How to Improve Your Mood in Five Minutes
Karen Morris
With one week left of the latest 30 day challenge, I’ve had some great feedback in regards to my patients noticing an improvement in their overall mood. These improvements have come from dietary and lifestyle changes which can be implemented by anyone at anytime. The simple act of removing sugar from your diet and increasing the amount of exercise you do will create positive change in your mind, body and spirit. But, these changes can take time (especially if you’re addicted to sugar – at first, you’ll probably be feeling anything but happy!). With this in mind, I thought I’d make a list of ten quick ways to improve your mood in five minutes or less!
1 – Close the Door and Breathe
Taking just five minutes to go into a room on your own, sit down and breathe deeply will change your heart rate and decrease cortisol almost instantly. Better yet, lay on the floor and place your feet up against the wall, the act of allowing the blood to move in a new direction can invigorate your body and get you feeling rejuvenated quickly.
2 – Do Ten Burpees
This exercise (a quick google search will show you how if you haven’t done them before) gets the heart pumping fast and changes the state of the body quickly. This technique is good if you are feeling anxious, jittery or stressed and like you have excess energy you would like to get rid of. If meditation doesn’t appeal, try a set of 10 burpees and repeat two or three times.
3 – Dance
Music has a very powerful effect on our energy and can quickly boost your mood. Play your favourite song but pick an upbeat one, probably best to steer clear of the likes of Adele’s
‘Hello’ if you’re trying to improve your mood!
4 – Write out WHY you feel unhappy
If your mood is flat, you’re sad or you simply just don’t feel good, grab a pen and paper and write out why it is you feel the way you do. Often we don’t realise how much of an impact our subconscious has on our mood. If there is something on your mind causing you to feel a little ‘off’ taking some time to write out what’s going on in your head can help clarify your feelings and why you’re feeling them.
5 – Cry
Let it out. Crying is therapeutic and something we are designed to do to release stress, sadness and grief. If you are holding back tears you are holding in pain, let it out and observe how much better you feel after.
6 – Sleep
Sometimes a ten-minute meditation or a quick nap isn’t enough, sometimes, we really do need to reset and have a solid sleep. If you can get to bed a few hours earlier or put aside an hour not too late in the afternoon, a good sleep can really improve your mood and have you feeling better than ever.
7 – Talk to Someone
If you have something on your chest you need to talk about, give a friend or relative a call to talk it through. If you don’t have anyone in mind you feel you can call, why not try giving Lifeline a call on 13 11 14.
8 – Walk around the block
Sounds so simple it could be mistaken for not being effective, but a walk around the block provides you with fresh air, improved blood flow and an opportunity to clear your mind and ‘get out’ of your own head.
9 – Watch a Motivational Video
YouTube is an excellent resource if you’re feeling down. A quick search for ‘motivational videos’ will result in an endless list of video options that will instantly help pick up your mood and inspire you to try again.
10 – Watch a Comedy Show
There is no better feeling than having a good laugh, if the motivational videos haven’t got you feeling refreshed, set aside 20 or 30 minutes to watch some comedy geniuses. My go-to is Ricky Gervais – he never disappoints when you need a good laugh!
As always, please feel free to get in touch with me via the www.herbsonlineshop.com contact page and if you’re not already, why not follow the @herbsonlineshop Instagram account and Facebook page and group. I post daily about my clinic, my top health tips and information about custom herbs and supplements, just for you!
Please contact me if you need any help with you current herb/supplement regime. [email protected] or
phone 02 9555 5117