Question:

Hi Tanner! Out of nowhere I’m feeling low.
Yesterday I was doing just fine, but today is getting the best of me.
Just wondering, what helps you when you’re feeling down?

Response: 

Life is sneaky, isn’t it?

Sometimes in a good way.

Like when you find out the government owes you money or the drink was on the house or their cancer is gone.

But oftentimes life can be sneaky in the not so good way.

One minute everything is sunshine and smiles and the next you’re contemplating your existence and wondering why the weight of living is so heavy.

You get a phone call that the cancer is back.
You spill the drink you ordered and still have to pay for it. 
You owe the government more money than you saved.

When the heaviness comes and hope seems far, there are a few things I know that help me find and remember the beauty of being alive. Sometimes it’s food or nature or you. Sometimes it’s cleaning up a mess or making a brand new one. Sometimes it’s coffee or dogs or both. Although the noise of this world can be deafening, I’ll keep looking up and listening to the sound of hope. It’s a beautiful sound.

So what do I do when life takes a turn and the light becomes dark?

I make a list.

I grab a pen, open up a journal, and write.

I’ve been to counseling a handful of times and everytime I’m there they tell me it’s good to keep a journal.

They say to fill it with thoughts and ideas and prayers and observations from life.

So, here is a list from one of my journals. 

This is what helps me when I am feeling low. 

You are welcome to make your own list.

I think you should.

Coffee helps. 

Loud music helps. 

Friends help.

Fried cheese helps.

Prayer helps.

Family helps.

Books help.

Hope helps.

Community helps.

Sleep helps.

Drinking water helps.

Humor helps.

Writing the words “just happy to be here” helps.

Screaming helps.

Cookies help.

Gratitude helps.

Solitude helps.

Reminders of the truth help.

Dogs help.

Walking helps.

Poetry helps. 

Silence helps.

Breakfast food helps.

That video of cheese slices being thrown on the faces of cats always helps.

Art helps.

Rest helps.

Blankets help.

Sunshine helps.

Kindness helps.

Long drives help.

Reruns of The Office helps.

Candy helps.

Making a list helps.

Jesus helps.

What helps you?

About the Author

Tanner Olson is an author, poet, speaker, and podcaster living in Nashville, Tennessee.

He is the author of I’m All Over the Place, As You Go, Walk A Little Slower, and Continue: Poems and Prayers of Hope.

You can find Tanner Olson’s books on Amazon.

His podcast is The Walk A Little Slower Podcast with Tanner Olson and can be found wherever you listen to podcasts.

Tanner Olson travels around the country sharing poetry, telling stories, and delivering messages of hope.

You can follow Tanner Olson on Instagram (@writtentospeak) and Facebook where you’ll daily find encouraging words of faith and hope.