Six ways to quickly boost your mood

We all have days where we just feel a bit off. Sometimes our hormones get the best of us. Sometimes we have a tricky conversation with someone and it affects our mood for hours after. And sometimes life just feels hard. 

I had a day like this last week. Nothing had happened to trigger this mood. I just didn’t feel particularly motivated or positive. So I went for a walk. And it really helped. My go to mood booster is walking. Being out in nature just makes me feel good. 

Here are six ways you can change your mood quickly:

1. Change your physiology. If you are sitting down, stand up, walk around the room. If you are on your own, do some star jumps! If you are feeling frustrated, physically shake off the feeling. Movement is the quickest way to change your mood. 

 2. Listen to music. Pick a song that makes you feel happy. Happy, upbeat music causes our brains to produce chemicals like dopamine and serotonin which boost our mood.

3. Go for a walk. Walking enhances the natural release of endorphins which stimulate relaxation and improve our mood. These chemicals work by interacting with receptors in your brain to reduce the perceptions of pain and give feelings of wellbeing. If you can walk amongst birds, even better. A recent study led by academics from King’s College London, found that everyday encounters with birds boosted the mood of people with depression, as well as the wider population.

4. Get out of your head and into your body. If you are overthinking this can lead to feelings of overwhelm and anxiety. Spend 10 mins practicing mindfulness or take some time to get present. A great way to do this is to play the 5 4 3 2 1 game. Find 5 things in your surroundings that are red, 4 things that you can smell, 3 things that you can touch.... Use all your senses to get back into your body.

5. Laugh or smile - watch a comedy or a funny animal video. Smile. When you smile it triggers mood-boosting hormones in the brain. So even if you don’t feel happy, put a smile on your face and you may soon start to feel more positive.

6. Talk to someone. We spend so much time online these days that we forget about the art of conversation. Call a friend, chat to a work colleague or invite someone out for a coffee.

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