5 Hacks for Staying Positive Before Spring
1. Find the beauty
Beauty is fuel for the soul, and lucky for us, with the snowy Cascades on one side and the deep Puget Sound on the other, Everett is surrounded by it. In fact, it might be so commonplace that we forget it's there. Time to slow down.
Pull up to Grand Avenue Park any day, rain or shine, because the beauty is always there. Sit on a picnic table and just gaze. Let your eyes wander back and forth across the horizon. Don't rush. Soak it all in. Let the beauty beat back all the grey.
2. Find the fuel, literally.
And by fuel, I mean coffee. Coffee-coffee-coffee! If you want a pick-me-up and can handle ridiculous chipper-ness, just roll up to the newly opened Dutch Brothers Coffee on Broadway. These sprite little baristas are so cheerful you might need to espresso pre-func to keep up with them. But hey, they're new around here and the coffee's killer so we'll forgive them.
However, if you want classic Everett friendly and fabulous, hit up Bargreens for your morning mocha (especially on Mondays when they are just $2!) Grey day? Goodbye!
3. Find the fight
When our bodies feel good, we feel good. Our local Family YMCA is the perfect place to play, run, box, pump, yoga, b-ball, v-ball, swim, and kick your way to better health. Push yourself! Sweat! See changes in your body and your mind. After a good workout, you can literally feel the endorphins lift your mood and maybe even the greyness right out of the sky!
If a gym workout is not your thing, find another way to move your body. Crank up the tunes and dance while you dust. Or walk the dog around your Everett hood and smile at a neighbor while you're at it.
4. Find the laughter
Really, is there a better medicine?! Not to me. For this particular hack, may I suggest happy hour at The New Mexicans? Weekdays 3-6, these amazing people will serve you up a powerful margarita for just $5. Bring a friend, find a corner table and laugh in the face of the long grey days. I'll see you there! (I'm the loud laugher at the next table.)
5. Find the love
I'm pretty sure it's a proven fact that when we serve others we feel better about everything. Something about looking outside of ourselves and being a part of bringing healing to others also heals us. So do something today that brings love to Everett.
Ideas? Find a homeless person to eat lunch with. Volunteer in your kiddo's classroom. Take flowers to a friend. Pick up trash at a park. Just be nice. Because sometimes love is all someone else needs on a grey day.
So there you have it. Taking on these hacks might not literally make our city less grey, but we'll all be in a brighter place.
Fine print: Depression and seasonal Affective Disorders are very real struggles. These ideas can help build positive attitudes and habits, but if you are experiencing depression that interferes with your life and/or you are considering hurting yourself, please seek professional help. You are worth it.
Angie is a wanderer at heart who calls Everett home. She is a mom of five ever-growing adolescents who values family and friends above everything else. She prefers rain to sun cause everything looks better wet.
