Top 7 Ways To Enhance Your Mood

With our fast-paced lives, we keep jumping from one task to another, one deadline to another, one meeting to another, one party to another, and so on and so forth. We seem to be in a constant rat race and all this running around and juggling various activities causes us to be constantly stimulated. This ultimately takes its toll on our mental health, and after a while, nothing excites us anymore, or makes us genuinely happy. We operate like a robot, trying to do things like a to-do list. To search for happiness, we look for worldly things, ideal relationships (which, by the way, rarely exist), monetary gains, and so on.

Have you ever wondered how all this will change, if you pause for a moment, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and then ask yourself, “Is this what I really want?”

Some people genuinely require medicines to improve their moods, like those diagnosed with clinical depression, anxiety, and behavioral disorders. It is a simple shift in lifestyle for the rest, which can bring that million-dollar smile back on our face, and lift our mood sky high.

I know what you are thinking: Is this possible? Well, it is. I have seen it working with my clients all across the globe. Read on to know the secret.

1. Watch the sunrise: Yes, you read that right. Watching a sunrise mindfully can immediately boost your mood. Watch the rays of the sun falling on the dew drops on tree leaves, and creating a rainbow inside. Watch the rays of the sun illuminating the different colours of flowers. Listen to the birds chirping and calling their friends or partners on seeing the sun, because they now need to fly in search of food. Click a selfie with a smile on your face, while using the sun rays as your natural flash and highlighter. Believe me, this time with nature and yourself will keep you in high spirits throughout the day. It sounds very simple, but that is the point. Most of us think that ‘simple’ does not work, and we run behind complicated solutions, but it is the simple things that actually work in reality.
2. Go for a walk, jog, or run: Leave that mundane treadmill, take your water bottle, put your mask on, and go out for a walk, jog, or run in the park. The natural air, fresh smell of flowers, chirping birds, kids playing– enjoy all of it (If your area has a high no. of Covid 19 cases or the air quality is bad, go on your terrace). Research shows how natural air and greenery can instantly lift your mood. Also, exercise causes the release of endorphins, the feel-good hormones inside your body that can give you an instant high.
3. Play with a baby or kid: They say the laughter of a baby is contagious, which is true. When you play with a baby or a child, hug them, or kiss them. There is a release of oxytocin in your body. Research has shown that oxytocin helps to reduce stress and anxiety. It helps improve your emotional responses, trust, bonding, and positive communication. The playtime will also help build happy memories. Whenever you need a smile on your face, think about their playtime. Thoughts have significant power in your mind and emotions.
4. Indulge in your favourite hobby: We have hobbies, because they help us relax and calm down. Doing the same routine every day feels boring. Hobbies bring a lot of zest in our life. It is called a hobby, because you love doing or performing it. Ask your family member or friends to click a candid picture of you, while you are busy with your hobby. Trust me! The smile that you see on your face in that picture is the most genuine smile in the world. It also helps in the secretion of feel-good hormones inside the body.
5. Meditate and practice gratitude: Meditation has been proved to help fight stress and anxiety. Offering gratitude is when you thank god for all the good things in your life. You concentrate on what you have, and do not whine about what you do not have, and this instantly shifts your mood for the better. When you combine both meditation and gratitude, you receive a double benefit. This practice will help relieve your stress and will make you a much more positive person.
6. Include serotonin-boosting food in your meals: Serotonin is a hormone responsible for our moods and feelings of happiness. Though there are medications prescribed to people who need to boost their serotonin levels, we can all increase our serotonin levels naturally via food, like nuts and seeds, good protein sources like poultry, lean meat, and clean whey in your diet.
7. Put that diffuser to use: Essential oils are your go-to partner for boosting your mood instantly. The calming and energizing aroma when it hits your nostrils initiates various bodily reactions ranging from the secretion of hormones to relaxation of muscles to stimulation of the brain (it affects the limbic system, where memories are stored and behaviour responses are influenced). You can choose between frankincense, citrus fruits like lemon or orange, peppermint, ylang-ylang, Bergamot, Rosemary, pure rose and lavender essential oil.

Nature has given us so much that it is up to us to use these resources to the fullest. I always say simple lifestyle changes will help achieve our biggest health goals. So, next time if you are feeling low, do not feel like doing anything, curl up like a ball and binge on Netflix, or want to put a blanket over your head and sleep like a log, wait! Take a deep breath, and follow any of the steps mentioned above to feel better. Remember, it is only you who can keep yourself happy or sad, no one else. Take charge!