The holidays can bring sadness and despair more than joy, leaving behind, as the new year begins, a trail of negative feelings that can endure for quite awhile. I am not a victim of that experience this year, but I can’t claim to have been spared from it before. Having your heart submerged in the blues isn’t a good omen.
Now that I’ve brought the mood way down, let’s look at what can be done about it.
(Oh, by the way, you might think I am about to advise playing music to kill the bad vibes, but I barely touch on that subject.)
One of the first remedy that’s known to kill the gloom is the diet. Are you surprised? Did you expect me to suggest running some scales or pounding some paradiddles? No, not this time. I am writing this blog to help a large population of followers and all two of them deserve my best. So, as I said, if you’re feeling down, question your diet. All too often the bad foods we eat kill the happy cells we own. I’ll say a cliché, but consuming more fruits and vegetable can improve our health and mood.
Second, exercising will improve you odds. I am not talking about joining a gym. Don’t join anything, don’t buy anything. The best and most efficient exercise gear we’ve found so far is and will always be a flat surface. If you can stand, sit or lay somewhere on earth, you’re ready to work out. If you need weights, pick up what’s around like toms and snare drums for drummers or books and more books for piano players. The hard part is, of course… But not yet. Let’s not talk about the hard part yet, you’re not ready.
Third is a social activity. If you can, try to have one that involves real people, not their digitize version on dungeons&dragons.com. You don’t need to spend money or to be online to be with people. You can instead go to your local library which will propose, I’m almost certain of it, a catalog of “programs”. Pick one or three and make a point of attending. You will probably meet some very nice fellows that will share their passion about crochet or fly-fishing with you. If you don’t want to go to the library, you can find a great many apps that will help you meet some people sharing your tastes and interests, whether that be a miniature furniture clubs or how to grow cabbages in the winter.
Now you’re ready, I think. The hard part in all of these is the follow through. It it not easy to chase the blues away because, before we try to do it, we are pretty sure that it will come back, and stronger than ever. It doesn’t have to be that way if you understand the hard part. I’ll give you the secret of the hard part: keep going, no matter what is said, done, intended, you keep going. Your path is the most important thing in the world, that’s the hardest part to get. Most people who are giving up don’t think much about themselves. But the pattern is always the same: they go deeper and deeper into the blues, then bounce back and make some effort to have a better life and eventually come out ok, but many months or years later. Well, how about this advice: don’t wait to sink further down, start working towards your happiness now.
Oh, and, of course, take piano or drum lessons helps tremendously. It depends with whom, of course but I heard there is a pretty optimistic teacher right in your neighborhood.
