Top 10 ways to beat the Mean Reds By Tamera Ferro
My loves, you are getting into this! A wonderful Top 10 list from Tamera Ferro, the gorgeous lady behind the “magic is as magic does” blog, verhext. Want to create a Top 10 list? Let us know!
Holly: Listen. You know those days when you get the mean reds?
Paul: The “mean reds?” You mean, like the blues?
Holly: No. The blues are because you’re getting fat or it’s been raining too long. You’re just sad, that’s all. The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you’re afraid, and you don’t know what you’re afraid of. Don’t you ever get that feeling?
Paul: Sure. Some people call it angst.
Holly: When I get it, what does any good is to jump into a cab and go to Tiffany’s.
Top 10 ways to beat the Mean Reds by Tamera Ferro
10. Make a playlist of “power songs” – mine range from Cab Calloway’s “Wake Up and Live” to T.I.’s “Live your Life.” Dance around your house!
9. Grab a favorite super magical book (I tend to reach for Francesca Lia Block) and sit and drink coffee and read at a cafe you don’t usually go to.
8. Have a tiny tea party! Invite 1 or 2 friends to come over and make things fancy and drink tea & eat tiny cakes, or go to a tea house & dress up!
7. Make lists. Oh, I love making lists. Make lists of what you like about you. Make lists of your goals. Make lists of next steps to move through through the grump!
6. Write. Stream of consciousness writing, especially when done outside or in a new environment, can open you up to things you didn’t even know you were thinking about!
5. Midnight bike rides. Alone or with a group, there’s something cinematic about the way the world looks from a bicycle in the night.
4. Go to something bigger than you. The ocean. A mountain. A vast open space. Sit & stare.
3. Laughing, duh! Invite your silliest friend to dinner. Play charades. Watch comedy. Rent ridiculous movies. Tell stupid jokes.
2. Go to sleep. This sounds a little counterproductive, but sometimes the only thing to do is to take a hot, dreamy bath with delicious salts, crawl into a freshly made bed, and tell yourself that tomorrow will be a better and new day as you drift to sleep.
1. Open your eyes. I feel like the Mean Reds happen most when I get too stuck in my head and forget that I’m part of a big beautiful world. Take a long, aimless walk with a camera, playing tourist in your own town. Look at objects and people with fresh eyes, without judgment, as if you’ve never seen them before. Take photos of things that strike you.
What are your best tactics for getting rid of the Mean Reds?
August 14th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
My personal favorite is to go swimming! Thank you!
August 14th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
I thought about putting swimming! But I wanted to keep it to things that anyone can do – I also thought about putting “make out with someone.” Haha!
I need to find good swimming spots here! Where do you go?
August 14th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
[...] was asked to guest blog a Top 10 list for the great design blog Hiss & Hearse, a collaborative project from cutie design power [...]
September 29th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
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