16 Ways to Naturally Improve your Mood

I would love to have a magic switch I could press that would change my mood, instantly be happy or calm, or content, no longer struggling with feelings of inadequacy or lack of worth. Sadly, such an invention does not yet exist, or every parent of a teenager would own one.

No person can be happy all the time. Life is a balance, we must take the good with the bad, or as I like to say, we have to become experts at navigating the challenges and adventures of life, we need one killer lemonade recipe. For me, it is more about not allowing any emotion to completely consume me, to remind myself I am in control, not my emotions. By working to maintain a natural calm mood all the time, my lows are not super low and my highs are not crazy high. Rather, I remain in control at all times.

There are some simple ways we can naturally improve our mood. A lot of these methods will have an instant effect on your mood. Try these suggestions, making note of your favorites.

1. Take a five-minute break, put your feet up, and drink a glass of water. You would be shocked at how much dehydration can negatively affect our moods. I have found when I am faced with a challenge I cannot see a way through, taking a break and drinking a glass of water can give me renewed energy and a new perspective.
2. Go for a walk. People, we were not made to sit still and stay inside. We were made to work hard, be outside, and enjoy nature. A short walk, even inside, can boost your mood instantly.
3. Do something for someone who cannot pay you back. Feeling down in the dumps, as if everything in your world is crashing down? Do something for someone who can’t pay you back and watch your mood soar. Help an animal, give to a homeless shelter, buy a homeless person a hot meal. Giving just to give instantly boosts your mood, especially if you don’t tell anyone, and simply savor the moment.
4. Random acts of kindness. There is no better way to improve your mood than through random acts of kindness. Hold the door open, pay for the person behind you, visit a nursing home, help a mother with small children. No matter what the random act of kindness is, your heart will fill.
5. Take five minutes and list everything you are grateful for. Gratitude is always an instant mood lifter. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves when we are practicing gratitude.
6. Put the caffeine down, drink more water. Caffeine may seem like the solution, but your body may need hydration, not a kick of energy.
7. Skip sugary snacks, and go for fruit. Sugar creates a fake high, and the crash is worse than before you ate the sugar. Eat limited amounts of sugar, focusing on getting your energy from food.
8. Eat less junk food, eat whole food. Fast food is loaded with processed ingredients, fats, and empty calories. Give your body what it really needs, whole food, and watch your mood improve.
9. Make a victory journal. Record every win, victory, and accomplishment in a journal. On bad days, remind yourself what a tough person you are. We all need a cheerleader and a reminder.
10. Look for the beauty around you. Beauty can instantly make you feel better. When I go outside and specifically look for things that I find beautiful, I find myself smiling in the first few minutes.
11. Pet an animal. I am an animal lover and nothing can make me feel better than my dogs. Raffy will always listen to me, hug me, and then guard me while I nap it off. Selina, while very compassionate, is more interested in shaking off the bad news and being happy. She will play, laugh, and dance with me any day. These guys cheer me up daily, give me the courage to face challenges, and remind me that if I get nothing else done, I took care of them and that is a good day.
12. Volunteer. Give back, take the focus off of you. Make life better for someone else and watch your mood improve.
13. Play. When was the last time you played? Laughed until you cried? Did something for the pure enjoyment of it? Give yourself daily playtime.
14. Call someone who always makes you feel loved and special. Nothing makes me feel better than a text from my parents. Growing up, cell phones and email didn’t exist, so I didn’t get to talk to my dad as often as I would have liked. Now, no matter what is going on, when my dad texts me, I smile.
15. Join a group, take the focus off of you. A lot of times we feel sad because we are focused on ourselves. When we remove the focus from ourselves and place it on something larger than ourselves our mood instantly improves.
16. Workout. Last but not least, my favorite solution, working out. When we exercise, our brains increase the amount of serotonin released. A little secret, I don’t actually love working out, there are days I hate it, but I love the results, not the physical results, the mental and emotional ones. My stress is lower, my focus crisper, my perspective improved, and my mood is great. During the week, you can find me in the gym twice a day. It may seem like a lot, but the time in the gym keeps me grounded, and is how I care for my mental and emotional health. You can get the same results from walking, even in your house. One year, when we were snowed in, I walked laps in my living room for 45 minutes every day. At first, I felt silly, but when my mood improved, I knew I had found a great solution.

How do you improve your mood? What are your secret weapons to fight a bad day? Find five or six ways you like and make them a part of your toolbox. Make your weeks the best they can be no matter what life throws at you.

Sincerely,

Sara O