New Yorkers all have bad days every now and again.
Maybe someone hacked into your debit card and stole all your money, maybe you got dumped, maybe you had a bad meeting where your boss called you out for something that wasn’t your fault. Or maybe it even was your fault.
Either way, bad days simply suck.
So what can you do to feel better? Luckily, we live in a city stocked with coping mechanisms for sadness. They are numerous, they are plentiful, and you’ll feel better in absolutely no time flat.
Here are 7 wonderful ways to take your mind off of a really bad day in New York City.
1. Bike through Central Park
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During this, the most glorious, majestic time of year, there really isn’t anything I can recommend more highly than this activity.
If you don’t own your own bike, rent a CitiBike.
Once you’re on a bike (and wearing a helmet, obviously) high tail it to Central Park, and ride through sprawling trees and flowers, breathing in the spring air while you zoom past buildings stretching toward the sky.
Really, nothing can make you feel better than rushing downhill in gorgeous, springtime Central Park with the wind whipping in your face. It's simply magical.
2. Take a yoga class
peipeipoohbear You are complete exactly as you are. Stop looking for comforts outside of yourself. There's no need to look for something outside of yourself to complete what is already whole. You are beautiful, powerful and strong! All you need to do is to open your heart, say yes to all the possibilities, and love yourself with your whole heart. Stay strong and beautiful. Keep shining your heart! 💖💖💖 #backbend #kingcobra #asana #yogi #yogalove #dodifferent #gratitude #bereceptive #yogagirl #yjlife #yogaeverydamnday #gratefuleverydamnday #loveandalliscoming #practiceandalliscoming #IGyogafam #yoganyc #yogadaily #makeyourownsunshine
Okay, okay, biking through Central Park was supposed to be the best way to make yourself feel better, but what's a little exaggeration?
Taking a yoga class has got to be as good, if not better, for taking your mind off that bad day.
If you want to know where to yoga, I absolutely recommend Yoga to the People (donation-based yoga), and if you want the best shot of running into me, then go to their Upper West Side or St. Mark's locations.
If you're worried that you're not good enough, or that other people will judge you, don't. The whole point about yoga is to feel without judgement, and the whole point of Yoga to the People is to welcome everyone, no matter whether you've ever done yoga before or not.
3. Treat yourself to a nice meal
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Because you deserve it!
And give it up with your reservations about going into a restaurant alone. It’s NYC. Everyone does it. Who doesn't enjoy going to restaurants alone, it’s freeing, empowering, and relieving (since you're never under pressure to make any conversation whatsoever).
It also contributes to my self-love. If I’m going to a restaurant alone, it’s definitely the restaurant I really wanted to go to, and definitely not some second-rate compromise.
Bring a book, sit by a window, and swim in some gorgeous language while you’re waiting for your favorite food. And when your food comes, give yourself permission to really enjoy it, instead of stressing about how much it costs.
Come on, just give yourself a break already. You know you deserve it.
4. Play with puppies
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Puppies have to be the happiest, cutest, most wonderful creatures on the face of the Earth.
And sure, we bred them that way through a complicated process of wolves and our ancestors’ symbiotic hunting, but the fact that they exist is simply amazing.
There are even plenty of pet stores in this city that will let you pet their puppies so you can take your mind off that bad day.
Really, there’s no way to be sad with a puppy wagging their tail and licking your face, is there?
,5. Read a book
When you read a book, your mind syncs up with someone else’s. This is good for many reasons.
First, because it allows you to see how completely not alone you are.
Were you stressed about being dumped, someone dying, losing your job? There are so many books about the exact subject that ails you, and when you read it, you’ll get to find out how the person telling the story dealt with it.
Second, articulating pain often relieves the pain. Seeing someone turn the amorphous cloud of dread in your stomach into a perfectly articulated sentence is often very satisfying.
Books are awesome, and they’ll transport you out of your life, out of your head, into someone else’s. This is very, very close to magic and there’s nothing else in the world like it. So, try it.
6. Invite friends over
This is a classic method of feeling better.
Invite some friends over and pretend you're the main characters of Pineapple Express, or pound some wine, tell some jokes, and play some games.
Of course, socializing is a fool proof way to feel better after a lame day, and this is because of three main ingredients: alcohol, laughter, and friendship. Kick back, sip some wine, and play Cards Against Humanity, Charades, or Catch Phrase.
If you’ve been employing a “games are for kids only” attitude, you’ve been missing out. The only caveat here is beware of hangovers, as they can make yesterday’s depression seem mild.
7. See a comedy or improv show
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Nothing alleviates stress and tension like laughter. I mean it.
You know those deep belly laughs that leave you gasping for air, that make your stomach hurt for days? Those are the best, and there are plenty of comedians in NYC who will bring you to this state of laughing ecstasy.
If you live in NYC and you’ve yet to take advantage of the comedy clubs right under your nose, tonight is the night.
Also, comedians have this unique ability to take problems and turn them into shards of confetti, something subverted and hilarious. They help us keep things in perspective.
Read The City That Definitely Never Sleeps: 6 Late-Night Activities for Making Awesome Memories in NYC.