Confession: I’m a big believer in the Power of Positive Thinking as well as Being Kind to Yourself. My dad, who dealt with depression for years, struggled with these two concepts.
As I was sorting through some of his old papers I came across this list of 81 Presents to Give Yourself stuffed into a long forgotten folder. It’s a great list for bringing more joy to your days, regardless of your mental health status, so I decided to share it here….
81 Presents to Give Yourself
Walk instead of ride
Give yourself a compliment
Break a bad habit, if just for today
Search out a long-lost friend
Read a poem aloud
Look at the stars
Visit a shut in
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Be thankful
Use a new word
Frame a picture
Enjoy silence
Walk to the nearest park
Forget an old grudge
Take yourself to lunch
Help a stranger
Try a new food
Books for Cooks Shop Window
Go to the library (or your favorite book shop)
Take a risk
Jump into a pile of leaves
Tell someone you love him or her
Take a rainy day nap
Sign up for a class
Do something you’ve always wanted to do
Contact someone you’ve been thinking of
Meditate
Learn something new
Surprise a child
Hug someone
Sing in the shower
List 10 things you do well
Walk in the rain
Pay a compliment
Give away something you don’t like
Waste a little time
Curl up before a fire with some cocoa
Buy a ticket to a special event
Return something you’ve borrowed
Organize some small corner of your life
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Pop popcorn
Turn of the TV and talk
Draw a picture, even if you can’t draw
Practice courage in one small way
Keep a secret
Eat with chopsticks
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Go wading
Bake Bread
Smell a flower
Kiss someone
Send a card to someone for no reason
Clean out your wallet
Take an early morning walk
Laugh at yourself
Tell a joke
Look at old photos
Walk barefoot
Talk to a pet
Visit a lonely person
Go for a swim
Give yourself a present
Build a sandcastle
Follow an impulse
Write a poem
Start a new project
Volunteer some time to a good cause
Have breakfast in bed
Reread your favorite book
Francie Waiting for Her Walk
Give your dog a bone
Take a different road home
Watch the sun set
Let someone do you a favor
Allow yourself to make a mistake
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Hide a love note where a loved one will find it
Make a surprise gift
Go to a fair
Lie on the grass
Do something hard to do
Rearrange a room
Get up before anyone else
Let someone love you
Hum
Source: Unknown; Some of these ideas are from the Mental Health Association of Oregon
Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she’s not experimenting in the kitchen, you’re likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
More about Martha McKinnon
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