Much old wisdom points to the fact that we are not our moods and emotions. That there is something deeper and wiser within us. That we can make the choice whether to be swept away on a tide of feeling or make a decision not to act in the way our emotions are insisting. But our moods can be powerful things, and stress or a constant low mood is no fun. Is it really possible to improve our mood, and if so how can we do it?
Exercise
While it is tempting to spend hours a day on a Vipassana retreat trying to become less influenced by our emotions, it might not be the most practical solution. Instead, you need to find quick fixes that will help you boost your mood now if you are feeling tired and low.
While we should be exercising every day, anyway, a quick, 5-minute bout of exercise may be all you need to get your endorphins pumping and improve how you are feeling. Exercise is a good stress reliever too, and can help you deal with your emotions in a constructive way. The meditative traditions point to the Swan, who when in trouble squawks and flaps its wings. It can then quickly settle down to gliding across the lake, once it has released all of its negative energy.
You could try a five-minute yoga pose; that releases the place where you feel stress in your body. Or what about a high impact 5-minute dance routine to get the endorphins pumping? Just don’t forget to do a quick warm up to prevent strains!
Supplements
Another quick fix for boosting your mood is to snack or supplement your way to being happy. Foods like cashew nuts, popcorn, and cheese all contain tryptophan. This is a building block of serotonin, a lack of which is linked to stress and depression. You can also try ALPHA GPC, which has enhanced choline absorption. This means it’s easier for you brain to get the good stuff so you can improve you mood and focus.
Holihour
Another quick and easy way of improving your mood is to take what is know as a ‘Holihour.‘ This is a great suggestion as taking time for yourself every day is essential to our mood and mental health. Especially for mothers who frequently are on duty 24 hours a day. The idea is that each day you take one hour for yourself, and you don’t worry about anything in that time. Similar to the mindset that you would have on holiday.
You pick something that you want to do and do it whether anyone else thinks it’s a ‘worthwhile’ thing or not. You could have a hot bubble bath? Walk around the mall? Treat yourself to a coffee and watch the world go by? Just something for you that shows you are taking care of yourself.
You can choose to spend it on your own or with friends or family, whichever way that you recharge best.
Space for your thoughts
Meditation has been known to improve mood and brain function. But It’s not always easy to fit in 1-2 sessions every day along with all the other stuff we have to do. Remember though that meditation isn’t just sitting in a crossed leg position with your eyes closed. Its can also be anything that takes up all your focus and allows you to just let your thoughts come and go.
You can try drawing as a meditation. Use a pen so you cannot rub anything out. Next, pick your subject to draw, start with something simple like an orange or a cup. Then use your eyes to look really at the item. Try not to see the ideal of a cup that you have in your mind, but the actual cup itself that is it in front of you. You’ll notice that while your brain might tell you to go one way with your pen, your eyes will tell you another. This is why is so hard to get the perspective right in a drawing! Our brains are so tied up around how we think things should be; we forget to see them as they are. Then start drawing. Don’t take your pen off the paper, break the line or rub anything out. This is an excellent practice of acceptance in itself! If art isn’t your thing, you could dance or even doing the washing up mindfully!
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