Go be around other people (for loneliness):
If you have friends that are available GREAT! But there are so many times when I found myself somewhere new where I was lonely, depressed and I had been hermiting for just too long. Go to an arcade or a movie. You don't have to talk to anyone else, but sometimes just being around other humans makes you feel just a little more human and a little less lonely.
Deep Breathing (for getting through the next few seconds without exploding):
Close your eyes and take a deep breath, in through the nose and out through the mouth, your exhale should take twice as long as your inhale. So if you breath in for three seconds you should breath out for 6. As you are breathing in imagine good things coming into your life... very much like making a wish. As you are breathing out imagine all the bad stuff is flowing out of your body and out of your life.
Grounding (for anxiety attacks):
Close your eyes and concentrate. Touch 5 different things, feel their texture and density... be as detailed as possible. Listen for 4 different sounds, how loud or soft are they? try to identify 3 smells in the air around you. Open your eyes and try to find two colors that are soothing to you. and finally taste something, your hand, the air, your meal... it doesn't matter. The point of this exercise is to get you back to the here and now, to get you back into the moment you are living at this second.
Shielding (For when you are afraid):
Sit on the floor with your legs crossed and your eyes closed. You want to imagine yourself as a tiny tree seedling. Imagine the roots coming out of the parts of your body that is touching the floor and growing into the earth... imagine them going all the way to the planets core. Once your roots reach the planets core imagine that energy comes up through your roots up into your body and then use that energy to grow that tree up around you. As the layers of this tree grow they can be different colors, and you can have as many different layers as you want. Make each layer have a different purpose but always try to keep it positive. Examples of intentions you might include would be, "Please protect me, absorb any negative energy directed at me, turn it into positive energy and send it back out into the world" That is a good one if you think people are wishing bad things on you... or "please help me make the best decisions for myself and my family." once you have all the layers I want I like to imagine the layers turning and once they click into place my tree is crystalline in my mind... very much like a diamond. I then let the extra energy out into the world to do good and help people be happy. I imagine that tree is up all day long.
Find something to be grateful for (when feeling mad at the world or uncontrollably sad):
It doesn't matter how small it is... it could be a pretty colored crayon, or a beautiful flower. You could just be happy that the pain isn't worse or that you have food in your belly. Just the simple act of LOOKING for something to be grateful for is scientifically proven to help get you in a better mood.
Get your Saratonin levels up (for when sad, mad, grumpy or moody):
Eating Chocolate is normally my go-to for this particular ill, for some drinking beer can be a substitute to eating chocolate. Other things that can help are exercising even just a walk around the block can do wonders. Having sex is a good one that is consistent on how much it helps.
Take a nap (for when the day is going all wrong or again sad, mad, grumpy or moody):
Lay down and take a 15 minute power nap, or longer if you have time. I have found that it can reset the day and give you a kind of do-over.
Find something... ANYTHING to laugh about (When feeling depressed and/or sad):
Laughter is an amazing thing... you can watch the movie Patch Adams and get the full run down on the healing properties of laughter. I don't care if it is a dark sense of humor that you need to engage or if you have to google funny animals or call a friend and beg them for a joke... find a way to laugh. It is a distraction from your problems, it makes you feel better. It doesn't solve anything but it can give you a different perspective on life in that moment.
