5 ways to lift your bad mood

Feeling stroppy? Here are 5 ways to lift your bad mood – as everyone has an off day every now and then. Whether it’s because we’re in a bad mood, we’re feeling low in energy, someone has made us angry, or we had a bit of bad news, it’s easy to get stuck in this dark mood all day and let it affect us. But there are a few simple things we can do to lift our spirits in a flash.

Here are five of our favourites:

Get moving


Go for a full workout at the gym, do some yoga at home, take a stroll in the park, or walk the dog. Even mild exercise can lift your low mood and energy levels. Exercise boosts levels of serotonin and dopamine in the brain and has been shown to be an effective antidepressant. And you’ll enhance its benefits even more by taking it outside. Take a break from your home or office to breath some fresh air and get some sunshine. And if you’re stuck in an office all day, get up for tea and water more often, or simply stretch your arms overhead, raise and lower your shoulders a couple of times, and stretch your legs as you lean your torso against a wall. This can help to ease the tight muscles that come with stress.

Get smelling


Essential oils can produce a powerful effect on your body when their aromas are inhaled – stimulating brain regions that influence emotions, helping to calm your mind and lift your mood. Try lemon essential oil, which enhances your mood by increasing the levels of norepinephrine (a brain chemical involved in mood regulation), or lavender essential oil, which is known to help reduce stress and ease insomnia. Rosemary essential oil is a great option for long office hours, as it’s very energising and able to increase alertness and improve cognitive performance.
To use these, simply shake a couple drops onto a piece of linen and then inhale the uplifting aroma, or apply a few drops on your wrists, temples or behind your ears, massaging to aid absorption.

Get resting


Whether you’re able to take a power nap for 10 to 15 minutes, or simply lie down and close your eyes while breathing deeply, short rest moments will de-stress your mind and body, helping to increase low mood and make you feel more relaxed.
And remember to stick to a regular sleep schedule, even on the weekends. Get seven to nine hours per night, so your body will adjust to that cycle and you will be less likely wake up in a grumpy mood or feel an energy slump by the early afternoon.

Get reaching
out

Call or text a friend or family member, and even make plans for the evening or the weekend. Free your mind by venting about how low you feel and fill it up with the thoughts of when you’ll see that person, what you’ll do and all the laughs you’ll have. Flick through old photos and anticipate all the good times that are coming. You’ll feel so much better.

Get eating


Snack on mood-boosting foods (yes, this includes chocolate). Just one square can boost serotonin levels without resulting in a sugar crash. Look for dark chocolate with more than 85 per cent cocoa, or raw chocolate – as cacao is high in phenylalanine, which promotes a feeling of happiness that’s similar to the experience of being in love.
Include tryptophan-rich foods like bananas, which boost serotonin and dopamine levels (the feel-good hormones in the body); complex carbohydrates, which also stimulate the production of serotonin; avocados as the healthy fats they contain will help raise dopamine levels and increase endorphins, and finally, snack on almonds or Brazil nuts. These can both increase dopamine and serotonin levels, plus Brazil nuts contain selenium – a powerful antioxidant that has been proven to boost mood.

And don’t forget to sip on green tea. It contains L-Theanine, an amino acid that improves your mood while reducing stress and anxiety.