It seems like every time most of us turn on the TV there’s an advertisement for a new medicine promising to boost our moods. Some medications are for depression and severe mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, but what about people who don’t have a diagnosed medical condition, yet want natural ways to boost our moods without medicine?
Maybe we’re having a rough work day or a period of stress. What can we do to uplift ourselves, naturally? According to a report featured on ABC News and cited on Business Insider, up to 40 percent of our happiness can be controlled by our daily actions, beliefs, and thoughts.
The following are some fast and easy ways to give yourself a quick mood boost.
Avoid Hitting the Snooze Button
We all need adequate sleep to function at our peak level throughout our day, but if you find that you’re sleeping in or continuously hitting the snooze button every day and barely waking up in time for work, consider waking up earlier.
People who wake up earlier tend to feel happier and like they have more control over their life, so as hard as it might be, if you’ve been feeling down lately, try to avoid hitting snooze.
If you have problems with this, you might consider adding timers to your lamps or getting an alarm clock that mimics the sunrise. It may sound silly, but having light when you’re waking up is a good way to not only help you learn better sleep patterns but also feel better.
Focus on the Positive Each Day
If it’s true that you’re largely in control of your own happiness and feelings of well-being, then this is a tip that should work well. At the end of each day, think about the things that went well for you. You might even consider keeping a journal of even small positives from throughout your day.
Take the time reflect on good things at the end of the day, and be grateful for them, rather than focusing on the negative and you’ll be able to retrain your brain to think more positively.
Have a Mood Boosting Snack
If you’re feeling down, it can be tempting to reach for a cup of coffee, but that’s the wrong approach. Too much caffeine can actually cause a spike and then crash in your energy levels and leave you feeling worse.
Instead, there are foods you can eat that have shown to help combat stress and a bad mood. A few examples are dark chocolate, leafy green vegetables like spinach and fatty fish like salmon and tuna.
Get in the Sun
If you work in an office or spend most of your time indoors and have noticed you tend to feel sad or down often, simply stepping outside might make a different. Natural sunlight can do wonders for our mental well-being.
If you really want to boost how you feel, take a quick walk while you’re outside.
If you want to improve your lifestyle and how you feel, you don’t have to reach for medications, nor should you rely on things like alcohol. Instead, it’s better to try natural approaches first and see what an impact they can have on your state of mind.