Mental health has deservedly gotten a lot of attention in recent years. Unfortunately, people were told to get over things and “suck it up” for far too long. Now, we know that our mood affects how we perform at work, at school, and in social interactions with friends. Bad moods can also impact our physical health.
Thankfully, we also know now that we can take action to improve moods in the short and long term. Everything from the food we eat to how much exercise we get can influence the way we feel. The same goes for the people you spend time with and the music you listen to.
Here are seven ways to improve your mood starting today! Hopefully, these strategies will put you on a path to better moods and understanding how to avoid negative emotions.
Learn the Bad Mood Triggers
One of the biggest things you can do to improve your mood is to avoid negative situations that make you sad, angry, or frustrated. For example, toxic people in your life can make you feel bad about yourself and question what you’re doing.
Staying away from negative people and situations will improve your mood because you’re not always dragged down into complaining, focusing on negative things, and absorbing others’ stress.
Protect yourself and your mental health by staying away from things that anger you or get you down.
Exercise More
It’s impossible to avoid stress, so you need an outlet that helps you vent when stress builds up. One of the best things you can do is to exercise regularly. Exercise releases dopamine in the brain to help you feel better.
You don’t have time to fret over negative issues when you engage in rigorous exercise. It’s a wonderful way to clear your head and give yourself a restart.
Even getting outside for a walk in the evenings will make you feel better. Start off with what you’re comfortable doing and build from there.
Change Your Diet
Changing your diet and regular exercise is a great way to improve your mood. When you eat healthier, you have consistent energy levels, are more likely to lose excess weight, and sleep better. In addition, you’ll feel better about how you look, which will improve your mood whether you’re at work dealing with projects or helping kids get ready for school.
Start by eliminating sugars and unhealthy fats. Instead, add more protein to your diet and drink a lot more water throughout the day. Avoid snacking and stick with whole foods as much as possible.
Watch the Media You Consume
The shows you watch, the music you listen to, and the podcasts you hear all affect your mood. You must stay away from things that negatively impact your mental state. If you want to improve your mood, listen to uplifting music and watch positive videos only on YouTube.
Avoiding negativity is just as important. You can’t expect to shake a bad mood if you listen to sad music all day. The media we consume exacerbates the emotions we’re feeling.
Peptides & Mood Improvement
Peptides are short amino acid chains that prompt specific responses in the body. They’re like proteins, only less complex. One peptide, GHRP 6, shows in research done on rodents that it improves mood and goal-oriented behavior. It demonstrated a decline in depression and increases in sexual desire.
Another peptide, GHRP 2, also showed it could improve mood and reduce the impact of anxiety and stress.
They both do this by stimulating the release of growth hormones. In addition, higher levels of GH are also associated with accelerated fat metabolism, muscle growth, and wound healing in test rats.
Prime Your Mind
Experts emphasize the importance of your inner language when it comes to your mood. If you want to improve your mood, you should be sending yourself positive messages. Accentuate the positive and build yourself up rather than tearing yourself down.
Whether it’s through meditation or reciting affirmations, you can set the tone for your day early in the morning to sustain good moods no matter what you encounter. So give it a try and see how it affects the way you feel.
Get Better Sleep
Go to bed earlier and get better sleep! Tired people are stressed and grumpy. You need to prioritize sleep if you want better control over your mood. It’s amazing what sleep does to improve the body’s recovery and clear your mind of any negative emotions.
Invest in good bedding and pillows to make sleep more fun and comfortable. Try to get eight hours of sleep a night and adjust from there. Too many folks think they can get by on five hours of sleep and then walk around being mean to people or sad all day.
Get more sleep and see how much better it makes you feel!