# Cheering myself up **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 20, 2004, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheering-myself-up/225384 "2004-01-20T23:58:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2004, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheering-myself-up/225384/1 "2004-01-20T23:58:38Z")
I’ve been pretty down these last couple of weeks. Especially the past week of so. My boyfriend has returned to uni (back to long distance relationship), my parents have moved away from all my friends… Well anyway I’ll stop before this becomes a self pitying thread. ANYWAY, because I’m so unhappy I can’t find anything to hold my interest. I start, decide it’s not that interesting and go lay on my bed. So what I’m asking dopers is - Any ideas on how to cheer myself up? ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheering-myself-up/225384/2 "2004-01-21T00:04:05Z")
> [@AngelicGemma](#): > > Any ideas on how to cheer myself up? Some of my old standards: Blast your favorite upbeat music! Or if you play an instrument, pull it out and tune it up. Cuddle your pet. Call and/or hang out with your oldest, bestest friends. One word: chocolate! ---
**Author:** ![Psalex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Psalex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Psalex)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheering-myself-up/225384/3 "2004-01-21T00:39:35Z")
Go, at once, and rent Sprited Away , a movie about a very small girl who finds herself alone. Sit in the floor very very close to the screen in exactly the same way 6 year old **AngelicGemma** would have. I promise a happy ending and a refreshed spirit. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheering-myself-up/225384/4 "2004-01-21T05:15:54Z")
You need to get out. Go to the library, book store, Walmart, anywhere, just get out for at least a couple hours a day. Seeing the sun, hearing birds chirp and watching people scurry about puts life back in perspective. YMMV. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheering-myself-up/225384/5 "2004-01-21T06:22:06Z")
I find distraction works. I put on a movie, watch TV, play a video game, listen to music, chat on AIM/ICQ, or wander into the Straight Dope chatroom on Undernet. ---
**Author:** ![Jennyrosity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@Jennyrosity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennyrosity)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheering-myself-up/225384/6 "2004-01-21T12:33:40Z")
Dance. Whenever I feel like that, I put on Blondie and through myself around like a thing possessed. BTW, my mum also moved away in my second term at uni, so I know how rough it can be. Damn parents, don’t they realise their lives should remain on hold until you’re sure you don’t need them anymore?! 😉 Anyway, chin up, old girl (temporarily channeling the spirit of a 1940s Wren). ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheering-myself-up/225384/7 "2004-01-21T12:43:49Z")
Thank you **Eva Luna** , **Psalex** , **ccwaterback** , **GMRyujin** and **Jennyrosity** for your suggestions. I’ll definitely be trying some of them out. And thanks aswell to anyone else that adds their suggestions. And **Jennyrosity** , you got it EXACTLY! My parents lives SHOULD remain on hold until I don’t need them! 😉😃 ---
**Author:** ![littlebee06](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@littlebee06](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/littlebee06)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheering-myself-up/225384/8 "2004-01-21T21:21:35Z")
Seeing that several people that don’t even know took the time to tell how to feel better, and actually cared that you were down in the dumps would make anyone feel better right away. It’s nice to know that there is still kindness within the teeming millions. BEE ---
**Author:** ![raz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@raz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raz)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheering-myself-up/225384/9 "2004-01-21T21:43:41Z")
Sorry to hear that you’ve been down in the dumps lately, **AngelicGemma**! Something that always makes me feel better when I’m sad is the TV show Friends. For some reason, no matter how sad or depressed I am, that show always makes me laugh. Maybe there’s a certain show or movie that does the same for you! Also, why don’t you join a gym? It’ll give you something to do, it’ll keep your mind off things, get you out of the house and out of a mopey state of mind, and you’ll have the added benefit of getting in better shape and looking AWESOME! ---
**Author:** ![myrnajean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@myrnajean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myrnajean)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheering-myself-up/225384/10 "2004-01-22T00:23:15Z")
When I am down in the dumps I… Count my blessings, and believe me, no matter how destitute you may be, they are many! If you can dance like a dervish to your favorite tunes, You have legs!! Hot damn! thats a good start! If you can call a friend or family member, you are not alone in the world. (AND you have a phone!!!) If you can play with your pet, you have someone who depends on you for everything in the world, and looks to you for love and support. If you can watch your favorite movie, you are not blind If you ate today, at least once, you are doing better than a lot of people on the face of this planet. If you have shelter and heat, your doing better than the people who live on the street under Wacker Drive. If you have a parent, or aunt or uncle left in the world, you are not an orphan. Appreciate all you have and you will never be down in the dumps, even if you feel at the moment, that you could be… ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheering-myself-up/225384/11 "2004-01-22T00:27:33Z")
Come visit sunny Florida 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheering-myself-up/225384/12 "2004-01-22T12:17:59Z")
Thank you **littlebee06, roadkiller, myrnajean and dutchboy208**. Oh, and **dutchboy208** I LOVE Florida! I’ve been there 3 times already. It’s a shame I just can’t afford to go there again! Lol. I went to the cinema and watched a good film. Yesterday I hooked up my brothers Playstation 2 to the television and hooked up my dance mat. I danced for hours! It was great! I even had my brother and mum joining in! lol. I also phoned my boyfriend. I’m still not 100%, but I am feeling better. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2004, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheering-myself-up/225384/13 "2004-01-23T03:10:19Z")
I always take stock of my life. It’s usually easy to think of someone who is much worse off than I am. Perspective usually gets me going to do “something” constructive. Read a good book, take up a hobby that interests you. Take a class in something you can sink your teeth into like photography or a particular type of cooking. Can’t help but add the Drew Carey answer: That’s life, and theres a support group for it, it’s called “everybody”, and they meet once a week at a bar to talk things over. (not a direct quote but you get the idea).