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Emotional Sleight of Hand: 5 Practical Tricks to Feel Good Right Now
Alex
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80 Comments
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Emotions are funny things.
They are.
…and they’re just feelings. That you create.
Most of the time not consciously, but you do create them.
Ever been feeling really down and yuck? Where all you can think of is a million reasons why you suck, and allovvasudden something happens like hearing that you made some money or getting a phonecall from an old friend or attractive creature of the opposite sex.
And boom. Like magic.
You’re glowing.
Walking on Sunshine.
So here are some quick tricks that you can use anytime to feel great instantly…
Trick 1: Clap Clap Yes!!
Clapping is loads of fun. Really.
So whatcha do is you get up and take a step back. You need a little space around you since the more exaggerated and ridiculous this is, the better.
Clap twice. Hard. And Loud.
Then hop forwards on both feet, clench both hands and swing ‘em into the air as you land on the ground in front of you, both arms in champion position, fists clenched sky-high, shout a hearty “Yehssss!!!”
Tingly awesomeness surging through your body?
Trick 2: How Can I Make This Fun?
It’s easy to get into that boring, dull mindset where you just go about your day in the same sterile way as usual…
So here’s a way to switch it up that’ll make you super excited and feel great.
One question. One question that you can ask yourself in ANY situation.
“How can I make this fun?”
About to walk up the stairs? Try dancing up the stairs.
Paying for groceries at the end of a long day? Joke around with the cashier about how she’s asking you if you want a bag and being all robotic. Ask her if she’s a robot. Ask her if she’s ever asked somebody if they want a bag and when the customer says yes, if she’s said, “well no. you can’t have one. You’re gonna have to carry all your groceries and drop ‘em along the way. Hahahaha”
See a cute girl that you want to talk to. “How can I make this fun?”
Infinite possibility. Remix the situation to make it fun. “How can I make this fun? …for me” Not to get approval or attention but to make life fun for you.
“How can I make this fun?”
Trick 3: Eargasm, Melt into the Music
Headphones recommended.
Turn on some of your favourite music. Or get something new. Something you can dance to. Like Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”. (wow. Did I just recommend that?!) …or, my new favourite, dub-step.
Standing in a big room, it’s easier if nobody is near by or likely to walk in, turn on the music and boost the volume.
Listen for a while. Just standing there. For at least a minute.
Listen to the music but also to the slices of silence between every sound.
Melt into the music.
If any thoughts come in, just notice them and then go back to the music. Feel it.
Then slowly bob your head. Then swing your shoulders back and forth to the beat. Then add some foot shuffling…
Then UNLEASH. Dance like it’s ’76. Dance like nobody is lookin’.
Bust out your old James Brown sexy face. Do some seductive silliness. Remember the hip thrust dance? Now’s the time to show the room who is bowss.
Completely flow with the music. Melt into it. Jump up and down… and BUST-A-MOVE.
Trick 4: You’re My Wonderwall!!!
This one is kinda like an inside joke with all my friends.
Came up with this when my good friend Glen was here in Cape Town and didn’t have a radio in his car so we used to sing…
Wonderwall.
By Oasis.
…and now whenever we’re all jamming together or in the middle of the street at night or… well, anywhere… we sing Wonderwall!
But it’s like an audible caricature. If such a thing exists.
We make it fun.
Sing your heart out. The worse you sing, the better.
Make up words and unleash your soul. It’s a lot easier if you do it with friends – awwwsome way to up the energy and make everyone feel great.
Other choice favourites are “I Shot the Sherriff” and a song we made up called “Game Loving”.
Raw unleashed expression.
You are my wonderwaaaaall!!
Trick 5: HaHaHa Humorous Hyperventilation
This one is kinda difficult to explain. But it’s one of the funniest things alive evar.
Deep breath. Sit up straight.
…then, pushing all the air out your lungs, with your mouth open, breath out as you make a “HAAH!” sound.
Do it again. And again. And again. Making it faster and faster.
There is no way to not be laughing at the end of this. HaHa. Guaranteed.
Wrapping Up: Emotional Sleight of Hand
This isn’t about feeling good all the time.
That’s not realistic and not possible.
…but you can feel content. At peace. One with life.
These are just little tricks to snap you out of learned misery and dullness or just outta a bad mood.
Tricks to remind you how amazing life really is.
…and, more importantly, if a couple of little quirky tricks can make you feel good just like that, what does that say about feeling “bad”?
Feeling good. Feeling bad. They’re just feelings. They come. And they go.
You create them. They’re not a big deal and they’re not you.
Beneath them. Beneath these “serious” feelings, that’s what you are. Beneath the good and bad is peace.
The beyond within.
The amazingness of life.
It’s within you all the time.
Unleash Reality
Alex
P.S.My good friend Glen, co-conspirator in the Wonderwall Glory, has just released an e-book on how to live the cowboy-style life of freedom and abundance by lording the internet.
Take a quick sec to checkout my review: “How to Become an Internet Superstar”
P.S. Part II: If you have any other tricks or cool little ways that make you feel great, please share them in the comments below and share the awesomenss…
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Alex lives on the bottom tip of Africa where he rides lions into the sunset and raindances to the sound of the universe laughing...
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***** Previous Article: Hate Me or Love Me: How to Do What You Want, Feel Great & Live More *****
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Haha Alex!
This is an awesome post! Lots of great practical tips to feel good – this is amazing
Thanks for everything man, and keep it up!
Anthony
Hey Anthony!!
HaHa
glad it made you feel awwwsome and made sense 
these kindsa things can be a lil… uh, weird to explain
keep well mate
alex
Great post man. A lot of unique ways to feel good.
Another way to feel good is to pop in and watch your favorite funny movie. Something that will keep you balling for hours. My favorite is 40 year old virgin and Old school….
How about you guys!
Hahaha, I love it. Another example of something that makes you glow: when a friend reminds you of bad singing at full volume driving around in midge.
Hahah, so funny. She offers me protection, a lotta love and affection, whether I’m right or wrong!!!!
HaHa!!
Almost died in that midge. more than once. me and frikken izzi goda
but was glorious. best car evar.
HaHa remember the time it was the wrong midge after raving in TohToh’s pad?! omfg!!
You’re my Wonderwaaaaall
As the ’spanish speaking one’ just pointed out to me, my lyrics are from angels by robbie williams, not wonderwall.
And all the lights that lead the way are blinding!!!
wtf?!?!
how could you possibly mix up robbie williams and wonderwall?!
frikken chode
Best article evar…
HaHa
last time i said that you ripped me off but i’ll agree on this won
def one of my faves. felt so good writing it.
actually did all the things right before i wrote about them
haha
keep well bra
alex
I think just reading about your happiness as made me happier. True story. haha
HaHa awwwsome
reading about your happiness as the result of reading about my happiness has made me happier. True story. haha.
Haha for me just smiling works great. But I use the sort of smile you have when you are doing something exciting and it works because I automatically enter that mode
Funny ya say that, almost called this post “Smile, it’s Free” but decided to address smiling in another post altogether.
huge on my list though
haha.
keep smiling brah
alex
I’m thinking you should post a video of yourself “dancing up the stairs”… you know, as a demonstration.
peh. you’re latina, just salsa your ass up the stairs
…but did consider it
it’d have to be one of those “don’t try these at home” vids. besides, if i put that in a video, the awesomeness of my stair dance could just explode somebody’s brain
tell ya what. i’ll put up a vid of me dancing up the stairs if you do
I just might.
Reminds me of my honeymoon in Jamaica… I was giving Salsa lessons up on the swim-up bar (clearly I’d had a few too many) and when I jumped back into the pool my thigh hit one of the bar stools (why do they make those things the same color as the bottom of the pool?). Anyway, I had a HUGE bruise on one thigh for my entire honeymoon at the beach.
Classy, I know.
haha more like a classy way to change the subject away from the video challenge missy.
lots to say about feminist rights but when comes time to dance up some stairs all is quiet?!
One more thing I would like to add, that has helped me a lot is…
“If something in your life has gotten worse, try to make Something ELSE better – and it doesn’t have to be something important. Clean a closet. Organize your photographs. Work in the yard.”
Hey Shamelle!
really like that. offsetting good with bad. reminds me of an economics class i had to take a while back where they rapped about hedonic framing, how losses can be offsetted by combining them and by separating gains. or summen like that
also really digg the way you said it duddn’t have to be something important. so key.
most people think that they have to do something huuuge or write a 500 page treatise to get outta a slump. that just makes it more daunting and makes you feel worse…
great suggestion
What a great post on finding the positive in the present moment (something I obviously love reading about!). These are awesome suggestions. Thanks for sharing them!
Hey Dani!!
yip
really like the name of your site. and the way you put that 
keep well dearest
alex
What makes me feel great is exercising with the music up loud. Just great J-rock and I tune out from everything else. It just motivates me to keep going.
Life’s too short not to feel good. Good post, Alex.
Hey John!
Yeah. considered adding something like that… but people are lazy and zone out when you talk about exercise.
but def one of my fav feel good things.
i find it’s more slow release, like… you feel good whole day instead of instant awwwsome. instant awwsome too but it lasts.
nevermind how short life is. feeling good feels good
These tricks fall into the category of “state management” or “pattern interrupts.” They can be quite helpful for initial disruption of habitually unhelpful emotional states, which is a good first step in adding new possibilities for behavior, thinking, and feeling.
A next step can be to look more deeply and precisely into how you are habitually thinking or representing experience and what other options you could entertain, or inquiring into the positive purpose of the emotion you were experiencing (now from a more resourced and creative state). Inquiring more deeply can lead to addressing the underlying needs and desires of all parts of you in an ongoing way, without (hopefully) having to use state management techniques too often.
I love it Alex! I’m going to have to try some of this stuff. People already think I’ve gone off the deep end so I don’t have anything to lose if somebody sees me
I love Lisis’s idea about the video. Come on. Do it!
HaHa!!
everywon is on my case about the video!!
put out a deal above since lee-cease suggested it
i’ll put out a vid of me dancing up the stairs if she does too
get on her case
*clap clap clap*
This is a great post Mr Alex!
There is nothing like singing one of your favorite songs in full volume as you’re walking or driving down the street, and people look at you with a “What the…” kind of expression, and then they just smile:)
Toooooday, is gonna be the day that you’re gonna throw it back to me. By now, you shoulda somehow re-alised what you gotta do…
))))))
And of course, you can always just plug your ipod in and start grooving to the music, thats always a way to cheer up:)!
Until we meet again!
Diggy
Diggy You Legend!!
Good ‘ol “WHAT THE FFFFF” look. reminds me of “The Look”. you know, the one jeffy pantomimes
haha. glory times!!
miss glenzo. we don’t sing wonderwall nearly enough lately. it’s that luke chode. waaay too cool for life
saturday is arcade
Keep well brah
alex
Hey Alex!
your posts always make me smile, some great tips..thanks!
Jen
Hey Jen.
so glad has that effect
as i said to Oscar, almost called this post “Smile, it’s Free” but decided i’ll write a whole piece on that soon
keep well jen
alex
Ps – yeah the video would be fab!
HaHa
i offered lisis a deal. i’ll put up a vid if she puts up a vid of her dancing up the stairs
in stilettos
hey man.
Game lovin all the way baby…
I agree. These ’states’ really do come and go…
One thing that has really helped me feel a little lighter is trying to become aware of the moment as much as possible. When I stop ‘the tape playing in my head-on going thought…,it seems to help let go of some stress.
Like the part about being a robot. Are you a robot? nice ice breaker there haha
Mike you legend!!
game lovin’ dum dah duh dum dun dah
everyone should know that mike came up with “game lovin”
completely agree about present-moment-awareness.
as hale, the funniest laugh alive, said, right now there are no problems
dude. “are you a robot” is new opener of destiny.
waaay beats the sides tickle thing
haha
keep well bruv
alex
give a smile or get a hug,dance to music, call a friend for a quick chat, read affirmation cards, look at old photos.
Hey Tess.
Awwwsome examples
really liked the second one – getting / giving a hug.
spent almost 2 months in india, primarily at Amma’s ashram. long story shortish, Amma is a living saint who hugs people all day. from like 4am to 11pm. she’s hugged something like 20mil people and has universities and clinics worldwide. amazing experience with over 10 000 people in the middle of the jungle on the coast of south-east india. http://amma.org/
keep well tess
alex
Smiling and the use of music are my 2 favorite ways to accomplish this. I think the real point you’ve made here is how we can use our physiology and the power of questions change how we feel about anything. Great post.
Sup Srini!
yip; that and how trivial bad emotions are
haha. smile on brav
alex
Hey Alex.
I gotta thank you a lot for this post.
I’ve been going through a bit of a miserable patch today and waiting a lot in anticipation for something that I don’t know how it is going to turn out, so I’ve been quite “meh” thinking about it all day.
And some of these tips have really helped me feel a bit better, I was surprised with number 5, I was sceptical of it at first, but sure enough, I did end up laughing lol. Crazy.
Thanks a lot.
Howie.
Hey Howie!
super glad to have inspired and helped you
always great to get that kind of feedback so thanks bruv
yeah. when i first heard num 5 i burst out laughing not because of but AT the idea
…but really works 
hahaha
keep well and in touch mate
alex
Your theory reminds me of Tony Robbins and how he’s all about moving your body in order to change your “state”. I love that concept… that most people don’t think about. We can change our emotions! Good stuff, as always, Alex.
Hey Karen
haha. never been likened to Tony Robbins. not too sad either. somehow just can’t take him too seriously
just my ego talkin’ methinks 
chaning your physicality is amazing. kinda scares me sometimes how i can be in the best mental/emotional space and yet my body can make all that evaporate.
hmmmm.
keep well karen boo
alex
Another masterpiece dude
nice one
slick dubbs.
thanks brav
good to see owning neighbourhood these days
What about hugging, kissing and doing… other things with your significant other? That’s my favorite way to feel good immediately. Sorry if it’s already been mentioned but the comments are getting longer than the article themselves!
HaHa yip.
awwwsome example. i prolly left ‘em out cos i’m single at the mo.
likely to change by the time you read this at this rate
also, that means you gotta be around that person. and can develop a dependency on them.
why not be able to feel good without needing anything or anyone?
keep well mate
alex
Something I do a lot is think of something particularly funny that happened to me recently, and I realize that any kind of negativity I’m currently going through isn’t important at all.
The downside? People often give me strange looks when they see me laughing to myself, or laughing about something that generally is considered “not funny.” Lol, it works for me though!
Hey Travis!!
haha i do that too
good friend of mine put me onto it. i’ll be walking around the mall or sitting in the library and allovasudden i’ll burst out laughing like completely crazy. then their reactions make me laugh even more 
strange looks are irrelevant
thanks for stopping by mate
keep well and in touch
alex
I’m reminded of the quote “When you feel terrific, notify your face.” Also, “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.” You’re right, we have so much control over our feelings. Our circumstances don’t have to dictate our emotions, and to some extent, it’s the other way around.
Hey Hunter!!
haha. yeah. we actually ran around a nightclub once enticing girls to do “if you’re happy and you know it clap your hands” – especially the “stuck up” model types. got crazy funny
really like the way you put that.
…and to some extent, it’s the other way around
keep well mate
alex
Found you through Kaushik’s blog. As a person realizes everything is a choice, the idea of choosing to feel good is always within reach. One perspective is that it is not what you do that creates a positive feeling. Rather, it is the baseline flow of energy that always exists and you choose to know and feel it.
word
Very interesting ,
lemme subscribe to rss immediately!
yizzi you legend!!
thanks for stopping by and subscribing mate.
catch you at next birds open source underground jam
keep well mate
alex
hey…that made me feel sooo much betta…was kinda havin a bleak week and that just put a smile on my face!!!
thanx dude!!
Thandi dearest!!
glad it helped chicka.
fiction doof doof beats also make feeling good right now
dub step for life yo
Dont make me jealous….im only coming
back 2 capetown next year and already miss fiction.
now i need something to help me get over cpt 4 awhile…what advice can u give me mr professional????
haha fiction is legend
chchcheck back on thurs night, awwwsome new freshness coming soon
I hate to be one of those guys, but all I need to do is to picture my little girl’s face and hear her giggle in me head and most things will go away and I’ll feel better.
I love the stuff here, Alex.
George
Tumblemoooose you gent you!!
awww that’s SO adorable
haha. really. made me smile
keep well
alex
“well no. you can’t have one. You’re gonna have to carry all your groceries and drop ‘em along the way. Hahahaha”
haha that’s awesome
kurt you legend.
really digg your site. super raw expressive gloryness.
keep well mate
alex
the feeling is mutual.
hey man, what plug in did you use to automatically send me that email asking me to subscribe?
chchcheck ya mail
Thanks for this. One thing I do with feelings that come up for me is get a really clear idea of how I experience them — how do I know that I’m feeling sad, for instance? For me, it’s a heaviness in my stomach. When I recognize that, it doesn’t seem like such a serious obstacle anymore.
Hey Chris!!
good to see you ’round these parts
really interesting thing to do. full awareness.
…and i’ll definitely vouch for it. that’s what i do with headaches.
another little tweak to that which really helps too is to almost “dive into” the emotion. feel yourself going deeper than that. deeper still. even deeper. deeper than the surface sensations and deeper than that… is peace.
thanks for stopping by mate
keep well
alex
Nice post there Alex!
A technique I usually use to avoid road rage when I’m stuck in traffic on the highway! I turn up the music and “CLAP” to the beat of the drums! Aah ! whats a stress reliever I tell you!
Great post! This is the first time I’ve come on your blog, hope to come more often now. Do check out my blog as well
All the best ALEX!
ahoy talha
avoiding road rage
haha.
clapping is the golden diamond.
i’ve chchchecked out your blog. diggggs it.
subscribe
keep well and in touch mate
alex
A friend of mine has a trick for boosting your mood slightly similar to trick #5. She puts her hand in front of her mouth like when you giggle into your hands. Then she says “haaa.. haaa.. haa”. She is continually saying that until it becomes so pathetic that she eventually bursts out laughing. I tried it too, many times. It’s an excellent way to make yourself a bit more positive, you mock yourself for being unhappy in a cocky and funny way, until you finally become happy
Try it
“in a cocky funny way”
- haha… trick 6: refer to david d
keep well mate
alex
Nice tips and what a fantastic blog. Very interesting points Alex. I love the clapping concept, how in the world could that NOT work?
And music is always a mood lifter for me. Some good Modest Mouse, Pavement, or U2 can help me. Good stuff, thanks a million!
Cheers,
Dayne
Good ones! My sister and I used to combine no. four with humor. We’d make up silly lyrics to real songs. Our version of John Denver’s Rocky Mountain High really should be on Youtube…
Also – this is really really important – try singing the lyrics to Bad Bad Leroy Brown to the tune of Holly Jolly Christmas.
If that doesn’t lighten a person’s mood, nothing can, that’s my theory…
Alex, wonderful post! Glad to have found your blog… now you have another new visitor!
Something that works for me is to remember silly jokes or stories from the past! I start smiling/laughing without any apparent reason(according to my coworkers) … I tell them I don’t have a mind and now they join me in smiling/laughing!
or go on adventures through africa on flying carpets with built-in sound systems! roaringly rad route to take on a saturday after you met someone who in an apparition-state-like-show who sneeked from underneath the table just to meet heidi who was keen for many adventures together with her other-segnol-likened-half:
waiting room (although it was only an illusion)
carnival court
cape to cuba
zula (make sure you ask etiennne to get you in for free, entrance fees are way overrated)
and then up hills and over the stars to memorable place…
make sure you turn your phone off. no phone calls. just music. and lols (done the oldskool way, meaning actually laughing) and then 1 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 and 1 kisses.
happiness guaranteed. and many more of those nirvana-like adventures! who wants to be boring when you can explore your heart out!
smoke that
or climb from under the table to a million magic memories swished with a billion smiles and a trillion and 1 kisses
…and 1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 and 1 kisses. daily. and licks too.
or lord it up and eclipse the whole of huisdans in a hurricane of 2-steps and ass-shakes the kind that will change stellies forever,
mindexploding journeys of destiny in hidden legends explored on magic carpets with magic sound systems that play wonderwall and take us where nobody knows memorable places under the stars no phones only music. and lols. old school – actually laughing. well. giggling like a goose (a sexy goose) in your case
who wants to be boring when you can explore your heart out
or simply just focus rreaaalllly hard on a spoon and make it bend with the power of your hand….i like spoons….
Awesome website. This is inspirational.
And everyone check out mycomeup.com
Adding “bust a move” to the section about dance totally MADE this blog post. Thank you! Reminded me of Scrubs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv_AT7S7cTU