9 Little Things That Always Give Me A Boost

You know, there are just some days that are harder than others. Am I right, or am I right?

When rough days come my way, and they’re sure to come, I often think of little things I can do the make my day brighter. You know, little things that bring little pieces of light and happiness into my day, basically, changing my mindset and outlook on the day.

Today, I thought I’d share 9 of these little things that give me a boost on difficult days. I’ve divided this list up into morning, afternoon, evening, and night that way you don’t think I’m drinking a glass of red wine first thing in the morning (although, there are some mornings when I wonder if it would help! Ha!).

Mornings 

Music

Some days, our mornings simply do not get started the way they should, and this always seems to throw off the rest of our day. Does this happen to you too?

One thing that has made a huge difference to me when our mornings get off track is music—relaxing, instrumental, seasonally appropriate music. Not only does it help to calm and center me, but it also does the same for the boys.

Focus On The Fun

When our mornings get out of whack, my natural tendency is to cut out all the extra, fun things I had planned for the day and focus on the things that are priorities instead. However, I’ve done that enough to know that doesn’t help my stress level at all. Instead, when I forget about the priorities for the moment and focus on the fun things, even if only for 30 minutes, it seems to put us all in a better mood. Once we’re there, we can get back on track and begin to add the day’s priorities back in. 

Afternoons

Leftover Lunches

Y’all… my days feel so busy at this season of my life, so the more simple our meal plans are, the better. One little thing that makes my day is to open the fridge at 11:30 and see a bunch of leftovers sitting there that I can warm up and serve for lunch. Talk about easy!

Taking A Walk With Dean

When mornings are rough, sometimes I just need to get out of the house and off the mountain. Sometimes this means packing up into the car and heading to see Dean at work during his lunch break. When we visit Dean at work, we often go for a walk along the creek, in a field, or up the mountain. Sometimes we let the boys play and ride bikes while we sit around the firepit and chat. Other times, we go on a nature walk and look for herbs, mushrooms, or animal signs. No matter what we end up doing, spending some time with my man is always a nice break in the day.

Evenings

Going For A Drive

There are days when getting out of the house and driving the county backroads of our little mountain town is a nice way to relax after a long day. We all pile in the car and set off on an unknown adventure. Sometimes we head to a particular area of the county we’ve not been to in a while where we explore the backroads and try to see which roads link to others. Other times, we just start driving, turning this way and that—enjoying the beautiful mountain views and the conversation as we go. Going on drives together has been one of my and Dean’s favorite things to do together since we started dating, and it’s still something we both love to do together.

Going Out To Eat

It’s no secret. Cooking is not my favorite thing to do. It never has been, but hopefully, one day, it will be something I enjoy much more than I do now. If I’ve had a particularly busy day—one where I don’t feel like I’ve accomplished much at all other than keeping my head above water, going out to eat for dinner (or having Dean bring some sort of dinner home) is a great way to give me a boost simply because it’s one less thing I have to think about that day. This year, we’re trying to do this less since eating out costs a lot more money and is usually less healthy than eating at home, but it is a nice treat when I’m having one of “those days.”

Going Shopping

There’s a reason some people say shopping is therapeutic. It really does take your mind off of things. While I wouldn’t consider myself a big shopper, I am known to want to get out of the house by myself every now and then to go out of town and do a little shopping. Now, I’m not talking about going to get groceries or running errands. Those things are not relaxing to me, and that definitely doesn’t give me a boost. However, shopping for pretty things for myself or the house—now that gives me a boost. Because I’m trying to be more careful about mindless spending and trying to focus on buying quality items, shopping trips aren’t all that often these days. However, when I do feel the need for one, they definitely help to make my day brighter!

Nights

A Hot Bath

A hot bath is one of my favorite self-care activities. Not only does it give me a bit of a break from everything and everyone, thus, relaxing my mind, but it nourishes my skin and relaxes my muscles as well. A lot of times I add bath salts or herbal teas to my bath. Sometimes I add herbal infused oils as well. It really depends on what I have available and what I’m in the mood for. Even a bath with no added ingredients is better than no bath at all. There are times when I just soak and relax in the bath, and other times I read or write instead. Sometimes I write in my journal, and other times, I work on a blog post. No matter, after an hour or so of soaking, I definitely feel more relaxed and happier.

A Glass of Red Wine

One of my favorite ways to wind down in the evening, especially if I’ve really had a day, is to pour myself a glass of red wine. I normally like to sip on wine as I prepare dinner, but if the day has been especially trying, a glass in the evening after the boys have gone to bed can be a really nice way to close out the day. If this is the case, I normally spend time savoring my glass of wine while chatting with Dean about our day or any upcoming plans we may have. This somehow seems to make it all better. I’m more relaxed, less stressed, and ready for a good night’s sleep!

And that’s it. Nine little things that always seem to give me a boost and make me feel better.

So what about you? Do any of these things give you a boost when you’re having “one of those days?” If so, which one(s)? Or maybe there’s some other thing that makes you feel better when you’ve had a rough day. If so, I’d love to hear what it is.

As always, thanks so much for being here and reading Growing Up Herbal! I really, really appreciate you!

Love and light,
Meagan