Take a nice long walk and look at stuff. Preferably in a mall. or take myself to a movie. or treat myself to --well--something.

I find a great quote and use chalk to write it in big block letters on a large sidewalk or parking lot. Crosswalks are good too, if you can do it without getting hit by a car! Sidewalks at colleges, city centers, elementary schools, well traveled restaurant districts. Great fun!

its less expensive than retail therapy and gets attention too

Take a bubble bath, with a cold beer, pamper a bit, listen to music, embrace the funk for a while and get a good nights sleep, everything always looks better in the morning.

I watch a fav show of mine: The XFiles.

I have a big TV... get myself a treat, and watch a few episodes of this show at a time.

The show helps me realize that it is O.K. to be single... because the two main characters are single :)

Looking at the male main character reminds me that there a lot more men out there I need to meet ! :)

Run Forrest, RUN!!!

Read the Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum series beginning w/ "One for the Money" and going through 13? 14? Enough for at least 6 months of fun. I have never laughed so hard in my entire life. It's hard to be depressed when you're laughing so hard you're falling off the couch!!!

"Let's face it - the basic premise of this book is so whacked that you just gotta laugh before you even start reading it! Stephanie Plum, a down on her luck and out of work lingerie buyer cons her cousin, Vinnie, into giving her a job as a "recovery agent", a skip tracer, a bounty hunter. She's brash, vulgar, feminine, cute, sexy, tarty, sassy, funny and, on top it of it all, she's got balls made of brass." She is a single woman w/ all the problems of a single woman. But she is also a DWD goddess and worth emulating too. After a few hours in her life, yours will look like a piece of cake.

Try it, it really works. Her Grandma Mazur is my hero. When I'm 90 THAT'S the woman I want to be!

Yes, Robin.

Definitely sleep. Take two benedryl with a big glass of wine and call me in the morning!

It is true, everything DOES look better (or at least has lost it's edge) by morning. It's the nighttime obsessing that will really run you down.

SZ

wayyyyyyyy i like this cos i have some good was to cheer you up when your down ..........

1. Play your favoutie tunes .......very loud .....move the furniture outta the way and dance your ass off.....don't stop if you feel tierd ...keep going cos you gotta push yourself that bit further to start the good feeling ......i call it the happy zone :)

2. Go out and get really i mean really Drunk and dance your ass off and flirt with everything male not matter how young or old .....and leave them standing ( that is great fun a real laugh)

3. If its the past thats bit you in the ass and that why you feel down .....write it down i mean all of it then take it out side and burn it ........sounds silly but it works.

4. Still feeling down.......go and do something really i mean really really silly ..........don't even think about what others will think about you .......who cares if it makes your smile.

5. this one is boring ............but if you can't sleep ....rearrange the furniture at daft o'clock ......' mind sorting ' stops you from thinkng too much .

Great ones, Puz!

Your tunes reminded me of another one.

Road trip! Take a road trip and go to a different place. Even if it's just a park in another city at least 25 min away. Stock up the CD player with your fav feel good music and sing at the top of your lungs. Singing therapy. If you're alone no one will complain!

SZ

Another great one...

Local live music. Research a local music performance in your area. Someone within your genre who you've never seen. Grab some girlfriends or go alone and sit in the corner with your drink. No pressure to meet men, socialize, etc. Just to listen to the music.

Sit in the corner with your beer or margarita....unless you are attending a string quartet concert at the local cathedral or church or temple or mosque...the one with the magnificent windows. That is fun too. I like to do these alone....usually you meet some interesting people too. I feel rejuvenated afterwards.

Getting lost in the local music helps my mind and supports the local musicians.

SZ

Forgot about baking therapy.

Bake to relieve stress. Pull out those old family recipes and bake something really good. Smell up the house up with homemade bread, muffins, cookies (or even a big pot of soup or stew) Then (here's the secret to baking therapy, the secret to baking without gaining 50 lbs!) give the majority of it away to someone who does not cook. An old neighbor, those starving coworkers, the homeless person at the local park, your best friend who doesn't even know where her kitchen is..... Older neighbors and relatives on a fixed income who don't cook are especially appreciative, I find.

My bf's office loves it when I am stressed out.....muffins, cakes, pies etc. come pouring in. Last week was a coconut poundcake.

I've been trying to hit the gym everyday during lunch. And in the evenings I'm working on presents for the holidays. I think maybe tonight I'll turn up the music and dance ;)

The music one is great f/ me...I usually choose really strong women artists...Love, Love, Love Annie Lennox/Eurythmics.

Nature- Go f/ a long walk in the woods; putz f/ hours in your yard, garden, even if your "garden" only consists of a few potted plants. Digging in the soil, turning the "earth" always rejuves me.

Journaling; writing whatever comes to mind no matter how silly or ridiculous it may seem at the moment.

Mind Altering drugs; quaaludes, bennies, etc..(just kidding!)

Volunteering f/ a good cause.

Spending time w/ the very young and the very old.

Yoga

Good piece of dark chocolate and glass of wine

I've been saying it all along...Chocolate!! Bananas are also a mood lifter and I find that buying something new, no matter how inexpensive can really boost the spirits. Talk to friends and family and music always.

SMURF!! I just read the last part of your post...you're my kind of woman (not that way) ;) Dark is the best!!!

Example...before my ex was heading for hills (ha) he made sure I had a bag of chocolates and a bottle of wine. Guess he figured a little of each would help with the lying, cheating bastard that he turned out to be!!!!! OK, OK! I'm better now. :)

Sitting in the car (especially in the rain) with a cup of tea and the classical music playing. Lean back, close your eyes and breathe! Chocolate would be a nice touch here too.

This works if things get stressful at work (lunch) or for the intense parential politics that revolves around my kid's sports teams. During practice I can choose NOT to participate in all of the drama going on inside the hockey rink.

Making and delivering soup to neighbors who don't cook....especially elderly folks on a fixed income.

This week...chicken kneydl and chicken and rice.

Chicken soup is the classic medicine to dispell a funk. It cures everything! Worked for me last night. Warm rich homemade chicken broth, fluffy kneydl, carrots, celery w sprinkling of fresh parsley. Mmmmm.