The Ultimate Mood Boost

The Inspiration

I had a strange dream last night and it had nothing to do with me. Sometimes I think I have strange dreams because of a late night chocolate fix, but I didn’t have chocolate last night. It was a series of dreams, but what stood out the most was a tyrannosaurus rex bursting through an arcade game. Yeah tell me about it, I didn’t know how to spell that dinosaur’s name properly until today.

Well, the fun didn’t stop there. Next thing I know I’m following a fashion design team with one of the guys from Queer Eye. He’s wearing the furry coat number that Selena Gomez was sporting in the first episode of Only Murders in the Building. This fashion design team walk into a posh hair salon to get a blow out, but it’s not really a blow out because they were all at a wash station immersing their head and half their body into these strange sinks operated by machines. Their designer clothes were getting a good shampoo rinse too. Somehow they pulled some Dr. Suess Cat in the Hat magic because they looked even more fabulous after their hair treatment.

I woke up from those dreams with my heart palpitating in my chest. Once my heart rate returned to normal, I decided that a post on self-expression might help someone who maybe going through it. Here’s a little bit of sunshine from me to you.

Self-Expression

I’ve been on this self trip lately. It’s been refreshing, empowering and inspirational. When I hear self-expression, images of people wearing clothes that are far from the norm pop into my head. How many people do you know walk around in furry coats like Selena?

Maybe it’s a New York City thing, I don’t know. During Only Murders in the Building, the subtitles said the coat was yellow, but it’s clearly a shag carpet orange,right?

Let it be known I live in rural Florida, where wearing something other than a t-shirt is called dressing up. It’s a quirky place to live, but I’m not a huge fan of crowds, so living in sunny rural Floridait works for me. Mabel wears funky coats and my self-expression comes through my words. So how we can we express ourselves?

How Do We Express Ourselves?

Is it through the way we dress, our hairstyle, what we drive or the way we promote ourselves on social media? Self-expression displays who we are to the world. It can be found in the way creatives express themselves through writing, dance, music, or visual arts.

Self-expression is not meant to make us more likeable by others. Think of it as helping us reach our more authentic selves. When we become more in tune with our unique selves, it has the ability to boost our mood and reduce anxiety.

Now that we know the benefits it can bring to our lives, how can we get back to our authentic self?

How to Promote Self-Expression

“While some rules are necessary and good for us, living a life based on others’ rules, needs, and expectations can stifle your self-expression and creativity, and keep a lid on your potential.”

-Lauren Mackler

Take a moment to answer the following questions in your journal.

What’s the first thing that pops up in your head when I ask about your happiness? What makes you happy?

What do you enjoy doing now?

What are you AWESOME at?

What are your favorite colors?

What’s your favorite song?

What are your current interests outside of writing?

Now create a vision board with these thoughts in mind. Keep it in a spot where you will see it often. The bathroom mirror is a good place to start or maybe on your desktop. It might even be a good idea to put it in a place where your friends and family gather when they come for a visit. Wouldn’t that make for a great conversation piece?

Conclusion

Please make time to do the things that bring you joy. We only have so much of it on this planet. I hope you found this post to be helpful. If so, please like, share, and follow. Thank you for dropping by!