Eight Ways to Cheer Up Right Now

1.) Change! Change your hair, move your furniture, break a bad habit, or buy a piece of clothing that you like but wouldn't normally wear. Change doesn't have to be a total one-eighty, it can be growth! Is there a change you've been thinking about making, but you've just been hesitant? Why? Go for it and see what happens.

2.) Get Inspired. Ever noticed that you like something seemingly random? Maybe it's some cool art deco wallpaper or a particular shade of blue. It could be literally anything that strikes your fancy, from the logical to the completely unexplainable. If its art deco wallpaper you like, explore the art deco movement in more detail. Learn why you like it. Is it the time period? Do you like the fashion from that era, the art, or maybe just the pattern? Explore! Why not? When it comes to your creativity, don't use the words, "I shouldn't". Just go for it.

3.) Get up and out. Break your routine every now and then. Many people live their life in a strange pattern of self-induced sameness. Stop that! Go play in the snow, walk around downtown, literally stop and smell the roses. Breaking your routine doesn't cost any money and it can be amazingly refreshing. Try it and see what happens. Walk a different route to work. Keep the TV off when you get home at night. Go get a milkshake with your best friend. Start enjoying life every day.

4.) Communicate more often and better. Get in touch with your family, ask how they're doing. Try to talk once a week to people you truly love and miss. You don't have to wait until something "happens" in your life just to call to chat. You'd be surprised at the peace of mind that communicating well can bring. What will you have to mumble under your breath about if you're square with everyone you know?

5.) Be brave. Do something you've always been scared to do. Just do it, whatever it takes. If you've always wanted to sing in public, but have been afraid of embarrassing yourself in front of your friends, then go to karaoke alone! It will be quite the rush.

6.) Try positivity. Be one of those annoyingly positive people who have always bothered you. Look for silver linings in every situation. (Be careful not to overdo it, or this can backfire and cause people not to take you seriously.) Negativity is like a disease. You know the kind of person that I'm talking about, you don't hear from them until they want to pipe up to correct you or tell you they think you're doing something wrong. You could be that person and not even know it. Times are tough for everyone; nobody needs you to rain on their parade.

7.) Have a goal. Working toward something, anything at all, can help you get organized and realize how precious your time really is. Train for a marathon, plan a party, or organize a small vacation or day trip. Even if your goal will take you a year to achieve, all the sudden, you'll have something to look forward to every single day. You'd be surprised at what a difference it can make in your day to day routine. You may find yourself feeling like a kid around Christmas, marking days off of the calendar, or trying to stay nice and healthy to look good in a bathing suit. The good side effects are endless and unpredictable.

8.) Know your history. This sounds like an odd one, but with all the channels and cable news shows and websites, people can get whipped into a frenzied panic because of the state of the economy. Know this, the government has bailed out banks before. Recessions and depressions have happened. Markets have gone up and down. This is just life happening, and you can't control what's happening every minute on a grand global scale. Panic and fear is distracting, and it's a total lie to believe that you have to be connected every minute of every day. The more you know about the past, the better you'll feel about your present.