Little ways to quickly uplift your mood

Hi Bees!

It's so easy to fall into a hole of negative thinking, allowing our minds to swim with doubt. In times of stress or uncertainty, it's natural for us to grab onto the problem and focus on it. It's normal to get caught up on the little things because our egos like to make us think that by fixing the little things, we'll be happy.

Sometimes, uplifting our mood can be a challenge. Even noticing that our mood is low can be a challenge.

I usually end up in a low mood at work, because part of my job is writing obituaries. While it's a great writing opportunity (trying to look on the positive here, aha), it can really bring me down. An hour or so in, I'm already feeling unmotivated and sad. This same thing happens when I grab coffee with a friend and they pour all their problems onto me without realizing it, or when it's night and I find myself chasing "what if"'s and believing negative lies that my mind projects on repeat. So, over the years, I've found ways to uplift my mood in all situations so I can return to my happy, productive self in no time.

Signs/symptoms of a low mood

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- feeling melancholy

- lacking motivation

- feeling anxious or stressed

- trouble sleeping/low energy

- low confidence

If you're feeling any of these now, or have felt them before, you've come to the right place!

First off, I've noticed that there is quite a negative cloud forming over the term, "be positive." While I agree that sometimes you can't just "be positive", our anger or anxiety should never be justified.

Adding on to what I said above, we like to cling onto our worries, our fears, our unhappiness, our past, because these things are what ground us. They connect us to others. Without them, we feel weightless, happy, and that frightens us a little.

So, while I'm not going to directly tell you to go out and "be positive", I would like you to ask yourself "Why not?" and ponder on it for a moment or so before continuing. Why shouldn't we be positive? What's stopping us?

Once you open up to the idea of contentment, positivity, and an uncertain future full of possibilities, you can truly uplift your mood, forever.

Anyways!

How to quickly uplift your mood

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Nobody likes to be in a sour mood, really. Or maybe they do, who's to know! Regardless, if you're here, reading this post, I bet you want to uplift your mood, so go you!

Here are some little things that have helped me, and may help you, uplift your mood!

- Smile for 10 seconds (who cares if it looks weird?)

- Do some quick tapping (click here for a video so you can try it out!)

- Watch a funny video (here's one that always makes me laugh)

- Call a friend that makes you happy (but don't rant to them, just talk)

- Do an act of kindness

- Yoga (or another form of exercise)

- A quick meditation

- Journaling it out (click here for some journaling prompts!)

- Shake/dance it out

- Drink that third cup of coffee and enjoy it in its entirety

- Do something creative

All of these will help to lift your mood in the moment by making you laugh, smile, feel fulfilled, feel whole, or even refreshed. But, where do you go from here? How do you consistently keep a lifted mood?

As I stated before, you must open up to the possibility of a positive, carefree, uncertain life. But, the following are more concrete, proven ways to uplift your mood long-term.

Some long-term ways to uplift your mood

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- Eat less sugar

- Start a passion project

- Write down three things you're thankful for every day

- Forgive someone or something from your past

- Start saying daily affirmations

By doing any of the tasks that I've listed, however, you will surely experience some sort of uplifting relief.

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I hope this post gave you a sense of clarity or helped you to find an elevation in your current mood, or at least offer you tips and guidance for the future.

What are some tasks that you do to uplift your mood?

Probably writing,

Brittney