5 Ways to Instantly Boost Your Mood

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Could you use an instant mood booster?

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We’ve got you covered! Whether you’re discouraged or just in a slump, we have 5 ways to instantly boost your mood.

  1. Get Moving
  2. Eat Energy-Boosting Foods
  3. Try Aromatherapy
  4. Writing – Brain Dump or Journaling
  5. Talk to Someone

While these activities are simple, they will give you an instant boost of energy to help you thrive today. A good mood will often lead to a good day. Give these five tips a try and see how they impact your mood and day.

1. Get Moving

There is no substitution for what exercise can do for the body and mind. As you exercise, the body releases endorphins which boost both physical and mental energy. Specifically, endorphins are chemicals that when released interact with the receptors in your brain that reduce your perception of pain.[1] Endorphins tend to trigger a positive feeling in the body which can lead to a positive outlook on life.[2] Commonly known benefits of exercising include stress relief, sharper memory, better sleep, and a boost in overall mood. In addition, research has found that exercise has a “profoundly positive impact on depression, anxiety, and ADHD.”[3] Thus, exercise is considered to be a naturally effective anti-anxiety treatment.[4]

A great thing about exercising is that a simple 10-to-15-minute stretch, workout, or dance can have a massive impact on your mood. You do not need to spend hours at the gym or commit to an overly burdensome workout routine to reap the benefits of exercising. The goal is to get your body moving and release some endorphins. Walking or running around the block, dancing, and yoga are quick ways to do just that.

Need some direction? A quick search on YouTube will give you more than enough quick workouts, dance routines, yoga, or other videos to help you get started.

2. Eat energy-boosting food

In addition to being healthy, certain foods can give you energy and help boost your mood[5]. For instance, some great energy-boosting fruits are banana, avocado, oranges, as well as dark berries such as blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. You can have these fruits alone, make a salad, or make a smoothie. Further, consider adding some energy-boosting vegetables such as kale and spinach to your diet. Kale and spinach are packed with antioxidants and nutrients. 

Likewise, some grains such as oatmeal, quinoa, and brown rice are known to help your body gain energy. Think about incorporating these grains into your breakfast or lunch. If you do not have time to make anything or just want a quick snack, consider eating nuts and seeds. Nuts are high in fatty acids and contain protein and carbohydrates. Fatty acids are said to reduce inflammation which helps with fatigue[6]. Similarly, seeds are also high in fatty acids and help gives the body energy. Some popular seeds to snack on are pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, and chia seeds.  These seeds are also great additions to salads or smoothies.

Check out these recipes to help you make some healthy, delicious, and mood-boosting breakfasts, smoothies, and lunches.

Breakfast:

credit: greenlitebites.com/Spinach Ham Omelet Roll-Up

Smoothies:

Lunch:

Credit: pinchofyum.com/Honey Walnut Power Salad

3. Aromatherapy 

Aromatherapy is such an easy way to instantly boost your mood. It is defined as a holistic healing treatment that uses essential oil.[7] Essential oils are extracted from plants and capture the plant’s scent or flavor. Aromatherapy is practiced through smell or skin absorption.[8] Additionally, aromatherapy is credited with being able to enhance sleep quality, reduce stress and anxiety, treat headaches, and boost immunity and energy.[9]

Some methods used to practice aromatherapy are diffusers, bathing salts, body oil, facial steamers, hot and cold compresses, and clay masks. The best way to use aromatherapy to boost your mood instantly is to use essential oil in a diffuser.

Here is what you need:

1. Diffuser

There are many kinds of diffuser, but you do not need anything fancy. A simple diffuser will work well.

URPOWER 2nd Version Essential Oil Diffuser
View on Amazon

2. Essential Oils

There are a variety of brands of essential oils to choose from. It’s important to make sure that the essential oil is pure. Check that the oil is certified organic, free of GMOs, pesticides, dyes, chemical fertilizers, and other harmful chemicals.

Our favorite based on experience is:

Cliganic Organic Aromatherapy Essential Oils

View on Amazon

The Cliganic Organic Aromatherapy Essential Oils is 100% organic and climate pledge friendly. The set includes a booklet that has essential oil blend recipes that are super helpful.

The best essential oil for boosting mood are:

  • Orange essential oil
  • Peppermint essential oil
  • Lemongrass essential oil
  • Rosemary essential oil

Here are two of our favorite diffuser recipes to help you get started:

Citrus Mint Energy Blend:

  • 5 drops of orange oil
  • 3 drops of peppermint oil
  • 2 drops of lemongrass oil

Herby Energy Blend:

  • 4 drops of Peppermint oil
  • 3 drops of Rosemary oil
  • 2 drops of orange oil

Hope you enjoy these energy-boosting essential oil blends!

4. Write it down

Method 1: Brain Dump

Writing things down is a great way to get them of your head and onto paper. Writing is an amazing way to boost your mood. It’s so simple, all you need is a pen and paper. There are two methods of writing that are the most beneficial to boosting your mood. One is a brain dump. A brain dump is simply writing down your thoughts. It’s an exercise that helps you to declutter the thoughts in your mind. There are no rules on how to do it. Just sit down and write. You can choose to organize your thoughts, if you’d like.

An idea on how to organize your thoughts:
  1. Write down the things that you are struggling with? Issues or conflicts that you are experiencing at work, school, or home.
  2. List all the things that you are grateful for in your life. Think about: the people, the opportunities, and the things you possess. This practice is so rewarding and has so many benefits to your overall wellness if practiced constantly. Consider getting a gratitude journal to help you with this practice.
  3. Write the things that you need to do and how you will get them done. Making a to do list is helpful because it allows you to think about how you will get things done and encourages you to do it. Thus, removing any anxious and overwhelming feelings that you have inside.

Be open and honest with yourself. A brain dump is an amazing way to get things that you may not want to say or cannot get off your mind out of your head. If you have privacy concerns, you can cut up the paper and throw it away.

Method 2: Journaling

A second method of writing that will instantly boost your energy is journaling. It is an amazing way to reduce stress and boost your mood. Journaling is therapeutic and is a great self-care activity. Accordingly, journaling is found to strengthen emotional well-being and is a valuable activity for personal growth. There are numerous ways to journal. You can write based on journal prompts, bullets, or just freestyle.

Here are some journal prompts to get you started:
  1. Describe a time that you felt especially valued and loved.
  2. What is your greatest accomplishment? How has it impacted your life and the person you are today?
  3. Name some things that you do that bring other people joy.

These prompts are just a starting point, feel free to let your feelings lead you. Make journaling a habit. Do it daily or weekly and experience the many benefits that journaling has to offer.

Check out 10 Journal Prompts for Self-Reflection for more journal prompts.

5. Talk to someone

Lastly, another great way to boost your mood instantly is to talk to someone. Speaking with family or a close friend can help you to get things off your chest. A great friend is trustworthy. They will listen, encourage, and even make you laugh. More importantly, you don’t even have to talk about your issues. Just talking to someone can help boost your mood. However, do not be afraid to allow yourself to trust and lean on someone at times of difficulty or discouragement. Be encouraged to share your struggles and fears. That is where true healing and strength begins.

Hope these practices help to boost your mood!  This is not an inclusive list,  there are so many other things that you can do to bolster your mood and keep a positive energy. Try listening to music, repeating self-affirmations, adult coloring, and 15-minute breaks throughout the day. Find out what works best for you and keep it as a tool whenever you need it.

Be well!