12 Ways to Actually Improve Your Mood in Less Than a Minute

Life Can Be Challenging

It seems like today, You’re constantly faced with stressful situations at work, at home, at school, even in the car.  In many cases,  your reactions to these situations can make things worse.  If you let your thoughts and emotions get the best of you, it can negatively impact your mental and physical well-being.   So, what do we do?  How do you improve your mood?

When uncontrolled thoughts and feelings run rampant through your mind, they create neurochemical chaos. Therefore, this type of reaction can make you anxious and affect your ability to think clearly and process information.  Above all, it can also be a major roadblock that allows other toxic thinking habits and mental health issues to take root.

Mentally healthy people can more easily handle all of life’s challenges, and by changing your thinking and living a life of purpose, you can improve the way you think and live.

Now, are you interested in learning how do you use the incredible power of your mind to persist and grow in response to life’s challenges? No matter what life throws your way, when you master the art of mental self-care, you will improve your mood, mental health and achieve success in life.

If you’re feeling a bit blue right now, you might be surprised to hear that are lots of ways to improve your mood in less than a minute.  Are you skeptical? Try these and see!

12 Ways to Improve Your Mood

1) Put some drops of lavender and orange essential oils in a diffuser. These oils help with anxiety and promote calmness and positivity.

2) Have a snack. A handful of nuts or a square of dark chocolate will send endorphins flooding into your brain and lift your mood fast. (This one is my favorite.)

3) Get some sunshine. Studies show that people who have significant exposure to light have less depression, fewer sleep problems, and are even more productive. So, go outside and get some fresh air and some sunshine. If you can’t make it outside, go look out of a window.

4) Go for a walk. Even walking around the block will help to raise your heart rate and energy levels.

5) One technique I highly recommend is to breathe in deeply for four seconds, hold for four seconds, and breathe out for four seconds. Close your eyes and focus on your breath.  You can also breathe in one side of your nose and out the other side. Breathe in and out deeply three times. Focused breathing lowers your blood pressure and calms the mind.

6) Lift your shoulders to your ears, and then let them drop. Do this three times and feel the tension ebb away. It’s easy to hold onto a lot of tension and stress without realizing it.

More Ideas

7) If you’re feeling nervous before an interview or presentation, go into the stairwell or the restroom.  Breathing in, open your arms wide, breathing out, give yourself a big hug.  It’s almost impossible to do this without smiling.

8) Smile! Smile and make eye contact with a colleague or the guy in the coffee shop, or the person serving you at the deli.  The physical act of using your smile muscles can genuinely make you feel happy.  And it’s contagious.  Chances are you’ll make them smile too and improve their day.

9) Stand up straight, lift your head and throw your shoulders back.  Adopt a Wonder Woman or Superman pose and feel the change in your energy.

And Even More Ideas to Improve Your Mood

10) A cup of tea or coffee will instantly lift your mood.  You probably know that caffeine is a stimulant, but even low or no caffeine hot drinks will give you a boost or calm you down, whether it’s chamomile or green tea, a chai latte or hot water, and lemon.

11) Listen to music that you love. You can choose custom mood music or play your old favorites. Music is a powerful way to improve your mood.

12) Ask for a hug. Probably not from your boss, but a family member or friend would love to give you the instant comfort of an embrace.

You Can Benefit From These Techniques

When you’re in a good mood, you are more productive and energetic, not to mention you simply feel better! At one point or another, most of us could benefit from these simple techniques to improve our mood.   I’d love to hear what methods you’re using to keep you healthy and save your sanity. Please comment below.

I am Shirley Noah, author and an internationally known stress expert and entrepreneur. I would love to connect further with you to help you improve your health and wellbeing.  If you are interested in learning more about positive self-talk, please take a look at my popular E-course, Optimize Your Self-Talk.