5 Simple Ways To Boost Your Mood

Ever have one of those days where you just feel especially down about yourself? It could be attributed to a recent event that brought along negative repercussions, or it could just be an unexplained bad mood. Regardless the cause of your troubles, these tips can help combat these uncomfortable emotions and improve your general mindset:

1. Surround yourself with good friends or family members.

As tempting as it may be to lock yourself in your room and avoid the world, don’t. All this will accomplish is getting you to delve further into your mind, essentially trapping yourself within your own negative thoughts. Instead, go out for coffee with your mom. Meet a couple of friends for lunch. It doesn’t matter who you choose to spend your time with, as long as it’s with people that serve to remind you how lucky you are to have a great support system whenever you need one.

2. Exercise.

Not into fitness? That’s okay. No one’s telling you to run a marathon. Just do something to get your heart rate going. Whether it’s crossfit or a leisurely bike ride is up to you.

Not only are endorphins a natural mood booster, but a healthy exercise will help temporarily distract you from what’s bothering you. Also don’t forget to create a workout playlist, if you don’t have one already. I’m not ashamed to say that I totally listen to cheesy girl-power jams to pump me up on the treadmill.

3. Watch a funny show or movie.

Save the tear-jerking One Tree Hill reruns for another time. Put on an old childhood favorite, or something that’ll make you laugh. After the first funny scene, I promise you’ll feel at least a tiny bit better than before.

4. Write down at least 5 things that you are grateful for.

When we are faced with situations that are less than ideal, it’s easy to convince ourselves that things will never turn around for the better. Therefore, it’s incredibly important to focus on the good aspects in your life that you don’t want to change. Just reading your list can help alleviate some of your self-deprecating thoughts, allowing you to recognize how lucky you are. (Even though it doesn’t always feel that way.)

5. Unplug. From everything.

As we all know, being a part of this generation means that we are constantly connected. While this can be helpful in some ways, the negatives can sometimes become overwhelming . Sometimes we just need a break from the consistent emails, Instagram feeds, and snapchats. After all, it does begin to get exhausting from time to time.

So do just that — take a break. Put your phone on airplane mode, remove yourself from your laptop, and finally let your little sister use your iPad to play Trivia Crack. Our reliance on smart phones and social media can prevent the ability to appreciate the simplicity in life. Go get some fresh air, read a book, drink a cup of tea. Taking time to enjoy yourself without clicking and scrolling can be a liberating experience. Give it a shot.

We all have those days where we have to go that extra mile to stay positive. While wallowing in self-pity often seems like the only viable option, it’s not. Identify areas of happiness in your life, and try to distract yourself to prevent the negative thoughts from encompassing your mind. Even if you only feel better for five minutes, small steps are still progress toward not only boosting your mood, but also your overall satisfaction toward life.