Everyone needs a pick-up now and then. It is very normal for your mood to vary when you are going through a difficult time or simply feeling the impact of your busy lifestyle. It is to be expected even more at the moment, thanks to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which is playing havoc with people's mental health.
Although for most people, the occasional mood swing is natural, it is important not to ignore them completely, particularly if the slump carries on. It is important to deal with mental health issues as quickly as you can before they deteriorate further.
Here, we look at some of the natural happiness boosters that you can use to help pull you out of a bit of a mood dip and get you feeling like your usual self sooner rather than later.
Follow a healthy diet It is no secret that a healthy, balanced diet is key to feeling good. It is not just your physical health that it has an impact on, but mental too. |
Try cutting out processed foods and refined sugars and eat clean - lots of fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and pack as much omega-three fatty acids in as possible. These will help to boost your immune system, as do products from Life Extension, which will leave you feeling well both in your body and your mind.
Don't forget to drink plenty of water - aim for around two litres or eight glasses a day to keep hydrated. Remember, if you feel thirsty, you are already showing signs of dehydration.
Get some sunshine
Natural sunlight is one of the best mood boosters out there. You may have heard of SAD's - Seasonal Affective Disorder, a condition caused by a lack of natural sunlight. Exposure to the sun creates melatonin, which helps to control our sleep. This helps to program our body into a healthy routine, which benefits our physical and mental health.
Meditate
Often written off as something a little "hippy-dippy," meditation can be incredibly helpful for rebalancing your mental health and helping your mind to refocus. It is not about sitting with your legs crossed and humming, although if that helps you, that's fine. Meditation is about deepening and slowing down our breathing, allowing our bodies and mind to relax and slowly letting the stress melt away. There are apps and online videos to help you with the meditation process.
Find a creative outlet
Another underutilized way of letting off steam and eradicating some of the stress in your life is to find a creative outlet for expressing yourself. This does not need to be something you have a talent for; it can be simply something that you enjoy. It may be music, painting, drawing, journaling, or gardening. It might not even be necessarily something creative - something as simple as volunteering for your local community can have a similar effect.
How we deal with stress and low moods is very personal. What works for one person may not necessarily work for the next, but by trying out these boosters above, you may find something that modifies your mood for the better.