How to Feel Happier, Ten Easy Ways to Boost Your Mood

Laughter is great medicine – watch your favourite t.v. comedy  - Family guy – courtesy of Google Image

Food

Some foods have natural boosts and taste good – bananas and chocolate both lift your mood.  Be careful to eat a full and balanced diet, nurturing your inside will aid a lighter mood.  And the old adage of a little of what you fancy is also good advice.  Perhaps little is a key word though, you don’t want to eat five tubs of Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Dough and then feel even worse afterwards!

Pampering

Some R and R time can be incredibly healing, relaxing on a deck with a good book and a long, cool drink or lying in a warm bath, soaking up the bubbles will both make you feel a lot calmer and probably far more sanguine than beforehand.  We all rush around to meet ever growing deadlines, so do allow enough time to recharge your batteries sometimes.

Take Control

Set yourself some goals to give yourself control back on your life.  Make them realistic, achievable and measurable and revisit them at the time you have agreed.  You could write them down in a sealed envelope, dating it on the front with the agreed time you’ve given yourself to meet the goal/s, pinning on the refrigerator or noticeboard.  The goals are personal to you, but could be about achieving things, or doing things, for example, they could relate to learning a new skill, or being more assertive at work/in a relationship or making larger changes in your life.  In the last year I took on the goal of learning Spanish and passed an exam in Spanish.  This was just for me and it felt good!

Give

Do something for someone else.  When we give to others, there is something very selfless about the act that will make you temporarily forget about what is getting you down.  If you have an elderly neighbour, relative or friend, for example, is there something you can do for them?  Offer to help them or simply phone someone up and ask them if you can call round with say, a bottle of wine/pack of muffins.  Email people you haven’t got in touch with in a while, ask them how they are and focus on them and their needs.  Give your time and thoughts to others and you will benefit others as well as reaffirming the more positive aspects of who you are, consequently feeling better yourself.

These steps may help and I hope they do, but if you do think your feelings are not likely to pass, then always consult your doctor for professional advice.