Top 10 Mood Boosters
Feeling a bit blue? If it’s Monday morning, you’re certainly not alone… According to one survey 11.17am on a Monday is when Brits feel unhappiest. The good news is that nine out of 10 people believe it only takes a small thing to salvage a bad day. Here are our 10 simple ways to boost your mood:
1 Invest in a digital photo frame
Open University researchers investigated how television, alcohol, music and flicking through photographs affected the moods of volunteers. They found that television made no difference, alcohol and music raised happiness levels by one per cent, and flicking through a photograph album made the volunteers’ moods rise by an impressive 11 per cent, bringing about feelings of comfort and happiness.
2 Eat your way to happiness
Those who eat Mediterranean diets have a 30 per cent reduced risk of depression, say Spanish scientists publishing in the Archives of General Psychiatry. Fish is high in happiness-boosting omega-3s while complex carbohydrates – like wholegrain bread, starchy vegetables, beans and pulses, and wholegrain cereals – increase the brain’s levels of serotonin, which plays a big role in how happy we feel.
3 Do something spontaneous
Book a last minute ticket to see a show, pop round to a friend’s house for an unplanned night in with a bottle of wine, or go to an event, museum, gallery or exhibition. Changing our normal routine or habits reminds us to be “in the moment” and to remember that we do have the freedom and power to do whatever we like.
4 Use your sense of smell
Essential oils can boost happiness as well as relaxation. Researchers in Austria tested volunteers’ moods before and after inhaling calming scents such as lavender and oranges and noticed a significant rise in their moods after inhaling the oils. The participants said that they felt less anxious and more upbeat. Try the Zesty Sicilian Lemon Candle from Orla Kiely. £25 WWW.ORLAKIELY.COM
5 Make B your buzzword
“Without enough vitamin B our brains can’t make the chemicals we need for mood, brain function, and healthy sleep,” explains Dr Mike Dow, author of The Brain Fog Fix (Hay House, £12.99). Mike advises that we eat more spinach, Brussels sprouts, romaine lettuce, asparagus, broccoli and legumes like lentils and kidney beans and organic eggs and fish. Or try High Strength Vitamin B Complex (£8.95 for 120 – www.healthspan.co.uk).
6 Pat a pooch
“Petting animals has been shown to release oxytocin, which boosts feeling of joy while decreasing levels of the stress hormone cortisol,” says Dr Sarah Brewer, author of Live Longer, Look Younger. Walking a dog will mean you get some exercise, which will further enhance your good mood. No pet? Offer to walk an elderly neighbour’s dog or check out WWW.GETACTIVEWITHANIMALS.COM/HELPDOG.HTML.
7 Walk a mile a day
“Exercise is extraordinarily effective at boosting energy and combating both anxiety and depression,” says Dr Dow. Studies show that regular exercise actually outper forms antidepressants when it comes to improving mood and cognitive function – decreasing stress hormones while increasing endorphins, adrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine. All of this can have a positive effect on your mood – and you’ll also top up vitamin D levels, which helps!
8 Give someone a hug
Physical touch can have a remarkable effect on health – and recovery if you’re ill. Hugging can lower blood pressure, boost the immune system and generate good hormones. Also try and sing every day – it’s fun, relieves stress, increases oxygen in the blood and releases mood-boosting chemicals. Sing in the shower or, better still, join a choir.
9 Do a good deed
People who volunteer are likelier to be happier than those who don’t, regardless of how much money they make or other socioeconomic factors. Even if you can’t volunteer, give blood or sign up for a charity walk. Researchers believe volunteering boosts happiness because it increases your empathy, which makes you appreciate all the good stuff you have in your own life.
Be more mindful 10
Studies show being mindful – focussing on what you are doing rather than acting on autopilot – can permanently reduce stress levels while increasing feelings of contentment. So, if you have a cup of coffee, smell the fragrance, feel the warmth of the mug, use all of your senses to be “in the moment”. Focus on each sense in turn and how it makes you feel.