20 Ways To Improve Your Mood

I recently read a list published of twenty methods to improve your mood. In the sometimes stressful times that we live in, it seemed like a good list to pass along. Here it is:

1. Write a to-do list – If your mind is full of thoughts and responsibilities, try a to-do list. Empty out your head onto a pad or notebook, and you’ll feel lighter – plus, you can follow up easier when you put it on paper, especially if you assign target dates. Clear some memory, write it down.
2. Take a walk – Exercise gets your endorphins, your feel-good chemicals flowing. Movement gives you positive energy.
3. Eat some chocolate – Chocolate also turns on your feel-good hormones, just don’t overdo it.
4. Wake up your sense of smell – The scent of baking cookies, the aroma of beautiful roses, inhaling sea air – our noses help us enjoy our food, as well as giving us vital information about our environment. Breathing itself is constructive, and when you add a meaningful and pleasing smell, it’s even better.
5. Get your hands dirty – Gardening is relaxing on so many levels – communing with nature, holding life in your hands, planting and nurturing – it all makes you feel good, like you’re doing something that matters.
6. Listen to music – Everyone has personalized taste, but when most people hear music they enjoy, it makes them move their bodies, breathe in rhythm and stretch their imaginations. Your brain makes more feel-good chemicals, you get calm and happy, and it happens fast.
7. Dance – Moving to music is universally accepted as great exercise and beautiful art, and it is also a great stress-buster and mood booster. Regardless of your experience or skill level, dancing makes you feel great.
8. Visit with friends – “The Blue Zones,” a book on longevity and quality of life, points out that having a social support structure is essential in long-living cultures. Spending quality time with family and friends soothes you, grounds you and provides a special kind of pleasure.
9. Have some green tea – The antioxidants in green tea inspire better immune function and improve well-being. Your brain loves green tea, because it turns on more of those feel-good hormones.
10. Pay it forward – Kindness is a secret way to feel good – it costs nothing, and makes a difference in someone’s life. Be nice, it helps you too.
11. Buy a full spectrum lamp – Some people are sensitive to the change of seasons, so special lights that imitate natural sunlight can stimulate your brain to make more happy chemicals.
12. Bring a smile – Your facial muscles are triggers for emotion, and are triggered by it – you can make yourself feel happier by smiling, which signals your brain that something is good, so it responds accordingly.
13. Pet a dog – Snuggling with a cute pooch reduces your stress hormone, cortisol, so you feel more relaxed and less stressed.
14. Tune out – Learning to meditate or quiet your internal dialogue is a sure way to lighten your load and improve your mood. Getting silent on the inside is time-tested and effective at reducing negative emotions and making you feel better overall.
15. Choose a fresh look – A new haircut, a new outfit or at least a new combination of clothes or jewelry will give you a new energy field. By changing your look, your also change your outlook.
16. Get organized – Tidy up your desk, workspace, bedroom or living space. Clutter distracts us, and annoys us subconsciously – straighten up your things, reclaim control over your territory, and see how it influences your mood.
17. Stretch – When you tense and relax your muscles, you increase circulation, breathe more deeply, and generate more happy hormones. It will also help you stay present, instead of worrying about whatever was on your mind.
18. Let the sun shine in – Open your shades and let the beautiful rays of the sun come into your home or office. It will lift up your spirits and put a smile on your face. Sun increases your production of serotonin, another of your brain’s feel-good chemicals. Let the sun cheer you up naturally!
19. Take a nap – Most of us are sleep-deprived without realizing it, and the stress hormone cortisol spikes with fatigue. A little power nap will leave you feeling refreshed and ready for the rest of your day.
20. Take a break from social media – Many studies link stress to screen time – give yourself a little downtime without your phone, tablet or TV, and you’ll be surprised how much calmer, happier and less jangled you feel.

There are many ways to bring down your stress levels and bring up your happiness – regulating your mood is a habit that comes back to reward you many times over. Discover ways to make yourself feel good naturally – it will improve your quality of life.