18 Ways to Boost Your Mood

Ever have one of those days where you’re stuck in a funk and you can’t seem to shake it? Where your energy is completely off and you don’t know why or where it came from? I have. And I have let it affect and ruin my entire day and as a result, have put others around me (like my kids and husband) in a foul mood as well.

The energy we put out around us is very contagious and as much as we should be protecting our own energy from others, we need to be aware of the energy we are projecting to others as well.

To get out of your bad mood and set your energy vibrations back on track, try one of these ways to boost your mood STAT!

No social media day

That’s right. None. Do you think you can do it? For your own mental health, I hope you can. We all need a break from the constant scrolling, comparing, and self-loathing. And honestly, it’s just one day. You have done harder things! The best way to do this is to just put your phone in another room and preoccupy your time with more useful activities. 

Call a friend (not a text)

Or better yet, meet up with a friend for coffee or happy hour, but make sure you are surrounding yourself with that one friend who always lifts you up. No-one wants to be around a negative Nancy when they’re already in a bad mood.

Remember, friends and family can fuel your fire…whether that’s in a good way or a bad way.

Listen to music

They say music is therapy and I believe it. Music has gotten me through some of the worse times of my life and some really great times too. When you’re feeling blah, put on your favorite song or your favorite playlist, crank up the volume on full blast and DANCE.IT.OUT!

30 minutes of movement

This can be in the form of any type of exercise as long as you sweat it out. You will feel so much better after, trust me! Those endorphins people always talk about? They’re real. Getting up and moving can completely shift your mood in an instant and sometimes it’s really all you need. 

Here’s a blog post I wrote with the 10 reasons why I exercise, and none of it is to lose weight.

Get outside

Go for a walk or take a drive somewhere you can unplug and decompress. If the sun is out, thats a huge plus because a dose of vitamin D is proven to boost moods in people who suffer from depression. If you’re a stay-at-home-mom, put your kid in the stroller and take her on a short walk around the neighborhood. This will be good or the both of you. I know when I’m feeling down, stepping outside can instantly turn my whole day around. 

Put fresh flowers on your table

Do yourself a favor….next time you’re at your local grocery store, buy yourself a bouquet of flowers. Don’t wait for someone to get it for you. You do you! Having fresh flowers in my house not only livens the place up but makes me smile every time I look at them. 

Do one small random act of kindness

The other day, I was at the grocery store and I had a cart full of groceries. I noticed that there was an older couple behind me with only a couple of items and I told them to go ahead in front of me. They were so sweet and appreciative and it completely turned my mood around that day. Small acts of kindness is the best way to spread positivity in the world. Be that person.

Watch a funny or feel good movie

I should write a blog post of all the movies I like to watch when I want to put myself in a good mood. But for now I have three words for you: Dumb and Dumber

Don’t complain all day

Yeah, you know you do it! We all do. I’ve definitely been guilty of this. It’s so easy to judge and criticize isn’t it? It takes more effort sometimes to find the good in things but you gotta try. Or just stop yourself from complaining. Next time you find yourself about to complain about something, spin it to be a positive statement instead.

Get all dolled up (even if you’re not going anywhere)

This is especially true for those of you who are stay-at-home-moms or who work from home. I am both of these things and I used to think to myself, why bother getting ready in the morning when no-one is going to see me.

Well the fact of the matter is, how we look and present ourselves to the world (even if you’re not going anywhere) is a direct correlation to how we feel. So if we don’t shower and stay in sweats all day with stains on our shirt, we’re probably going to feel like crap. But, if we get up early, take a shower, fix our hair and put on clothes that are actually presentable, you will like the way you look on the outside and therefore feel good on the inside.

Feeling fresh, put together and proud of how we present ourselves to the world has a huge effect on how confident we feel to tackle anything that comes our way.

Get a mani or a pedi or both

A pedicure to me is the best and quickest form of pampering you can get at the cheapest price. I mean for about $35 you have someone massaging and making your toes look all pretty. It might not solve all of life’s problems but you’ll feel so much better after, trust me!

Write down a list of your accomplishments (big or small)

Did you only hit the snooze button once this morning?
Did you manage to get the kids ready and out of the house on time with no yelling?
Did you make dinner that your kids actually liked?
Did you finish that project you’ve been working on for months?
Did you land that big account at work?

Whatever it is, write it down. We sometimes forget how awesome we are and we need to remind ourselves of that from time to time. 

Declutter the busiest room or area in your house

You don’t have to Marie Kondo your entire house in one day but you do have to start somewhere. Small steps will make a huge impact. Take the room that gives you the most anxiety whenever you walk past it and just get to work.

Don’t overthink it, just do it. I know it can be daunting and overwhelming but give yourself a small goal (ie. go through stack of papers on desk) and accomplish it. You need small wins to gain the confidence to keep going. And truthfully, the hardest part is starting but once you’re done and have said your good byes to things that no longer bring you joy, not only will your mood change for the better but your mind will be clearer and you’ll get the confidence to tackle other rooms in your home. 

Buy something you’ve been wanting

Hello retail therapy!! I’m not saying go broke spending your monthly grocery allowance on new shoes but purchasing something you’ve been wanting and saving for is such a great feeling. I know some people may think this is bad advice but I want to be clear. I am in no way advocating that you numb whatever it is that’s going on with you with shopping but what I’m saying is, if you want something bad enough, you’ll work towards getting it.

This goes for everything in life. Save for it, do your research on the best price, where to get it, etc… and when the time is right and it so happens to be when you’re in a bad mood and you need a pick me up, GO GET THAT THING YOU’VE BEEN WANTING!

You deserve it,  girl. Don’t let anyone tell you that you don’t.

Take a day off from work

Ever heard of mental health days? My background is in HR and I’ve seen it countless times where people are burnt out, stressed and tired and as a result project their negative energy on everyone around them.

Mental health days should be encouraged and not frowned upon. It is essential to our overall health and well-being. 

Plan a future dream vacation

I love to daydream what my next vacation will be. It’s one of my favorite hobbies. I’ll go as far as going on the website, picking out flights, hotels, and rental cars, pricing everything out until I get all the way to the checkout page. I know it’s silly but the thought of traveling to a place that I’ve always wanted to go to makes me happy. I love envisioning what I’ll eat, where I’ll go, what I’ll see. That’s the explorer in me. The thought of something new and different excites me!

Meditate

Take a moment, close your eyes, clear your mind and just focus on your breath. Realign yourself and get back to centering your mind, body and soul. Do this for at least 10 minutes either through a guided meditation (I use an app called Headspace) or if you’re comfortable, on your own. Don’t worry if your mind wanders. When this happens, gently guide your mind back to your breath.

Make a habit of doing this for 10 minutes a day and increasing your time as you get more comfortable. 

Eventually, you’ll make this part of your morning manifestation routine and it’ll completely change your outlook on life for the better. 

Gratitude 

There are many things to be thankful for. The fact that we wake up every morning and are breathing is a gift. Learn how to be grateful for the smallest things that we take for granted like breathing in fresh air, or having gas in the car to bring us to work.

We are extremely lucky. When I find myself getting negative and complaining about everything going wrong, I remind myself how incredibly lucky I am to be alive and healthy. And that my children are thriving and healthy.

Like meditation, practicing gratitude should be done daily. This helps to train our minds to appreciate what we have and show empathy to those around us. Over time, practicing gratitude makes us better human beings and we can never have too much of that going around.