Bonjour Royal friends!

Welcome to my blog, a ‘tongue-in-chic’ happiness lifestyle guide from a funny princess point of view!

A big hearty, princess WELCOME to the new people in my kingdom whom I met during my seminar at Venue at Monroe, your beautiful residential palace. (You know who you are!)  I’m absolutely thrilled you’ve joined me in this magical space where happiness rules and positivity reigns. If you’re reading this post and you’ve been in my kingdom for a while, please know how I am always grateful to greet you here. Life is better together.

Today I’d like to talk to you about 7 PRINCESS-WORTHY SECRETS to snap out of a funk when you’ve got the blues.

Here’s a little secret.  Even the happiest of happy princesses has bad hair days.  I don’t mean bad hair in the literal sense, as tiaras hide a myriad of sins, but those days when she wants to hide under the blankees with her biggest, softest, fluffiest Pooh Bear and not come out til Punxsutawney Phil makes his entrance. But being that I consider myself a Royal Ambassador of Positivity, somehow I manage to give myself a good brushing off. Not without the help of a few tricks, a few of which I am sharing today. These tips and tricks will help you snap outta that funk and self-soothe like a baby on a bottle.

For example. Say some billionaire beat you to the last vacancy at the only stable suitable for your multi-million dollar racing steed. Did I mention you’re currently boarding Trigger in your ground floor guest bedroom? Did I mention said bedroom has white marble floors? Did I mention said horse is glucose intolerant?

Or perhaps that Rent-A-Runway dress that looked divine on your BFF, but on you, it resembles a 20-pound sack of potatoes, never mind they are organic.   Did I mention, the party’s tonight? Did I mention it was supposed to be your Revenge Dress? Did I mention you’re out of Xanax?

Now you can spritz yourself with these 7 Self-Help tips like your own personal Blues-Be-Gone Happiness Spray when your nerves do more fraying than a tailor in a tassel factory.

1. Treat Yourself to a Time-Limited Pity Party.

When life gets crazy and you’re unhappy, it never helps to totally refuse to feel your feelings. Stuff them down, and they may erupt somewhere, sometime, somehow. But basking in your blues doesn’t feel too good either.  I don’t know anyone who truly wants to stay there. A cool trick to help mitigate the blues is to tell yourself you will entertain them for a set time frame, and then you are going to move on.  I often tell myself, “Okay Princess, ten minutes in Wallowland and then you’re outta there.”

What you are doing when you use the Time-Limited Pity Party trick is creating stated boundaries for your aggravation and pain, while setting your sights and your sails to snap out of your funk.  Sometimes just setting a time-frame by creating boundaries on the blues can be that one trick pony that kicks you into a better mood.  So allow yourself the grace to wallow a little. Ten minutes, fifteen minutes, more if you’d like. It’s a great comfort to know that you’ve got your own back on this one, and that blue skies are ahead. Because you said so.

2. Give Yourself Permission to Pig Out (Responsibly).

There’s a reason they call it “comfort food.” If you have favorite foods or snacks that give you some joy, maybe this is the time to give yourself permission to indulge.  But pig out responsibly. Try not to go full hog, because you don’t want to ruin your health or let guilt make everything worse. And of course, if you have health restrictions on certain foods, don’t go there. But sometimes when life bites, it helps to bite back. So if you find yourself in a funk, try giving yourself permission to dig in to your favorite snack, and perhaps whatever is eating at you is “nacho” problem anymore.

3. Visit an Animal Shelter or Animal Rescue Farm. Or Pet Your Pet.

They say, “There ain’t nothing like a dame.” But when you’re feeling blue, there ain’t nothing like a Dane. Or poodle. Or Frenchie. Or Chiwawa. Or tabby cat. Or rabbit. Or horse, or pig, or cow, or donkey, or chicken, or turkey…you get the picture. When you are in the presence of animals, you’re sure to get that warm fuzzy feeling. Even if they’re not the fuzzy kind. I know one Insta guy whose large lizard steals my heart!  Being around animals can bring the magic of happy to your hurting heart.  Animals are good for the soul. So if you have pets, go pet them. And if you don’t have pets, or if you do but you want some outside fun, go to an animal shelter or animal rescue farm. It’s quite unbelievable how critters can help lift a human’s mood.

Q:  “What did the cow say to the person who went to an animal rescue farm because they were feeling blue?                                                                                                                                  A: Let me lift your moooood.”

4. Make Your Bed and Clean Your Abode.

You know that good feeling you get when it’s spring-cleaning time, and you are flush with thoughts of new beginnings and positivity?  You can get a little of that renewed feeling by just doing what you do at spring-cleaning time…cleaning up!  Part of the lifting of spirits is purely the power of distraction. But another part is the resultant feeling of breathing space and a renewed sense of order. Reorder on the outside can help reorder what’s on the inside and help dust off your worries. And, if you get around to cleaning out your closet and donating some clothes, you’ll get the extra fairy dusting of happiness that comes from do-goodness.

5. Play An Old School Game. 

Playing an old school kind of game (as opposed to something electronic) can help you get in touch with your lighter side, get you in touch with your inner child,  and mitigate some of the heavy heart you might be feeling. If you have kiddies or grandkiddies, pull out a board game like Candy Land or Chutes and Ladders. Or a card game like Old Maid and Go Fish. If you play the game with a little kid, their laughter just might be the magic bullet you’ve been shooting for.  (As long as you let them win!)  You can play a game with a friend too. It doesn’t have to be complicated; make it Tic tac Toe if you want.  And if no one is around…get out a pack of cards and play Solitaire.  Just stay away from electronics.  Your mind and soul need a breather from the alter-universe.

6. Take a Mindfulness Walk.

A Mindfulness Walk is a walk where you walk with intention, staying focused on being in the present moment.  Notice the feel of your feet in your shoe as you step.  Notice your breath in and out as you move.  Notice the rhythm of your breath. Really register in your mind the sight of nature and your surroundings. Notice the fresh air on your cheeks as you walk.  Notice the color of the sky, the shape of the clouds, the scent of the flowers, the sway of the leaves, the swoops and sounds of the birds. The Mindfulness Walk is another way to practice mindfulness, or the practice of being present. It’s a wonderful and powerful way to find relief from negative, ruminating thoughts because mindfulness practices keep you safe in the moment instead of sliding down the rabbit hole that your thoughts are trying to take you.

7. Cook a New and Adventurous Recipe.

Sometimes just doing something new and adventurous helps chase away the blues. A new adventure doesn’t mean you have to travel across the Serengeti. It may be as easy as a new recipe for spaghetti.  And there lies our number seven tip: An easy way to do something new and adventurous is to peruse and poke around a recipe book (or on-line recipes) and add a new, fun recipe to your repertoire…and make it!  Try one of Julia Child’s classically famous creations. Or Giada de Laurentis’ luscious Italian specialties. Or one from that fabulous Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten. Or delicious dishes from Half-Baked Harvest. Start anywhere and see where the gustatory road leads you. Decide what you’re in the mood for and let inspiration lead you on a new and exciting adventure right from home. Ruby slippers not required. 

I hope these seven tips help you to debunk your funk!   I’d love to hear comments about these ideas, and any ideas you have to dial it down when you’re in the dumps.

x♥x♥x♥,

Thank you for visiting my blog. Please enjoy my FREE GIFT, “24 Powerful Motivational Quotes to Pump Up Positivity!” – a downloadable, printable pdf you can get by subscribing  to my periodic happiness lifestyle posts. Grab it here!

Dame Diane Uniman, Aka Princess Diane von Brainisfried, is an attorney turned motivational speaker, certified positive psychology life coach and award-winning writer.  She wrote Bonjour, Breast Cancer-I’m Still Smiling…Wit, Wisdom, and Optimism for Beating the Breast Cancer Blues.