There are instructions and guides everywhere about staying inspired, living on purpose, leaning forward, networking correctly, navigating social media, and meeting Mr. or Mrs. Right. You’re supposed to be happy, moving toward destiny, dressed just right, and connected to the right folks.

But what if you do everything right, but the blues still sneak up on you? What if that ever so nagging feeling that makes you want to stay in bed, not get dressed, miss the event, hit ignore on the last call, and skip church on Sunday visits you despite your good intentions and actions? What if the “been there, done that” attitude sneaks in and there’s a vast, dark grey cloud hovering overhead?

Sometimes after significant setbacks, accomplishments, or life events, like a death of a friend or family member, the blues can show up, despite our best intention, which is where I recently found myself.

After a year networking in Hollywood, yet not selling the script as I envisioned, I’ve been hard on myself. After being so excited about having our first female president and voting for her, she lost, and I’ve felt sad and disappointed about this.  After being married for decades, I’ve grown tired of negotiating and compromising and have wanted to do things my way.  After raising three beautiful sons and watching them spread their wings as adults, I’ve felt unneeded. 

And sure enough, while facing all the above, the blues visited me.  But I’d beat them before, and I’m beating them again. So I share with you the six ways I’ve always overcome the blues and returned to my natural, sunny disposition.

Six ways to beat the blues and stay inspired:

1) Exercise, even if it’s just stretching on the floor or going for a walk. Do whatever you can do. I’m working out three times a week on a Peloton. I’m going to the gym once a week, and my friend, a personal trainer, is working with me twice a week to help me lose the extra pounds I’ve gained.

2) Reach out to friends or family by phone. Call them or visit them. When the blues show up, you need human contact and need to hear the voice of someone who cares about you. Don’t be shy about setting up a lunch date. I call folks just to talk.

3) Read uplifting literature, for example, books by TD Jakes are great. I also love to watch sermons and believe that preachers are the best orators. Read every article on Thrive Global for heaven sakes!

4) Show up at social gatherings even if you’re not your talkative, out-going self. I force myself to go out when I’m suffering from the blues.

5) Go to church and just sit there if need be and soak it all in. If going to church isn’t your thing, find a group that has positive energy and vibes. Perhaps, a meditation group or yoga class will provide the positive space that you need.

6) Finally, you must follow the advice that my old Southern Bigmama shared during my most severe bout of the blues. She said that no matter what we’re facing we must SHOUT:

Shine Your Light

Have Hope

Overcome Obstacles as they are Opportunities to Change, Try Again, and Strengthen Your Faith

Understand your Power Comes From Within

Testify and Share your Experience with Others

If you follow these steps, you’ll beat the blues and be back to your old self again in no time. If not, get professional help as soon as possible.

Stay Inspired! I believe in you.

Author(s)

  • MeMe Kelly

    MFA (Playwright), University of California, a woman addicted to the written word, who writes through life's ups and downs.

    Meme Kelly has a B.A from UCLA and an MFA in playwriting from another campus of The University of California:).  She loves UCLA! She writes in all genres, but she left her heart on the pages of Natural Women, a TV Pilot script that features the Aretha Franklin music that MeMe listened to in the wee-hours of the night while writing. While working on her MFA, she wrote another TV pilot script, Out of Bounds, that was selected as a top 10 script out of 175 scripts in UCLA Film School's prestigious Samuel Goldwyn contest and her feature script was selected a quarter-finalist in the Academy's Nicholl's contest out of 7600 scripts. MeMe has learned that "Breaking Into Hollywood" is challenging, but she has faith that, eventually, both scripts will be developed by wonderful producers! She's also a producer and author of four plays and author of three self-published books and two eBooks, all of which were edited by editors from Simon and Schuster and Bantam,and sold nationally on Amazon and at chain stores, such as Barnes & Noble. She loves children and taught for Los Angeles Unified for years and was a Distinguished Dean's Fellow and Gluck Foundation Fellow while working on her MFA at University of California,  where she introduced hundreds of elementary school children to theater arts, creating a curriculum and activities to teach the same. She lives in Southern California with her hubby, three sons, and dogs, Tip and Blue. Please note on Instagram, MeMe is only concerned with keeping up with her sons.