10 SIMPLE TECHNIQUES TO BOOST YOUR MOOD Body positive

WHO knew by moving your body in certain ways you can change your mood from downbeat to upbeat? Try these moves when you next need a mood boost. body, but how we hold our bodies also influences our mind and moods.

Try pulling your shoulders back to remind yourself what ‘good’ and ‘happy’ posture feels like. And Lexie Williamson, author of The Stretching Bible suggests trying this...

Using an old tie or dressing gown strap, hold it overhead with your hands wide apart. Drop your hands forwards so the strap is in front of your chest, then lift it so it is behind your head. Repeat four times. Then, remaining standing, raise your strap or tie with your hands wide. Bend your arms until they form a 90-degree angle and draw your elbows back. Ohio State University found that if we shake our head ‘no’ while saying a statement, we don’t believe what we are saying. Yet if we nod our heads ‘yes’ we gain confidence in our thoughts – and in ourselves. Another study from Ohio State University showed that sitting with a straight back can make you feel more upbeat. Researchers asked people to either sit up straight or slouch at a desk and write down three positive and three negative personal qualities relating to how well qualified they were for a job.

The people who slouched were less likely to believe positive things about themselves than the others who were posture perfect.