I spent the afternoon journaling at a coffee shop. I then walked a few blocks to a local bookstore and bought a copy of one of my favorite novels. I walked further down the street to the city park and found a tree stump to sit on and read for a bit.

As I sat there during golden hour, with a gentle breeze blowing the wisps of hair from my messy bun, for one rare, fleeting moment, I felt content with who I was. I felt like I was exactly the person I wanted to be. It was a very simple, and very beautiful.

And it all started because I was feeling a little bummy and wanted to improve the moment. Sometimes there’s a clear cause for my distress, like a deadline looming over me or some relational drama left unresolved, and sometimes it’s just a wave that comes along and washes over me unexpectedly.

So I have a list of things to pick from when I’m feeling a little low. It includes going to a coffee shop, walking the aisles of a bookstore, or sitting in nature.

And when I don’t have a whole afternoon to myself, there are other smaller things on my list that help in the moment. It includes making a cup of tea, putting on an oversized sweater, or doodling.

What helps you in the moment? If you don’t have a list already, I suggest making your own. Let it be something you could turn to in order to improve your day. It’s wild how one small actionable change in the moment could affect your mood so positively. It’s not a guarantee, but if you’re already in a bummy mood it’s worth a try.

There are simple things like going for a walk, drinking a cup of water, or wrapping yourself in a blanket. Have some creative fun, maybe you should make a Pinterest board of cat memes, and when you open the board up you can’t help but feel happy. I’m not here to judge. Sometimes I listen to JK Rowling’s Harvard commencement speech to lift my spirits. I’ve actually started playing it in the background as I finish this post because it’s that good.