Three easy ways to boost your mood
Some of us grew up with those clever rings that changed colours, supposedly depending on our moods. If those trendy gadgets were accurate, we would no doubt learn a lot about what makes us tick. And think about what a great first impression opportunity that would provide when interacting with others. Our approach/ avoidance antenna would welcome such revealing information, because not everyone wears their emotions on their sleeves.
More important than being able to gauge the moods of others, however, is the ability to improve our own. Acknowledging that some people who are depressed will benefit the most from pharmaceutical and professional intervention, research reveals that there are also behavioral considerations that can improve emotional quality of life. Here are a few ideas.
Working night or day?
Do you live to work or work to live? If you love what you do, you chose the former — but most of us are stuck with the latter. Many people who love what they do don’t “work” a day in their lives, but people who work to make ends meet view their job as a necessary method of providing for their families. Unfortunately, many people in this position do not have the luxury of designing their ideal job situation — or their hours. Some work the night shift — which research reveals is not ideal when it comes to life satisfaction.
A study by Kelly D. Davis found that people who have daytime work schedules are happier than those who worked nights or weekends. This result is not unexpected. Many night shift workers can no doubt relate to the findings.
Bedroom phone ban
In terms of maintaining serenity and positivity, jazz or easy listening is probably a better choice than tearjerking musical lamentations of unrequited love.
For many people, a device is a do-not-disturb sign. But should that sign be hanging on our bedroom door — indicating that virtual connectedness has invaded even our sleep space? Research suggests a better plan might be to designate the bedroom a device-free zone.
In an article aptly named Sleeping with the frenemy, Nicola Hughes and Jolanta Bruke found that abstaining from overnight smartphone use in the bedroom for one week increased well-being, although the impact was relatively small. Regarding specific benefits, participants reported that abstaining from bedroom smartphone use resulted in an increase in both the quality and quantity of sleep, less time wasted, enhanced feeling of calm, and improved personal relationships.
Speculating as to why the results were not more dramatic, Hughes and Burke acknowledge the benefits of smartphone use. They provide a source of social interaction and connectedness, which can decrease negative emotions, and facilitate relaxation and escapism, which can promote positive emotions.
Music matters
Can music make you happy? Or is the trick to avoid music that makes you sad? Some research appears to support the latter suggestion. Ronald S. Friedman re-explored the existing hypothesis that lower pitched music has a sadder expression. He found qualified support for the fact that people perceive “lower than normal” musical scales as having a sadder, expressive character. His research, however, does not support a hard and fast rule that lower pitches depress our mood.
We all have different musical preferences as well. Although as a practical matter, in terms of maintaining serenity and positivity, jazz or easy listening is probably a better choice than tear-jerking musical lamentations of unrequited love.
Live to maximise happiness
Obviously, life is filled with events and circumstances beyond our control. And many people require professional assistance in tackling clinical depression. But to the extent that we can influence our schedule and surroundings, there are easy-to-implement practical measures we can take to enhance our mood.