Simple Ways to Elevate Your Mood When You Have The Blues
If you’re feeling a bit down in the dumps, you might be surprised to hear that there are lots of ways to lift your mood quite quickly and give you that zest for life again. Sceptical? Implement these handy tips highlighted in this article and see how you feel…
1. Put some drops of lavender and orange essential oils in a diffuser. These oils have been shown to help with anxiety and to promote positivity and calmness.
2. Have a snack. A handful of nuts or a square of dark chocolate will send endorphins flooding into your brain and lift your mood fast.
3. Get some sunshine. Go outside and get some fresh air and some natural vitamin D, Studies have shown that people who have significant exposure to light have less depression, fewer sleep problems and are even more productive. If you can’t make it outside, go and look out of a window.
4. Go for a walk. Even walking around the block will help to lift your heart rate and energy levels.
5. Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Breathe in and out deeply three times. Focused breathing lowers your blood pressure and calms the mind.
6. Lift your shoulders up to your ears and then let them drop. Do this three times and feel the tension ebb away. It’s easy to hold onto a lot of tension and stress without realising it.
7. Self love. If you’re feeling nervous before an interview or presentation, go into the stairwell or restroom. Breathe in, open your arms wide, then breathe out whilst giving yourself a big hug. It’s almost impossible to do this without smiling.
8. Smile! Smile and make eye contact with a colleague, the assistant in the coffee shop or the person serving you at the deli. The physical act of using your smile muscles can genuinely make you feel happy. Keep smiling, it’s contagious. Chances are you’ll make them smile too and enhance their day.
9. Stand up straight, lift your head and throw your shoulders back. Adopt a Wonder Woman or Superman pose and feel the change in your energy.
10. A cup of tea or coffee will instantly lift your mood. You probably know that caffeine is a stimulant, but even low or no caffeine hot drinks will give you a boost or calm you down. Whether it’s chamomile or green tea, a chai latte or hot water and lemon.
11. Listen to music that you love. You can choose custom mood music, or play your old favourites. Music has been shown to have a powerful effect on mood.
12. Ask for a hug. Probably not from your boss, but a family member or friend would love to give you the instant comfort of an embrace.
Essential Oils That Boost Your Mood Fast
You’re probably aware of your favourite smells. After all, smell is one of your most powerful and evocative senses. Think of the comforting aroma of freshly baked bread, the allure of coffee or bacon. But scents are not just pleasant, they can also be therapeutic.
Aromatherapy, the therapeutic use of scents, has been used for thousands of years. Physicians in Persia, China, India, and Egypt extracted and blended aromatic plant extracts in balms, perfumes and oils for medical and religious purposes.
Today, all around the world, people use aromatherapy as a gentle but effective way of reducing stress and anxiety, treating headaches, improving sleep and soothing aches and pains.
Aromatherapy uses the distilled essence of plants, like essential oils. You’ve probably seen them in your supermarket, health food store, or online. The most popular methods of using essential oils are in:
• Diffusers
• Bath oils or salts
• Creams or lotions
• Steamers
By the way, essential oils should never be used directly on the skin but always diluted in a carrier oil or cream.
Essential oils can be used by themselves or in combination to quickly elevate your mood if you are feeling down, or change the atmosphere in your home. Here are some of the most popular:
1. Lavender
Lavender is a calming, balancing essential oil that promotes a sense of relaxation and wellbeing. It is suitable for stress relief and to combat the symptoms of colds, flu and migraine.
2. Chamomile
Chamomile is soothing and calming and will lift your mood. A great addition to a warm bath to help you relax and promote sleep.
3. Orange, bergamot, grapefruit and lemon
All the citrus oils are perfect for lifting your mood. Especially recommended is Bergamot for general malaise and low mood. Orange oil promotes positivity and lemon boots energy. Grapefruit oil makes you more alert and stimulates the brain.
4. Rosemary
Rosemary oil is excellent for clearing a foggy mind and also acts as an anti-depressant.
5. Rose
Rose oil is especially recommended to help with depression, anxiety and stress.
6. Marjoram
Marjoram oil aids in anxiety, stress relief, helps combats fatigue and depression, and calms hyperactivity.
Here are some suggested blends to try in the diffuser to instantly elevate your mood.
Relax
• Three drops Lavender
• Three drops Bergamot
Release anxiety
• Four drops Lavender
• Two drops Lemon
• Two drops Ylang Ylang
Calming
• Four drops Lavender
• Three drops Chamomile
Energising
• Three drops Grapefruit
• Two drops Peppermint
• One drop Spearmint
How Exercise Can Lift Your Mood
If you are feeling a bit down, give exercise a try. It’s well known that exercise releases serotonin, which is a chemical that controls your mood. Increased levels of this chemical will make you feel better.
Conversely, a lack of serotonin may cause depression in some people.
At the very least, it could be responsible for you feeling down from time to time.
You have likely felt a surge of good feelings after you have finished exercising. Even if you are sceptical of the science, it’s hard to deny that exercise benefits your mood. This feeling usually lasts for several hours after the exercise session.
Many people choose to exercise in the morning because the good feelings that come from it will last throughout their workday.
Exercise can help you reduce the stress that you may experience from working. It gives you the ability to handle certain situations that may confront you while at work.
If you can’t exercise in the morning, you can still benefit from exercise at other times of the day. You are looking for the long-term benefits and effects.
Interestingly, some people experience too much of a rush when exercising in the evening. That makes it difficult for them to sleep at night. In this case, it’s probably best to choose earlier times to get your exercise.
However having said that, for most people exercise helps them sleep better. After the elevated mood, your body and mind will become tired, which sets you up for good rest. That is a natural way for you to get a good night’s sleep.
While any exercise is good, you will be better off making regular exercise a part of your routine. It stands to good reason that if exercise makes you feel better and you exercise often, you will likely feel better more often than not. Regular exercise also helps to regulate weight.
If you ever feel down about your weight, you will help benefit this situation as well.
You don’t have to use intense exercise to get the rewards of an elevated mood. Walking is also one of the best exercises you can do on a daily or weekly basis.
However, you have to do it frequently and consistently for it to be most beneficial. You should try to walk for several miles during each session, and try to do it three to four times per week.
It’s not a bad idea to incorporate some resistance training into your workout routine. Make sure not to do this every day, as your your muscles will need to rest and recover.
A great benefit to resistance training is that you continue to burn fat even after the session, whilst feeling great inside and out at the same time.
Hopefully this article has given you some ideas on how to instantly help boost your mood. You don`t have to feel sad and deflated when you can apply some of these tried and tested techniques right away.
There is no time like the present!