What can cheer you up? Not alcohol or drugs, but similar?

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What is similar to alcohol or drugs, like a quick fix that can cheer you up without much effort? I can't think of anything except maybe jumping a skipping rope or playing a computer game, but that's not quite right. I wondered what people do when they're trying not to drink, or maybe they naturally don't drink, what they do to cheer themselves up when they're bored and depressed.

― abitdepressed, Saturday, 15 November 2003 23:52 (twenty-two years ago)

certain songs jack me right up

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 15 November 2003 23:54 (twenty-two years ago)

going for a walk to a place that's beautiful.

― MarkH (MarkH), Saturday, 15 November 2003 23:54 (twenty-two years ago)

sunlight alone can do it. I get a hit from walking from the bus stop to work when the sun is bright. It wears off when I reach work of course!

― MarkH (MarkH), Saturday, 15 November 2003 23:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Charlie Mingus doing 'Better git it in your soul' live at the Antibes jazz festival with Eric Dolphy.

― Ed (dali), Saturday, 15 November 2003 23:56 (twenty-two years ago)

These are good suggestions

― abitdepressed, Saturday, 15 November 2003 23:58 (twenty-two years ago)

i was going to say a quick hand shandy might do the trick but then i always feel a bit crap afterwards so that's probably bad advice

― the surface noise (electricsound), Sunday, 16 November 2003 00:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Favorite children's books/stories. I can't help but grin at "The Elephant's Child" from Just So Stories, for instance.

Watching funny movies or whatever's amusing that you have on tape.

Playing an instrument if you do so.

Borrow a friend's dog if you like animals (and don't have a pet yourself) and play frisbee with it or something. People are usually happy to have someone walk their dog and hanging out with big goofy animals tends to be great for your mood.

― JuliaA (j_bdules), Sunday, 16 November 2003 00:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Jim is almost right, but if you make it, say, a 2 hour long tommy, then you'll be happy, or at least distracted, for the duration.

Calvin and Hobbes.

― Markelby (Mark C), Sunday, 16 November 2003 00:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Cook something yummy! Comfort food - bake a potato, or cook some pasta and maybe make your own sauce!

― Broheems (diamond), Sunday, 16 November 2003 00:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Get a paddling pool.

I'm serious. Go to wherever you get them from and get one. I don't care if it's utterly freezing outside, set it up, fill it up, splash around.

If you're not in a good mood at the end of that then you're in trouble.

― Lynskey (Lynskey), Sunday, 16 November 2003 02:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Go to wherever kids play and watch them.

― oops (Oops), Sunday, 16 November 2003 02:36 (twenty-two years ago)

ugh.

― RJG (RJG), Sunday, 16 November 2003 02:39 (twenty-two years ago)

zoip.

― oops (Oops), Sunday, 16 November 2003 02:40 (twenty-two years ago)

1) clean yr room
2) get a haircut
3) and sit straight for god's sake, your posture's a mess!

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Sunday, 16 November 2003 02:46 (twenty-two years ago)

4) it's weird, today i was getting a little depressed about something and i finally realized: i've been putting off doing my laundry. so i did it and i felt way better! i still have a lot of crap to do this weekend but THAT was it. letting bills stack up, anything like that, it'll weevil its way into the brane and start nesting around in there, playing bad weevil music and throwing little bad weevil parties

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Sunday, 16 November 2003 02:49 (twenty-two years ago)

th otm.

― RJG (RJG), Sunday, 16 November 2003 02:50 (twenty-two years ago)

chug a mountain dew, then listen to Andrew WK, or Motorhead's "No Voices in the Sky".

instant pick up.

― Jay Dee Sah Mon (Kingfish), Sunday, 16 November 2003 02:55 (twenty-two years ago)

So abitdepressed, are you trying not to drink in general? Because that's kind of a whole different question than how to cheer up without drinking.
Jumping rope is a good idea, actually. Any kind of motion, especially if it forces you to leave your room, or your house, or wherever you're stewing.
And yeah, Tracer's dead right. Whenever I'm out of sorts there's usually something simple and stupid I need to do that I've buried under my brain.

― Keith Harris (kharris1128), Sunday, 16 November 2003 03:15 (twenty-two years ago)

bloodclaat jungle techno

― fiddo centington (dubplatestyle), Sunday, 16 November 2003 04:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Usually music I love will do it for me.

Late, late last night, I couldn't fall asleep, even though I was really sleepy, and I realized that was because I was feeling too stressed out and generally unhappy. Then I spotted this video I had and decided to pop it in. I was so thrilled to find out it had my favorite music video of all time on it (um, fangirl time -- it was Duran Duran's "Do You Believe In Shame?" video) and something else that made me deliriously happy for awhile. After watching some of that for awhile, I was able to get to sleep.

― Pancakes For Breakfast! (Dee the Lurker), Sunday, 16 November 2003 04:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Tracer Hand is OTM. I just took off from work for three weeks (not an option for everyone, I realize, not to mention that not everyone has a job to take off from) and aside from staying up as late as I wanted and getting up when I wanted, I spent a lot of time taking care of a back-load of chores: take unused coffee table to homeless shelter, trade in books/CDs for credit, buy another CD case, buy a file to replace the one with the droopy drawers, buy a desk chair and reunite kitchen chair with kitchen table, have someone measure the bathroom window for blinds (because I don't trust myself with such things), buy holders for back issues of magazines (getting them off the floor), etc.

Sorry, this is very consumer-oriented, but it was all stuff that I kind of "needed" at least more than I usually need what I buy.

I'm not suggesting, of course, that this sort of stuff is the only possible cause of depression!--just that it can hang onto you like a dead weight.

As I've already said too often, one of my favorite natural highs is salsa dancing.

― Rockist Scientist, Sunday, 16 November 2003 05:02 (twenty-two years ago)

I 2nd walking and sunshine. Especially in combination with beaches. Also talking to your mother or someone with a similar role.

And singing along to music when you're alone.

― isadora (isadora), Sunday, 16 November 2003 05:07 (twenty-two years ago)

If anyone is feeling depressed, they are welcome to come and clean my bathroom.

― Rockist Scientist, Sunday, 16 November 2003 05:18 (twenty-two years ago)

these things do it for me:
reading, watching clouds, cleaning up stuff that has been bugging me for ages, certain cds and singing to them, going for a walk or to the beach to collect shells, making the effort to cheer someone else up.

― donna (donna), Sunday, 16 November 2003 05:45 (twenty-two years ago)

kisses kisses kisses

― cinniblount (James Blount), Sunday, 16 November 2003 06:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Running.

Also my friend just took me to see a comedy over at the Seattle Rep theater, which neither of us (silly NJ snobs) expected to be any good. Happily it was pretty funny, which cheered me up a lot.

― lyra (lyra), Sunday, 16 November 2003 06:20 (twenty-two years ago)

A google image search for "cute".

― man, Sunday, 16 November 2003 10:55 (twenty-two years ago)

* Watch Return of the Jedi
* Paint a picture
* Eat toast and drink tea

― jel -- (jel), Sunday, 16 November 2003 12:39 (twenty-two years ago)

I wish I could watch Return of the Jedi! I own the VHS tapes, however, I don't own a VCR anymore. :-( argh. Actually, I think I'd pick Empire Strikes Back, but same idea.

― lyra (lyra), Sunday, 16 November 2003 20:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Wodehouse. It's damned near impossible to be depressed reading Wodehouse. (his name rhymes with "woodlouse", by the way)

― Octothorpe (Octothorpe), Sunday, 16 November 2003 20:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Wodehouse seconded.
And driving very far away on a sunny day.

― Orbit (Orbit), Sunday, 16 November 2003 20:29 (twenty-two years ago)

I wouldn't call them comfort foods, but I've been convinced that cream of mushroom soup and cranberry juice (not necessarily at the same time) each have some sort of natural endorphin-enhancing quality.

― andrew m. (andrewmorgan), Sunday, 16 November 2003 21:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Bad movies with young Hollywood actresses in them.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Sunday, 16 November 2003 21:59 (twenty-two years ago)

International travel, giant hotel rooms, limousines made entirely of meringue...

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Sunday, 16 November 2003 22:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Wodehouse thirded! I have a giant crush on Psmith.

Or go out to the park and give peanuts to the squirrels. If you do this often enough they start to follow you around. When you get your own squirrel army you can probably take over the world and then you won't be depressed anymore. Shit, I've leaked my secret plan!

Of course if you can't even get off the couch, if you have a TV, watch Hamtaro.

― Ann Sterzinger (Ann Sterzinger), Sunday, 16 November 2003 22:41 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.groovycandies.com/candypics/poprocks2.jpg

― phil-two (phil-two), Sunday, 16 November 2003 22:43 (twenty-two years ago)

tattoos

― A Girl Named Sam (thatgirl), Sunday, 16 November 2003 22:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Wow, these suggestions are all really good.

― abitdepressed, Sunday, 16 November 2003 22:45 (twenty-two years ago)

- freshly laundered bedsheets

- visit to the theatre (not cinema)

- curry

― Bob Six (bobbysix), Sunday, 16 November 2003 23:21 (twenty-two years ago)

pussy.

― Julio q (jdesouza), Sunday, 16 November 2003 23:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Chocolate is the closest thing I've ever found to a topical anti-depressant. It does have some chemical in it that mimicks the effects of happy neurotransmitters. However, I wouldn't use it on a regular basis due to the weight-gain side effects.

My strange thing that I do when I'm feeling down, is wash the dishes. Maybe it's an anxiety/control thing, but I feel SO MUCH BETTER when the kitchen is clean.

― Citizen Kate (kate), Monday, 17 November 2003 09:04 (twenty-two years ago)

cake

― g-kit (g-kit), Monday, 17 November 2003 12:26 (twenty-two years ago)

i control airoplanes with my eyes

― the evil docter claw, Monday, 17 November 2003 12:40 (twenty-two years ago)

My boy, someone saying a funny statement that only we understand, fave songs or films

― Pinkpanther (Pinkpanther), Monday, 17 November 2003 12:44 (twenty-two years ago)

driving real fast

― duane, Monday, 17 November 2003 12:58 (twenty-two years ago)

while reading p.g. wodehouse

― duane, Monday, 17 November 2003 12:58 (twenty-two years ago)

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