I’m completely fed up

QI’ve been feeling really down lately. As soon as I think things are improving in the world, we go through another crisis, be it COVID-19 or something else. I find it hard to shake this off and end up wasting time, and then feeling more fed up. I have seen therapists before so I’m looking for other ideas.

AI’m an advocate of therapy and while, of course, there are other ways to cheer oneself up, I’m not sure if they solve the underlying problem. But see what appeals to you out of this list:

1 Plant some summer-flowering plants, even if they’re just in a pot. They will cheer you up as they bloom.

2 Create a warm, soothing atmosphere by getting the lighting right. Use lamps rather than overhead lights.

3 Set aside a minimum of 15 minutes a day to do something you really enjoy, whether that’s sewing or reading a book.

4 Connect with others by asking questions and listening – you’ll learn a lot.

5 Go for a walk without your phone and look at the world around you.

6 Volunteer. A good place for ideas is gov.uk/government/get-involved/takepart/volunteer