I've been having a string of bad days recently. My mental health has been all over the place and it seems like every time I turn around, there's more bad news and more stuff to deal with. It's definitely been a lot.
That being said, I've been trying to find a way to feel better and get better, and while I'm in therapy and working through stuff that way, I was little inspired for today's post because I know I'm not the only one dealing with some shit right now.
The biggest difference you can make in the world is through how you treat other people. If you're negative and mean and a bully and self-absorbed, then you lose all chance of being able to completely impact someone else. The words we say and the actions we do towards other people can be HUGE even if it seems like the most insignificant things in the world.
I'm an empath. I hate seeing other people being unhappy or suffering or having a bad day so I try my hardest to make sure that my presence is a positive one. This is not to say that I don't have bad days or that sometimes I could give less than two shits about anyone but myself, but I try my best to be positive. These five steps I'm about to share with you are the ways I have discovered can literally completely change someone's day from bad to good or at the very least, remind that person that they're not alone in the world and that someone notices/cares about them.
Compliments
People love being complimented. One of my favorite things to do is to compliment strangers. I work on the downtown mall where there is a lot of foot traffic in a restaurant that is usually pretty busy. Do you know how easy it is to tell someone that their dress is cute dress or that their outfit is fire? It literally takes like two seconds.
Pro tip: stick to things that people control personally, like their hair color or their outfit or their shoes, etc. It's way more meaningful and feels more sincere and personal.
Texts/Calls
There is a reason girls always say that they want a good morning text from their boyfriend. It literally shows them that they're being thought of by someone they care a lot about. Text your friends when you see something funny that reminds you of them. Call your Grandma when you find that old picture of the two of you back when you were nine. Text your spouse in the middle of the day while they're at work something cute about how much you miss them.
Let people know that they're important to you by saying "Hey, was thinking about you today. Let's get lunch soon." or something along those lines. It is so easy nowadays to communicate with our friends and family how much we love and think about them, but we are missing out on those little opportunities to make someone's day all the time because we don't think about it like that.
Food
Everyone loves food. Even if you say you don't, I'm sure there's something that if someone made it for you, you'd be super stoked about. I love to bake and my love language is receiving gifts, so naturally, I love to bake stuff for other people. I try to bake something every Friday to take with me to work on Saturday and Sunday for my coworkers. It's fun for me and my coworkers are happy cause they get fresh baked snacks.
If you're a baker like me, make someone cookies or cupcakes. If you tend to rock at cooking savory things instead, make a friend of yours something a like casserole or a baked pasta dish. If you suck at cooking, stop by a restaurant and grab tacos, chicken nuggets, ice cream, etc. and I promise you it will have the effect of making someone's day better.
Surprise Present
Now I don't really like surprises, but I like presents and I like getting presents for no reason. You really want to make someone's day? Get them something out of the blue just because you love them. It doesn't have to be crazy expensive, but make sure it's thoughtful. When my husband and I were first dating, he bought me a sunflower mat to match my kitchen off of Amazon. It is still one of my favorite things in my house because it was a random "I love you" gift.
You could Venmo your friend $5 for coffee; trust me, that's a day changer. You could buy or make them a card and send it to them in the mail with some fun stickers. Get your friend that cute mug you saw at TJ Maxx because you saw it and immediately thought of them. Get them something that you think they would enjoy.
Be There
When I'm having a bad day or a really bad depressive spiral, all I want is to sit down on the couch and have my husband hold me. That's it. Sometimes, all it takes to make someone feel better is to just be there. Listen. Hold them if they want you to. Don't make it about you. Give them a safe space to vent, scream, cry, etc. and be a safe person who allows them the room to be upset.
If they ask you to come over, but don't want to talk and aren't big cuddlers, get some cozy blankets, get some hot tea/hot chocolate/coffee/wine/whatever they like to drink, and hang out with them until they feel better. If they have an event they invite you to, show up. Just be a friend who they can count on to be there when it matters the most.
In conclusion, relationships - whether it's a friendship, family relationship, or a romantic relationship - are super important and take a lot of time, communication, and effort on both sides to be the best they can. Doing something out of your way to make someone's day better shows that you are a good person to have a close relationship with, and who knows? Maybe they'll go out of their way to make your day better too.
Take a shot for all of the bad days and toast to the days that make us forget about the bad ones.
Cheers,
Kristaleagh