What do you do to cheer yourself up on a gloomy day?

[Jajajagi]

I've just had a baby 2 weeks ago so am in the throws of post partum life, lack of sleep, feeling uncomfortable, painful scar, baby blues etc. and baby & I have both caught a cold so feeling a bit down.

I'm finding the gloomy weather days particularly difficult and wake up feeling blue (I feel much better on a bright sunny day with blue skies!)

I'm trying to make the house cosy with fairy lights, nice music and keeping it tidy and am lucky to have received some beautiful flowers but still feel a bit flat.

Please let me know the ways you cheer yourself up when feeling flat/low on a gloomy day? Preferably inexpensive, simple (possible with a newborn and a toddler around!) and indoor things as recovering from a c section and I can't walk very far (as I know a good walk in some woods would really help but that's not possible the moment!). Thanks!

Congratulations!
Beautiful but hard time.
Firstly we still have beautiful Christmas decorations up which have been a huge comfort this year. We may take them down tomorrow.
They have given me joy every time I walk through the door this January.
Then good podcasts and films, songs and music perhaps a little drive....

And something to look forward to

My pets cheer me up. I sit stroking a cat on my knee, or feed treats to my guinea pigs. Never fails to perk me up.

I also like to have a vase of daffodils on the kitchen table through the grim months. Just looking at their bright yellow petals while taking a moment with a nice cup of tea is very restorative, to me. They’re like a ray of sunshine when it’s grey and damp outside.

Fairy lights EVERYWHERE. Something comforting on the telly (for me an agatha christie). A nice cake - everything’s better with cake. Warm slippers & jumpers, being cold is miserable. Something to do - any hobby you like, just be occupied.

I do find a nice jigsaw gives me a sense of purpose too in winter. Add a few pieces every day. Sort the colours. Very zen.

Congratulations op, this is such a busy time! I would focus on quickly accessible lovely treats for your 5 senses…
Maybe a sachet of lovely hair conditioner, hand soap that smells good (I looove rose flavour!), some nice hot chocolate with something to dip in it, fluffy cardi, super soft socks, small things that dont take too long to enjoy but can make you feel good.

I’m not really a candle person, but over the last couple of weeks, I’ve lit one. It gives the room a nice cosy glow.

I've kept some Christmas decorations up this year too and have lots of fairy lights which really cheer me up! Can you recommend any good podcasts? I find it hard to choose as there ard so many!

I have some daffodils downstairs actually and they are beautiful - definitely like a ray of sunshine! I might ask my husband to bring them upstairs as I'm spending some time in bed today. Thinking of getting some pencils out and drawing them too!

Thank you! Yes I really love fairy lights, they are so cosy. I think I'm going to do some drawing and embroidery this afternoon and maybe put a film on in the background.