Things I’ve been doing or will do very soon to help me get through some tough times:

Be a celebrity: I took myself out to a fancy lunch on “Leap Day” to this lovely Italian restaurant that has my favorite panini. I looked fab that day, if you recall, and when I walked in the place was empty! The lunch crowd had just left. So there I sat, on my own and literally all alone. I started to feel a little down. But then I realized what a waste that was. So I pretended I was a celebrity and I had rented the entire restaurant just so I could have a moment to breathe! Out of the spotlight and the flashes of paparazzi, I just wanted to eat in peace before going back out into the world. It made my lunch all the more fabulous and delicious! I smiled at the waiter and chef and when a couple finally did come in as I was finishing up, I just decided they worked for me. I decided that they were safe and not intruders. It was a great time on my own. It was a treat and a half. I walked out floating on air! I recommend this little trick anytime you’re feeling lonely or feel weird eating in public.

Be a photographer: Choose your muse (or let it choose you) and just become enthralled with something. I was once so obsessed with the Pulgas Water Temple that I turned in five rolls of film of nothing but, before digital chi’ren, to Longs (before CVS, too) to be developed. I still have many of these photos and I cherish them. To an outsider they may seem mundane. But to me they capture how I felt taking in the scenery. The sound of the rushing water and birds chirping nearby. The smell of the grass and the water and spring day. The sun creating spots in my photos that I could never recreate. The sound of the gravel under foot. It was such a great time, on my own even if for a few hours, so very long ago. So go find something that interests you and go nuts trying to capture how it makes you feel through photos! (Sometimes disposable cameras get the best shots, btw.)

Be a storyteller: Make up a story or tell a real one through photos, drawings, songs, paintings, collage, etc. Just have fun with it! It could be a story you want to tell a friend, partner or yourself. It could take five minutes or five days. It could be an adventure or a sad but sweet tale. It is up to you, but the fun is in the doing. So do it! (And feel free to share…with me!)

Be a sex kitten: Last weekend I went to the local goth club alone. I was in a good mood, wore my bad ass uniform and felt I looked generally HAWT! I got there and grabbed a pear cider before hitting the dance floor. Always gotta survey the scene, as it were, before diving on in. I worked up a decent buzz, the right song came on and I danced! It was lovely. I noticed a couple of dudes checking me out and found my groove in the music and just werked it! Even later as I reached that strange point where you could either be a sad-drunk or a happy one and I tipped towards sad (not a normal thing for me at all, damn emo music), another song came on and my inner sex kitten came out of her cage! I swayed and gestured and stomped and stepped. I swung my hips and didn’t look to see if anyone else would notice. Fuck ’em! I felt sexy and fabulous! Sad inside, maybe, but on the outside I was a Powerful Goddess!!! And it carried me to the end of the night. Dancing usually does that for me, but so can other things. Baking! I don’t know why, but I feel sexy when I bake. Do something that makes you feel sexy…and werk it!

Be a tourist: You can do this in your own town or another, it doesn’t matter. It’s fun! Ask people for random directions, strike up a convo at a coffee shop or go do actual touristy things and just get lost in the moment of it! Living in the San Francisco bay area, I sometimes forget just how much awesome is within a 30 minute drive of my home…tons! I haven’t done it all yet so I try to do something a typical tourist would want to do about once a year. It keeps my love of where I grew up from getting stale and being in the moment of an exciting new experience a total thrill! You could just go to your local downtown and pretend not to know stuff. Walk around with a rolling suitcase if it’ll help you play the part. But do it and see where life takes you, it’s fun not worrying about the result and just enjoying the journey itself.

Be a mindful explorer: I hadn’t been to the library since I was a teenager. It’s a sad admission for me. I spent much of my childhood there and always enjoyed finding new things. I recently went to my local library and just got lost in the stacks. It felt indulgent and necessary! I explored worlds unseen and found books on things I had never cared about before. Later, I went to a local independent book store, yeah some still exist, and explored the shelves without aim or destination in mind. I picked up things with interesting covers or catchy titles or random as hell subjects. I dove into every section and took tidbits of new knowledge with me as I did. I had never done these things before. It sounds a bit strange, but I’m usually a destination oriented person. I don’t do aimless walks, I need to go somewhere. To do these mini explorations was an exercise for me. I had once done something similar in just exploring my immediate neighborhood on a walk. I hated the thought of just walking for no purpose, so I pretended to be an explorer documenting the native flora and fauna. Turned out to be fun! I took pictures and felt the bark of different tree trunks. I talked to cats and birds along the way and just soaked in the sunny day. It made me see things I wouldn’t have normally seen. Perceptions can change and it can give you peace of mind. Explore something new and explore yourself at the same time.

Have you done things like this? What other things help you break a bad mood or rut? I’d love to hear all about it! =0)