On days when I feel blue, things can seem pretty dark even with the bright Arizona sun shining in my windows. Depression usually gives me no warning, but I am getting much better with how I deal with it. I call it my Top 100 List.
A dear friend and Life Coach Reggie Adams recommended this years ago, and I’ve been building on it ever since. It’s a list of things I can do to pamper myself. I think she meant for me to look at this list before depression hits, but it doesn’t always work that way. Here are some examples from my list:
- Buy Myself Flowers
- Do Yoga (even if you only have time for 10 minutes of sun salutations)
- Eat a Healthy Snack (make it pretty and sit down to enjoy it)
- Read a Book (curled up on the couch in your fuzzy red socks)
- Scrapbook (play with your photos)
- Write a Letter (maybe even to yourself)
- Sing Loud and Proud in the Shower or Car
- Take a Long Hot Bath
This week I found myself feeling blue, so I chose to add a new idea to my Top 100 List, a foot soak my friend Charlotte found on Pinterest. In a little more than 20 minutes I had slipped from feeling lethargic to feeling positively lovely again. Here’s the recipe for the foot soak:
In a large basin mix: 1/2 cup Listerine, 1/2 cup vinegar and 1 cup of very warm water.
Soak your feet in the warm mixture for 15 minutes. Dry both feet completely and wrap one in a towel while you work on the other. Use a pumice stone, pedicure paddle or even just a dry towel to rub the entire foot, focusing especially on the dry calloused areas. Add lotion and enjoy soft, silky skin.
Stay tuned for more ideas to pamper yourself next week.