Turn that frown upside down, Part I

When I started to realize that my increasing anxiety and depression were something to take seriously (thanks in part to a heart-to-heart with my friend TCB, who also recently started dealing medically with depression), in addition to going to the doctor I started a regimen of serious, sustained happy-making.

When a person hits this low of a point, this is actually harder than it may sound.

When you’re depressed, you don’t necessarily have the energy to feed and bathe yourself, let alone maintain a regimen of happy-making. But I gave it my best shot, and I think coupled with the meds and support, it helped a great deal.

So I decided I should probably do a series of posts devoted to what a happy-making regimen is and what mine was/is.

Happy-making: n. the act of making oneself happy, or at least less depressed, by engaging in simple, subtle, or extreme activities that lift one’s spirits. v. the action of performing these tasks, which may include a variety of diverse and often unrelated things that is different for every person in most cases.

First on my list was changing my hair. My cute cut from Melanie from Vain (which I refer to as hair therapy since she rescued me from a, gasp, shag!) the last time I visited my friend in Seattle was all grown out.

I wanted/need hair that tells people I am a poet at first glance. I don’t want to be mistaken for a conservative, even up here in the Appalachian mountains!

So a month ago, I went to Mr. Alan’s Lifestyle Salon and had Meredith give me this asymmetrical bob (my favorite type of cut, especially for my round face) along with some funky new hair color.

Side view. You can see the angle.

The back is short and a little shaved at the bottom.

I had wanted purple highlights with a silver streak where my own Rogue-esque streak already is, but Meredith had trouble getting the color to stick to the Garnier Fruitis I had on my hair already. So I ended up with a painted true red with a painted blonde streak. Still pretty cool.

But ultimately, I was going for this! I love comic books and anything Joss Whedon writes, so Frey is a current love. I wanted her hair cut: a little longer than her shoulders in the front, super short in the back with flips and curls. The dye job is a little intense for me (I’m not a pink person)…but this is my goal.

So this past Thursday, I went back and had Meredith do this to the back! I’m getting closer.

Meredith always does a crazy styling job, but this gives you a basic idea that the front is still basically the same.

I am so much cooler now temperature-wise, and I also think my hair is pretty cool, too.

In another month, I will have the back trimmed and give the purple dye another shot!

It makes me happy!

What makes you happy?