56 Ways To Feel Alive When Your Life Sucks

We’ve all been on these boats, struggling to stay afloat. We’ve all fought these storms, witnessing our strength diminish ever so fast. Join author Anne – Sophie  Reinhardt as she shares “56 Ways To Feel Alive When Your Life Sucks.”

Life can sometimes roar like an ocean in a nasty thunderstorm, can’t it?

It can throw you off balance, hurt you like hell and rid you of your usual hopefulness, playfulness, liveliness and sparkly-ness.

We’ve all been on these boats, struggling to stay afloat. We’ve all fought these storms, witnessing our strength diminish ever so fast.

Maybe you’re even in the midst of a hurricane right this very moment and it feels like the sunshine, any sign of hope and light is so far away, so out of reach.

What if things never turn around? What if this storm will never end? How can you live? How can you manage? How can you thrive and feel fully alive?

You never wait.

Instead.

You act.

You take the helm in your own hands, begin taking care of yourself and practice living in happiness and joy, sunshine and rainbows, angels and harps.

There is a life within a storm. There is joy within the rain. There is hope on the gloomiest of days.

Sometimes, all you have to do is open your eyes to all the delight that might be hiding in plain sight.

These 56 ideas will help you to feel fully alive.

• Use essential oils to feel relaxed and at ease in every situation.
• Take lots and lots of hot baths maybe even in the middle of the day 😉
• Reframe, reframe, reframe! Change your thoughts by inquiring if what you’re thinking is really true or if it’s just one of the ways your ego likes to trick you.
• Trust in the universe and know that it has your back — no matter what.
• Journal and purge all your fears, hopes, nightmares and dreams on a piece of paper.
• Walk barefoot to ground yourself
• Wear bright colors.They always brighten your mood.
• Use glitter on your face or your clothes (or both!).
• Create a dream board and dream BIG.
• Hug a friend as often as you like.
• Create a love bomb for a random person. Wish him or her good health, hot sex or a nice, warm meal after a long day at work.
• Do an act of random kindness. You’ll feel amazing knowing you’ve done something kind for others.
• Do a visualization meditation. These work like miracle drugs.
• Throw a dinner party. Even when you don’t feel like having others in your home, dinner parties are fun and you’ll enjoy yourself and your company.
• Have breakfast in bed and go all out.
• Look in the mirror and smile. BONUS: Say “ I love you” to your reflection.
• Dance
• Wear a tiara. Even to work…
• Write out your perfect day. What would you do? Where would you be? Who would you be with?
• Give thanks. Thank your bus driver, the doorman, your mother or your best friend.
• Repeat this: Good things are happening to me. All good things are my birthright.
• Cry
• Watch a few episodes of Ally McBeal. You’re not the only messed up person around now, are you? 😉
• Write yourself a check: a check of love, money, forgiveness, hope with a due date that makes you feel full of hope
• Unplug for a few days, weeks or even months to replenish and recalibrate.
• Listen to audiobooks My favorites: I Thought It Was Just Me by Brene Brown, Broken Open by Elizabeth Lesser and Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin
• Book a Reiki session This is not only relaxing, but it’ll help your anxieties and ease your pain
• Create your own Feel Good Spotify Playlist
• Hire a coach or talk to a therapist.
• Discover your neighborhood You’ll be surprised by what you see.
• Call that one friend that always makes you laugh. You know who I’m talking about.
• Read poems They’re not just for old ladies sitting in rocking chairs, I promise.
• Hug yourself and squeeze yourself tight.
• Scream from the top of your lungs but don’t do it when others are around. Trust me…
• Hit a pillow and let all the frustration out.
• Listen to podcasts that inspire you and make you laugh.
• Do yoga and reconnect with your body.
• Spend time in nature and notice the beauty that surrounds you.
• Take the 30 Bites of freedom challenge and do one courageous thing a day.
• Run
• as fast as you can. Feel your heartbeat, notice your lungs burn and your breath get shorter and stronger.
• Declare that you’re a lucky bitch and mean it.
• Send a prayer to the universe asking for anything you really want.
• Think of something you’ve always wanted to do and do it!
• Watch the sunset with a glass of champagne
• Get clear on what it is you want and what you can change right now
• Snap out of the victim mode. You won’t help yourself if you pity yourself.
• Go people watching at the airport and see that love, actually, is all around.
• Cook your favorite childhood meal and reminisce your favorite childhood memories
• Take some selfies Be silly. Have fun. Be creative.
• Paint — yourself, a flower, a heart, anything
• Join a local class and learn something new like French or knitting or paper mache.
• Light a candle and set an intention for yourself. Do it every morning if you like.
• Practice active positive manifestation. Expect that good things are happening for you.
• Practice lots and lots of self-compassion. This is a time of struggle, so be kind to yourself.
• Take pictures and see the world through a photographer’s lense.
• Find your tribe

You don’t have to go through this alone. With the Internet and all the possibilities online, you can easily find people to share life with — even if it seems only virtual at first.

Identity Magazine is all about empowering women to get all A’s in the game of life — Accept. Appreciate. Achieve.^TM Every contributor and expert answer the Identity 5 questions in keeping with our theme. As a team, we hope to inspire and motivate ourselves and inspire you to get all A’s.

What have you accepted in your life that took time, physically or mentally?
I have accepted my body as it naturally is: not tall and lean with beautiful curves, but short and more “robust”. It took 2.5 decades and still continues to be a struggle for me at times, but accepting that my body is beautiful just the way it is, was one of the most rewarding processes of my life. There’s so much joy in being free, accepting who you are and seeing the beauty in your unique, perfectly imperfect body. There’s so much joy in being able to perceive the beauty in others without jealousy, without fear, without judgment. There’s so much freedom in letting go and accepting yourself — completely. My body is my body alone and that’s what makes it so incredibly humbling.

What do you appreciate about yourself and within your life?
I appreciate my fighter nature. My life hasn’t been easy (but who can say that for herself?), but I’ve always persevered. I appreciate the wonderful people with whom I get to share my life. I have so many amazing, inspiring and fun friends — something that I’ve always dreamt of and that I’m super grateful for. I love the relationship I have with my mom and sister — it’s so special and has evolved so much over the years.

What is one of your most rewarding achievements in life? What goals do you still have?
There are so many, but one of the most empowering achievements was the recovery from anorexia. It was a hard journey, but the freedom pays off every single day.

I’m an ambitious woman, so I have many goals. I want to be a well-known author and public speaker. I want to run workshops and travel the world. I dream of changing the lives of millions of women and leading all of us to a happier, more profound life instead of obsessing about our looks and our weight.

What is your not-so-perfect way? What imperfections and quirks create your Identity?
I’m terribly impatient, quite loud and anything but a clean freak.

How would you complete the phrase “I Love My…?”
Work and feel so blessed to be doing what I do.