Body and Skincare,  Health and Body,  Mental Health,  Physical Health

Give Your Mood a Boost Instantly With These 9 Ways

Have you ever noticed when the weather starts to change and we anticipate a new season, our mood changes with it? We, like our animal counterparts, start the hibernation process. The blankets, sweaters, Ugg boots and pumpkin spice lattes all come out in preparation for the winter months ahead. Don’t get me wrong, I love a chilly, fall evening filled with football and hayrides. The dual fuel heating is what keeps me warm during winter. Give me all things pumpkin and apples and I’m set. It such a great feeling knowing we are quickly heading into the holidays complete with lots of family activities when it starts to get cooler out.

As the leaves begin to change and fall to the ground, the sun and warmth is no longer a catalyst to instantly boost our moods. Some days the clouds roll in, stay for awhile, bringing along Autumn thunderstorms keeping us inside all day. When the sun does poke its head in, we try and take full advantage of getting that dose of Vitamin D to improve our attitude towards life.  The days are getting shorter and the nights of staying out catching fireflies are quickly fading away.

The sun and heat that made it easier to feel happier in the spring and summer have moved to the wayside. During those months, I find it takes no time at all to go from a bad mood to good in an instant.

When the weather is colder, it’s a little more difficult to make that shift. As I sit here getting ready to tackle some hard core editing, I first need a jolt of energy to work through this task. Glancing out my window, I see the dark clouds overhead and have to figure out some ways to elevate my mood. Snuggling up with a movie, take a nap and possibly hop in the bathtub all sounds like a better solution than what I’ve got on my list.

They all sound great, don’t they? But we all need a little extra pep in our step sometimes and need some guidance on how to do that. Go ahead, look at these 9 ways to take your energy from the bottom of the barrel to Energizer Bunny mode in a snap of a finger:

  1. Sing in the shower

Get your Grammy speech ready because the acoustics in the shower are going to make you sound like Beyonce. Let the hot water rush all you and belt out your favorite tunes. Smile when you are doing it and give a performance of a lifetime.

  1. Hug someone

A big bear hug can release oxytocin levels throughout your body. These are the same hormones that dictate bad moods, so you want them to go up instead of down. By hugging, this can give release it throughout your body dropping your stress levels and boosting your mood. Plus, the power of a hug can heal what ails you.

  1. Give someone a compliment

Take the time to make someone else feel good about themselves. By saying something nice about their character or personality, you are complimenting them in a way that gives them a nod to say, “Hey, you rock!”. You can thank another person for a good deed they have done or genuinely give some feel good feedback. If you can’t think of anything nice to say, then smile at a stranger today. That smile might change their whole outlook for the day ahead.

  1. Smile for a whole minute

It takes some concentration to go from RBF to a smile but the difference between being surly to changing the path of your day is huge. Sure, it might look kind of strange to an outsider as to why you are sitting around with a goofy look on your face, but your smile can transfer to them, inevitably making their day better as well. Even when you are alone, smiling allows you think happy thoughts, getting you out of a funk and into a happy go lucky place.

  1. Dance everywhere

Give fellow drivers something to smile about at the next red light. Moving your body gives your tense muscles a break. So bust a move in your living room and introduce your kids to some of those rad tunes from your younger years. Turn the music up and just let go. Dance like no one is watching and allow yourself to have a good time.

  1. Act like a kid

Kids are natural mood boosters. They have this energy surrounding them able to take anyone from grumpy to giggly in a heartbeat. Take a cue from a kid and get silly. Recall a made up language you might have had when you were a child and talk in those nonsense words. Bounce around, spin and jump doing things effortlessly with reckless abandon. Tell jokes that have weird punch lines. If anything else, JUST PLAY!

  1. Laugh

I don’t mean a little tee hee. I mean, let loose and give it all you’ve got. Let out one of those laughs that shake your whole belly like a bowl full of jelly. Think of something funny or a joke you heard that tickles your fancy. Tickle one of your kids until their giggles become contagious. Have a staring contest with someone. Make a face at yourself in the mirror. Whatever it is, give those facial muscles a workout.

  1. Go outside and ground yourself

What the heck is the grounding, you ask? Grounding is a way to connect with the Earth’s electric field. Find a patch of grass (even on the coldest days) and kick off your shoes to be one with mother nature. Connect with the ground’s energy, close your eyes and breathe in the fresh air. Notice how you feel and how your mood has changed when you give yourself permission to be footloose and fancy-free out in your yard.

  1. Go for a walk

Move that body. This is as simple as taking a stroll around the block. It gets you out of the house and in the daylight which can give you that dose of Vitamin D to turn that frown upside down.  An added bonus is: if you have a dog, you get to do this every day, no matter what!

If you have any other methods that work for you, comment below sharing with me other ways to get that instantaneous mood booster!

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