Are your finances in bad shape? Has an important relationship in your life hit rocky ground? Are you discontented with your health or weight?

Are you uncertain about your future path and out of fear or just maintaining status quo? Give a ton of stuff around you, a big home, nice car and expensive toys, and yet find little lasting joy in your life? This is the time to start asking the big questions and put on your problem solver hat. If larger issues seem to be the cause of recurring bouts of unhappiness, take some time once you feel you're back on solid ground and start thinking about positive changes you can make in your life.

Inward Focus is the first step, then Outward Action to Fix Was Not Working is the key. You just listened to part two of the post titled, 10 Simple Strategies for Kicking Out the Blues by Victoria Vargas with RaviKittens.com. There's a note at the end that mild depression or the blues is very different from chronic or severe depression, which should be treated by a professional. I just want to emphasize that.

And just a quick reminder that another book giveaway is coming up soon on Instagram. You can follow us at Old Podcast and tomorrow is a raffle for people on my weekly newsletter email list at oldpodcast.com. So join that before midnight tonight to be in that raffle. Without due for today and this weekend, I'll be back tomorrow for minimalist Monday.

I'll see you there, where you're optimal life. Oh wait. It's... ...