Whether we are feeling a little down, unproductive, lacking motivation, or sad, indulging in activities that are guaranteed to boost our mood is a great way to put that stride back in your step.
From exercise and mindfulness activities to gardening, painting, catching up with friends, dancing, or singing, there are numerous ways to boost your mood in an instance.
If you’re feeling down or want a little pick-me-up, here are a few ideas to help get you started…
Play upbeat music
According to several studies, listening to music that is upbeat can enhance your mood in under five minutes! For best results, play your favourite, upbeat songs and allow the music to take over.
You can even dance and sing along. Ten minutes of singing per day is also said to make you a happier person, so dust off those vocal cords and get singing!
Laugh often
Whether it’s watching a comedy or spending time with people who make you laugh out loud, laughter is proven to heighten the dopamine in our brains, which in turn boosts our mood.
On top of this, laughter lowers our stress response system, whilst elevating our moods. This is done by increasing oxygen production in our bodies.
Do some yoga
Practicing yoga and mindfulness is a good way to encourage both our bodies and brains to switch off. When relaxing and moving through the yoga sequences, it’s is a great way to boost motivation levels and decrease stress.
Even ten minutes of yoga in the morning or evening can help you to enhance your mood, so it doesn’t need to take up all of your days.
Take a walk
Getting some fresh air, even if a quick walk around the block, is great for our bodies and minds. It’s also a good thing to do if you struggle to get eight hours of shut-eye per night.
Research shows that those privy to more light exposure per day have little trouble sleeping, have more motivation, and are less likely to suffer from depression or anxiety.
Even a brisk walk will help if it means taking a few moments away from a busy work or social schedule, or a few seconds away from your desk.
It’s important to match your walking speed to your current mood and fitness levels to ensure you boost your mood in the best way possible. For example, avoid noisy workout classes such as spinning or Zumba, as they might heighten your stress levels.
Send someone a gift
Sending gifts not only brings joy to the recipient, but it can bring joy to the giver of the gift too! Knowing you’re going to brighten up someone else’s day is a sure-fire way to boost your endorphins.
You don’t even have to be in the same city or country to send a gift these days and online florists such as Serenata Flowers offer an array of beautiful bouquets, available for next-day delivery.
Simply choose the arrangement you desire, add the recipient’s address and a cutesy message, and you’re good to go!
Declutter or downsize
Whether sorting through a few items in your wardrobe or getting rid of old furniture, decluttering your home is a great way to declutter your mind. In fact, it’s proven to be an extremely therapeutic activity – once you stop putting it off!
Even the illusion of order helps to ease the mind in a big way! If you can gift some of the items to your local charity shop, that can also act as a mood booster as you can be assured that your donations will be helping others.
Give someone a hug
This simple yet effective gesture will not only boost the mood of the recipient, but it will also enhance your mood too! Giving someone a hug is a feel-good motion and one that can be enjoyed with friends, family, and colleagues.
This activity helps to decrease stress hormones by stimulating the pressure receptors in our skin, and stimulating oxytocin – all of which has a positive impact on our mood.
Conclusion
We live in a very volatile, stress-filled world, so it is little wonder our moods are affected by all that is going on around us, especially as social media and news channels give instant insight into constant sources of bad news, including disasters and pandemics.
With this in mind, it can be hard to stay positive each and every day. In fact, we can often feel like we’re fighting an uphill battle.
Whether you have a highly stressful job or have heard something you don’t really want to hear, just knowing there are various ways you can improve your mood can help to put your mind at rest – especially when these methods are put into practice.
All it takes is a little time and effort.
Source: businessinsider.com
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