50 Ways to Heal a Heartbreak

As Summer begins, many people find themselves depressed because they're not having as much care-free fun as all the movies, commercials, magazine ads, and hit songs that come out during this time of year say they should be.  First of all, it is important to note that we, as fallen people living in a fallen world, are not going to be deliriously happy all of the time.  But, there are certainly things we can do to boost our spirits when we're feeling low.

So here's a list for all those out there who are heartbroken, and just wishing they could leave sorrow behind and enjoy the longer days.  I hope that something on this list helps bring a smile to your face, and lift a load off of your shoulders.

1. Go to Adoration and give all your worries to God, and make sure that when you leave, you don't try to take them back...
2. Watch your favorite comedy film
3. Listen to your favorite music while going for a ride on a sunny day, and keep those windows down!
4. Eat ice cream with sprinkles
5. Call a friend and catch-up with each other
6. Go get wet!  Go surfing, do the slip-n-slide, run through the sprinklers, swim in the pool- anything!
7. Get all dressed up, just because
8. Exercise- preferably outside
9. Take in a play
10. Finish that project you've been working on since Christmas Break
11. Buy a new board game and play it with your family or friends
12. Revisit that instrument you played as a little kid, and teach yourself how to play it again
13. Pray the Rosary while sitting outside
14. "Do something for somebody quick!"
15. Visit a frozen yogurt bar and load up on colorful toppings
16. Try a new hair style
17. Spend the afternoon in the library, enjoying the quiet and the smell of books
18. Read a good mystery- Sherlock Holmes preferably
19. Or try a thriller- may I suggest Ted Dekker's Three?
20. Watch a BBC film and smile at all the British accents and proper manners
21. Listen to Michael Bublé's "Haven't Met You Yet"
22. Watch a Blimey Cow video ("Making Time for God", "Playing the God Card", and "Why I Hate Going to the Movies" are good places to start)
23. Go to a weekday Mass, pay close attention to the readings, and ask God to speak to you through them
24. Go to a fair and do not leave until you've done the Scrambler ride and had a funnel cake
25. Take in a blow-up movie in the park, and make sure you bring lawn chairs and cards
26. Learn a new card game or trick
27. Blow bubbles and play with chalk (this is especially fun if you do it with little kids)
28. Spend an hour outside looking at the world as if you were going to lose your sight the next day; it's amazing the things you will notice, and learn to appreciate
29. While doing the above, read some Gerard Manley Hopkins poetry, particularly "Pied Beauty", "May Magnificat", or "God's Grandeur"
30. Play "HORSE" with your siblings
31. Pick a windy day and go fly a kite in an open field or on the beach
32. Check out a local trail
33. Bake sugar cookies
34. Brew sweet tea
35. Enjoy the previous two things together while sitting on the front porch, waving at everyone who walks by.  Northerners, basically pretend your Southern! :)
36. Read St. Therese's A Story of a Soul, even if you've read it before- and especially if you haven't.  Guys- this is NOT just a girl book
37. Have a Lord of the Rings or Star Wars marathon
38. Pray in front of an abortion clinic and thank God for your life as you pray for the lives of others
39. Sign up as a volunteer at your parish, there are all sorts of things to do, from altar serving to reading, landscaping, or singing
40. Buy a colorful piece of clothing and wear it as often as possible
41. Journal about what's bothering you- writing things out often helps to sort it out as well
42. Go to Barnes and Noble and grab a Wreck this Journal.  Even if you don't buy and do all the suggested things, just reading them will be entertaining
43. Pretend to be a photographer for a day, and take as many amazing, crazy, unique, and beautiful pictures as possible
44. Make a scrapbook of your favorites from the day before
45. Take time to tell your family how much you love them
46. Forgive someone who you've held a grudge against for a while- and ask God's help in order to do so, and go to Confession, to forgive yourself and ask God's forgiveness as well
47. Learn about a different form of prayer (a type of chaplet, meditation, a novena, etc.) and experiment with it
48. Go to the movie theater and treat yourself to the expensive popcorn- just this once
49. Study constellations and look for them in the sky
50. Pray EVERY day, and trust that God will never abandon you, keeping in mind that He always loves you.