As the weather is changing and the sun is shining less, it’s more important than ever to find effective ways to pick yourself up. Summer is gone. It’s getting cold outside. The days are shorter and darker.

I’m one of those people who love fall (not winter). The colors outside are beautiful. You get to wear sweaters! There’s Halloween and pumpkins and then thanksgiving with family. It’s also the perfect weather for indoor reading and reflecting.

I once saw a meme that expresses that fall gives a visual example of how to let things go. That stuck with me. If there are some things in your life that you need to let go of, now is the perfect time to do it.

I think of a feel good bank. I try to stay in tune with my feel good account and keep a nice balance. If you need a little pick me up, there are small things that you can do that go a long way –

• Listen to an inspirational song – I have an inspirational playlist because good music soothes the soul
• Read inspirational/motivational quotes – I keep a quote library
• Keep your “pick me up people” on speed dial – it’s good to always have a person or two that you can call who will give you that laugh or pep talk that you need
• Limit your time on social media – sometimes you need to step away from all of the negative stimulus that comes from social media. That’s ok. Take a break
• Smile! – when you offer a smile to someone, you usually get one in return. It feels good. So does hugs!
• Go and see a trained mental health professional- sometimes you need a person who’s been trained and has resources to help you with whatever is ailing you. Don’t avoid it! Find help!

Lastly, if you have people you love, there are times when they just make you smile and feel good (I know there are times when they don’t) and it’s good to pull from your memories of those times. How did that make you feel? I know when one of my kids tell me thank you or I love you out of the blue, it makes me feel good.

On Saturday’s, I get up early in the morning to take my son to violin lessons. On the way there, we listen to the Myths and Legends podcast because he enjoys it. Afterwards, we usually stop and get a mocha for me and a hot chocolate for him. Although I hate getting up early on Saturday, I love that he and I can share that little time together alone. And that always gives me a few feel good points for my feel good bank.