10 Things to do TODAY if you Need a Boost!

We all know what loneliness feels like and even if we don’t suffer from loneliness every day of our lives, we all experience those days where we feel alone now and then. Our current global situation at the moment, with the impact of the Coronavirus (Covid-19), means that more of us are staying at home, unable to visit family and friends and overall feeling more isolated and slightly trapped in our surroundings. Here are 10 things to do if you’re feeling lonely.

1. Ask for Help

The first and most important action you can take is to ask for help. If you are feeling lonely and you have been for a while, the best thing you can do is open up to someone about how you’re feeling. This doesn’t have to be a doctor or a counsellor. This can be a close friend or a family member or even a neighbour. You don’t even have to talk to them face-to-face, especially under current guidelines. It can be a phone call, a text message, or even a quick note posted through a neighbour’s letterbox, just letting them know how you’re feeling. By asking for help, you are in no way being silly or wasting anyone’s time. Whoever you reach out to will be there to support you and will be glad that they can be of some help to you. If you are not comfortable with talking to someone you personally know, you can call Samaritans by dialling 116 123 or you can email jo@samaritans.org. Other organisations that offer professional help (link) include can be found here, on our help page.

2. Video-chat a friend or family member

Now more than ever, we should be grateful for the technology that surrounds most of us daily. With a quick click of a button or a tap on a screen, we can see the faces of our loved ones and have a full conversation for as long as we like. Yes, unfortunately, it’s not quite the same as seeing our friends and family in person, but before long, we will be able to see them again soon. For now, it’s a great alternative which most of us have easy access to.

3. Make the most of outdoor space

If you are privileged and have access to a garden or some outside space to call your own, make the most of it! The sun is beginning to shine with Spring just around the corner, so now is the time to bask in the sun (with sun cream on of course!) and absorb some Vitamin D that we all need right now! To feel the sun on your face is an instant mood booster. If you don’t have access to a garden, government guidelines in the UK still allow us to go outside once a day to exercise. This could involve a brisk walk around the streets, you could even turn the walk into a run if you’re feeling brave! Take your dog if you have one, they’ll never turn down a walk.

4. Rediscover a hobby

Feel like you’ve got a lot more time on your hands than you did a few months ago? It’s time to rediscover a hobby that you don’t normally have time for. Be it crafting, sewing or even baking or cooking. It could even be spending more time watching your favourite show on TV or watching old boxsets you haven’t seen in years. With our heads being pretty full at the minute with everything that is going on, our hobbies give us some much-needed time to escape. Put aside an hour or even an afternoon for your favourite hobby and you will notice a boost in your mood.

5. Reach out to someone

Someone you know may be struggling, be it physically or mentally. Helping others and giving time and support to someone you know can dramatically improve our own mood and give our day a boost. This could be as simple as texting a family member or friend to just check in how they’re doing and ask what they’re up to. Other ways of helping could also involve helping a vulnerable individual who may not be able to get their essentials such as food and medicine as they normally would due to the Coronavirus. Precautions must be taken seriously but, helping a vulnerable person will not only help them but it will also help you!

6. Take your time

Normally, we often rush meaningless daily tasks such as washing the dishes, having a shower or even tidying the house we often rush to get them over and done with as quickly as possible so we can do something more enjoyable. However, if we don’t rush these tasks and actually take our time, not only does this pass some time, but also acts as a way of mindfulness, being in the present and also encourages our mind to concentrate and engage, forcing it to switch off from worry and anxiety that we may have.

7. Have even more ‘me time’.

Taking an hour to escape from the world in your bathroom by having a long shower or by taking a long soak in the bath is no longer of waste of time but rather an investment. With a new book, a face mask or an extended cleansing, scrubbing and moisturising routine, we can all find some time to extend our rituals just a little bit longer.

8. Cook something new for dinner.

We can all get stuck in a rut with our dinners and what we pull out of the freezer each night, but why not rustle up something new tonight? There’s no need to search through recipe books, the internet is the biggest and best recipe book with endless variations and something you can make with what you have in your cupboards right now. Not only will a new meal excite your family and your taste buds, but learning a new exciting skill will also help you to get creative and experimental.

9. Organise everything

As a lot more of us are finding ourselves spending a lot more time at home, now is the time to thoroughly clean, sort out and organised everything in your house! You can take this as far as you want, but even sorting through one cupboard can be strangely therapeutic and can make you feel great! One area that a lot of people seem to be tackling at the moment is their wardrobes. Our wardrobes can be the ultimate dumping for anything and everything and it's all hidden away behind closed doors. Having a proper sort out once in a while, even though it might take longer than you expected, is a good way to clear your mind as well as your wardrobe.

10. Have a dance party!

Letting loose and dancing your socks off to your favourite songs not only releases endorphins by the bucket load but also gives you time to totally switch off and the only thing you need to think about is perfecting your dance moves. Another music-related activity includes rediscovering music you used to listen to. Sing along and you will soon notice a boost in your mood.

The list could go on and on and on, but there are 10 things for you to do today if you need a little boost. Remember, the current situation the world finds itself in will pass and we will get through it together. Smile is here to give you that boost you need whenever you need it and also help you to help others who also may need a little boost.