14 Simple Ways To Give Yourself The ‘Warm Fuzzies’ (Even On The Worst Days)

I woke up this morning with the biggest “eye-gushers” I’ve ever had (a term I’ve coined to refer to the bulging pockets of flesh under my eyes). After being heart-sinkingly disappointed with my face in the mirror, I proceeded to make watery coffee and then couldn’t figure out the lock to open the door at work. I know I’m not the only one who could use some giddy feelings today. I know this because it’s Tuesday. Here are some things you can do to get yourself back in that “warm fuzzy” place where tea is never lukewarm and you don’t need the “pretty” snapchat filter to look beautiful.

1. Play some Marvin Gaye.

Not even just in a sexual way, “Let’s Get It On” is the music equivalent to how a cup of hot chocolate feels going down your throat or an electric blanket on your upper thigh. Marvin Gaye and a glass of wine while making stir-fry can make a Tuesday feel like a Friday.

2. Go swimming in a lake.

I understand this might not be possible for some people (like myself) but there’s something about swimming in a lake that is incredibly special. Maybe it’s the edge of danger that comes from not knowing/not wanting to know what’s lurking beneath you or that mystical green sludgy stuff sticking to your toes but it feels enchanting in a storybook sort of way.

3. Apply glitter to your eyelids.

This is a routine my best friend and I do before every event that we are excited for. It’s the only way we know how to say “We want to be surprised tonight” and the best way to confuse boys (“what is that on your face?”) Yet, it always feels like we’re “really living.”

4. Compliment a stranger.

The only catch with this one is that you have to mean it. You’re not going to get that gooey feeling inside if you’re living a lie. Only tell that woman at the movie counter that you like her hairstyle if the spirit moves you. My sister is great at this (partly because she is just naturally a bright presence) and it has resulted in free beer and lots of praises in return.

5. Go on a run and then lie on the floor in front of a fan or an air conditioner.

The longer the run the better. You really want to tire yourself out, to the point where you feel like if you didn’t stop your run at this exact instant your legs will buckle out from under you. The more your lungs feel like you’re sitting on them, the more relief you will feel when you finally arrive home. Once you’re home, make a bee-line to your closest air source and spread out your arms and legs like a turkey on thanksgiving that’s a little less uptight. The air on your skin, coupled with your utter exhaustion and the endorphines saturating your system, will bring you immediate life.

6. Read a Poem.

I would highly recommend Garrison Keillor’s collection of poems titled, “Good Poems For Hard Times.” His curation of words tugs at the core of life’s bummers (ranging from trivial to tragic). There’s also just something so digestible about a poem; you can still feel like you’re participating in an intelligent activity without committing too much time or energy. It’s like the snapchat of literature.

7. Call your best friend from high school that you haven’t spoken to in over 4 months.

You will always be surprised at how much they still “get it.” You’ll get a laugh about things you forgot even happened and they can make fun of you without it feeling attacking or offensive. You will be transported (even if only for a brief moment) to a time when you had less responsibility and drank more 40’s of Budweiser. 

8. Watch the “Skin Deep” series on Youtube.

I’m going to have to credit my little sister again for this one. While I’m wasting time and procrastinating picking the dead skin off of my feet, my sister is dedicated to the craft of discovering not-so-famous Youtube sites that are particularly swamp-like in how they capture but do not release you. The “Skin Deep” is often raw and uncomfortable, but has glimmering moments of beautiful humanity and love.

9. Stand on your head.

Along with scientifically proven health and psychological benefits, standing on your head just feels good. It’s also fun to look at your ceiling and imagine if it was your floor and how weird that would be. Find a wall, flick your legs up and find relief. Drunk butterflies will flutter inside your head.

10. Look through old photographs.

Remember the time you and your dad had a seltzer fight? Or when your sister gave her hair away to “locks of love” and carried her ponytail around the house for hours? Those vintage 90’s photos that are kept in the basement of your childhood home will remind you. The fuzzies will be flowing for days.

11. Wear fuzzy socks.

You know the kind they used to give away at Bar-Mitzvahs? You can find them on Amazon for 7.99 (or if you search harder maybe even less). These socks will never go out of style because like Whitney Houston, our feet will ALWAYS love them.

12. Write your friends and family members birthday cards.

Look, it doesn’t even have to be their birthday anytime soon. Just write down the reasons you appreciate having them in your life on a nice-ish looking card and then when their birthday actually does roll around you’ll be thanking the fucking lord you did that already. Also, it will remind you why it is you do love them (warmly and fuzzily).

13. W(h)ine.

This is so obvious it’s almost embarrassing to put on this list but a warm-fuzzies list without wine is like a Chelsea Handler without drugs and/or her dog “chunk.” It just doesn’t make any sense. So I’m sorry but I’m including it. Pro-tip: I’ve found that literally “whining” about things while drinking wine can lead to some soul invigorating conversations.

14. Get dinner with that guy friend that you’ve miraculously managed to stay platonic with.

He’s great. He defies your understanding of behavioral science and psychology (no one really believes that guy and girls can be friends right?) But he’s always there to listen when you are freaking out about getting older after stalking your little sister’s friends on facebook and realizing that there are so many people in the world that are younger than you but still considered “semi-adults” right now.