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A Few Bits and Bobs: little things to improve crappy days

My musical finds, read on to find out more...

Good morning folks! I hope you're all well. Currently, things aren't too great with me. I've been struggling a bit with the gigantic mess that is life and have been struggling not to use my rubbishy and maladaptive coping techniques. Therefore, I am writing this post to remind myself of things to that help when things are a little crappy, and to impart my wisdom (a bit presumptuous maybe? I'm hardly wise) on matters concerning mental health. Let's get to it!

A Small (Musical) Pleasure

This little tidbit is one of my ultimate favourite things to do, and one that I'd not done for quite some time until recently.  It is... Blind-buying CDs (or vinyls, if that's your jam)!

When I was a teen (oh, those many years ago...), I blind-bought CDs nearly every week and I was nearly always pleasantly surprised. I made my choice purely using the logic of who had the-coolest-band-name or a-bloody-awesome-CD-cover. I always chose bands that I'd never heard of, in attempt to remain blind in my choice and to expand my musical horizons. It's just so fun, unwrapping each CD, the anticipation so exciting for what was to come. The click of 'play' on my CD player never sounded so good.

I found We Are Scientists, Elbow (it was ages ago, okay?), Crystal Castles and most recently, Irit, through this method and they have come to hold special places in my heart.

Honestly, just give it a try, you never know who you might find!

A quick pic of today's outfit! I felt very confident in it.

A Self-Improvement Day 

I must say, I don't have fabulous self-esteem (does anyone?) and seem to be perpetually aware of my flaws and faults. But! I don't let this get me down. Instead, why not join me in taking (the new version of the self-care day) a self-improvement day? Inspired by Lavendaire, I recently wrote a couple of lists: my (few) strengths and my (many) flaws. Drawing from this, I began to brainstorm how I might improve upon and work on my newly listed flaws.

For example, one of my flaws is that I have a terrible temper and can be quite fiery at times. I then countered this by proposing that I attempt to leave some time between the initial anger trigger and my response. I would remain silent for a few moments and try to consider how I could act differently. Say my mother, or whoever, has a go at me for something housework-related, instead of snapping, I would simply say 'okay' or apologise. Saying sorry is a big step for me. I'm not very gracious.

Anyway, this tip can work for many things: say you want to be more hard-working, spend the day making a work-related plan, maybe a five-year goal list or ways to improve your work ethic (like removing distractions and outlining exactly what you want to achieve, incentives and all!), or even just spend the day doing the work you've been putting off.

Perhaps you want to be more worldly or skilled in a particular area? In that case, you could spend a day researching current affairs and world events or take the first step towards learning said skill. The world's your lobster!

This depiction of what goes on in my mind is pretty creative, in my opinion!

A Creative Mindset

Not good at art? Writing not your thing? Playing/composing music sends you into a fit of panic? If you answered yes to all/some of the above, I have an idea for you: why not enter into a creative mindset?

You might be wondering what I mean by this, I shall explain. The mind is our greatest tool, our most precious attribute, and what's more it's infinite in its possibilities. You can think (until you're dead, of course) to your heart's content, so exercise it. Think abstractly and think freely. Think of something, anything, and let the idea form into whatever it was destined to become. It often helps to walk when thinking, so you can exercise both mind and body. Don't be afraid to ruminate, sometimes new ideas can come from old thoughts. Remember things, indulge in nostalgia. Record what you find, even if it's just 'I had fish and chips for tea today', and it's okay if it feels idle sometimes. Ultimately, the mind is a treasure trove. You never know what you might find. So go explore!

Coffee is my all-purpose cure!

Right guys, I've shared some of my ideas for crappy days, I hope you enjoyed them. Thank you very much for reading my blog. We all know that life isn't always great, but we can exercise a degree of control over how we react to life's down days. Enjoy the rest of your day (and follow me on instagram if you like @jumper.dweller)!

Over and out!




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