7 Ways to Improve Your Mood in an Instant

Life gets busy, and we can all get a little stressed out. We might have a super busy family life that we just can’t catch a break from. We might have a mountain of work deadlines or just no vacation in sight. It can be easy to get a little down and perhaps even depressed. Some people are more prone to depression, but there are things that we can do to feel better. If you want to improve your mood, it can be done. For some people, it might be easier said than done. But if you put in the effort to make some changes, it will make a difference.

Spend Your Money Wisely

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We often hear that money can’t buy happiness. So is that true of our mood? Money can buy you stuff, or it can buy you experiences. So one of the ways that can help to improve your mood and how you feel is spending money on the right things. Spending on experiences can improve the quality of your life and enrich it in many ways. Think of travel or crossing things off your bucket list. Those things are much more likely to lift your mood. The chances are that you will meet new people from experiences. You might get to spend more time with family or friends too. None of that can happen if you just treat yourself to a new bag or pair of shoes. Always choose experiences over individual items.

Serve Others

A lot of people attest to the fact that they feel much better about themselves when they help other people. So think about ways that you could help others in your community. Has a neighbor just had a baby and might need a meal taken round? Could you volunteer at a community project or in a thrift store? It could just be something smaller like taking some food to a shelter or helping to make food at a shelter. You need to remember to not stress yourself out with it all, though. So choose something that will fit in your life as it is. Then you will find the whole experience much more. It will change your mood and appreciation for life, for sure. Check out http://www.empoweringretreat.com/community-service.html for some ideas of how you can volunteer close to home.

Remember the Past

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If you want to feel a little happier, how about watching some old home movies or looking at old photographs? Reading through an old journal might help you to realize how far you’ve come in life. You could also read through your older relatives journals or do some family history. Learning about where you came from might just be the thing that you need. Remembering experiences you’ve had and things you did will cheer you up. You could always just laugh at old outfits and haircuts too!

Take Time to Talk

Have you got a bunch of girlfriends that you need a  long catch up with? Or a partner that you want to schedule some quality time with? Whoever it is, take some time and make time to talk to them. Arrange a coffee, meal out or even just a conversation at home. Getting things off your chest and sharing feelings can help with your mood a lot. So if you think that you need to talk to someone, just do it. At work, there might be a counseling program you could look into if you needed. Sometimes the people around us won’t be able to understand or help us in the right way. So speaking to a professional is a must. A website like http://www.healthassured.org/employee-assistance-programmes/ has more information about workplace counseling.

Make Some Changes

If you are in a bit of a rut in life, then mixing things up can help a lot. How about changing something about yourself? You could get a haircut or change the color. You could take up a new exercise program or start doing something new. Doing something that you have always wanted to do is a sure-fire way to lift your mood. If you don’t want to make any changes to yourself, then changes to your environment are important instead. You could redecorate your room to a style you’ve always wanted. Even something small like getting a bunch of your favorite flowers can brighten up the space.

Make Lists

If you can make a note of the little things that you appreciate in life, your attitude can change quickly. How about writing a list of some of the things you are grateful for in life? They don’t have to be big or major things. Just the things that are important to you. Are you grateful for a warm home to live in? Are you grateful that earlier today all the lights were green on the way to your meeting? It is easier to feel positive when you are happy for what you have in life. You could then think about day specific things if you need to narrow the search down. You could write two or three things each day that you are grateful for and continue for as long as you can remember. You will be much more mindful of all that you have that is good in your life. When we get overwhelmed or stressed, it can be easy to focus on the negative. So changing your mindset can help so much in being more positive.

Move More

It can be easy just to stay at home when we are feeling a little down or depressed. It is just a downward spiral, though, as it can make you feel much worse. Getting out and about can make you feel much better. Exercise is key to feeling happier too. You can feel more confident as you achieve your goals. The biology tells us that you will feel better about yourself too. Exercise means endorphins are released in your body and endorphins make you happier. So it is a no-brainer to do some more exercise. It might be hard to motivate yourself at first, but it will be so worth it.