Inside: 5 practices to help you lift your mood up once again. We all experience low mood though some people seem to struggle more with this than others. It is so important to remember that you are worthy of love and acceptance in spite of your struggle and that you are worth fighting for!
Truth time: sometimes you find yourself in the valley or feeling low (again) and not only do you wonder if you’re the only one (you’re not) but you need a reminder that you can take purposeful action to pick your mood up again.
If you are someone who feels you struggle more than others, it can help to remember that the struggle is only part of your story – not the fullness of it – and the low times are usually temporary.
Whether your low mood is due to painful life circumstances, chronic depression, anxiety, or a seasonal dip (here are 10 science-based tips to care for yourself through the darker season), it is so important to remember that you are worthy of love and acceptance in spite of your struggle and that you are worth fighting for!
As tired as you may feel, it’s important to advocate for yourself to figure out the best ways to boost your mood.
RELATED: 5 Habits To Help You Show up Strong When You Must Begin Again
With time you can build habits and strategies to improve your mood – you will get stronger with practice. Start somewhere and take advantage of the free, purposeful resources I’ve offered you below. Don’t fall prey to discouragement or overwhelm; Just do all or something.
Use the following inventories to gather information about your current mood or mental state and consider taking them to your doctor/functional or integrative practitioner/naturopath to ask for support if you’re feeling really low.
5 ways to lift your mood up when you’re feeling low
When you’re feeling low, don’t panic. Use these 5 practices to pick your mood up and remind yourself that this valley is likely only temporary. The sun will shine again.
1. Slow Down & Simplify
Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful and neither do you. Learn to embrace imperfection to improve your mood long-term. These simple living tips for the stressed out or the recovering perfectionist are a good starting place to begin this journey. Busyness is often a form of running from pain. Slow down, offer yourself permission to rest or lower your standards for a bit where you’re able until you come back up for air.
2. Be the Boss of Your Thoughts
An instant mood booster is to stop the negative self-talk and replace it with a kinder possibility. You can learn to challenge the stories that play out in your head, to create a pause between thought and action in order to create a more positive life and boost your mood up again. If you are in crisis you can learn to challenge fear and learn new patterns of behavior, all because you build the habit of choosing where your attention goes and choosing the way you speak to yourself. This takes consistent practice to build a new instinctual pattern but every time you practice you sow new seeds of thought and belief.
You are imperfect, you are wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging.
Brené Brown
3. Nourish Your Body & Brain
Nourish yourself well for optimal mind-body health. When struggling with low mood you may crave the foods that trigger you but you can slowly but surely learn to identify how to eat in a way that lifts your mood up and keeps you feeling calm and balanced – at least more of the time. You might benefit from these 10 steps to improve your mental health. And I’ve prepared you a PDF around mental health and nutrition for better moods.
4. Tend & Befriend
Introvert or extrovert, you might want to isolate when you’re feeling low and need to be aware of this tendency; isolation can lead to spiraling downward. To lift your mood up, choose instead to consciously use the tend & befriend survival instinct that pushes women, in particular, to reach out for support in times of stress. Even if this doesn’t come naturally to you, consider telling the truth to someone you trust or making a bid for connection. We need each other. Join my Brave + Beautiful Community for brave, welcoming, growth-minded community.
5. Become More Self-Aware
Deepening self-awareness – including understanding your triggers, what lights you up, the script that runs through your brain – helps boost life happiness. While this can take time to deepen understanding of who you are and why you tick the way you do, you can start by understanding what makes you happy or what triggers you into stress. Start with the two worksheets I’ve provided below.
Remember that there are always things you can do to pick your mood up when you feel low. Change doesn’t always come quickly (although sometimes it does!) but baby steps over time add up. You are worth fighting for.
Krista xo
