Many of us experience difficult times after a situation, event, or emotion that can leave us miserable and get in the way of our daily activities.
In this case, ignoring the source of your bad mood won’t make it go away, but there’s nothing wrong with setting it aside temporarily to focus on something that makes you feel good and improves your mood, instead.
Here, health line offers seven ideas to try to improve your mood without having to pay for any of them.
.walk in the park
A short stroll into the nearest park, or any other green space, can do a lot to beat a bad mood.
Walking in nature, in fact, increases the secretion of “happiness hormones”, which are chemical messengers that help regulate mood.
Also, a brisk 10-minute walk can increase blood flow to your brain and revitalize you, relieving feelings of frustration, helping lower the level of stress hormones in the body and stimulating the release of endorphins, hormones that can relieve stress, pain and discomfort.
Of course, sunlight has benefits too. Spending just 10 or 15 minutes in the sun can produce serotonin (a neurotransmitter known as the happiness hormone), along with more endorphins, resulting in a heavy dose of mood-enhancing chemicals.
2. Laugh
Laughter can help relieve stress, make everyone feel more energetic, and humor can help you release some stress and leave you in a lighter state of mind.
If there is nothing to laugh about in your environment, try searching the Internet for funny videos, for example jokes, and funny pet scenes. And ask your co-workers if anyone knows any good jokes.
3. Try some aromatherapy
The sense of smell can communicate directly with the amygdala, a part of the brain that helps regulate emotions. That’s why scents that evoke positive memories or nostalgia often help relieve stress and anxiety.
Aromatherapy generally refers to the use of essential oils to improve mood or mental health, but you don’t necessarily have to buy essential oils to get these benefits. You may already have some mood-enhancing fragrances in your home, like your favorite soap or scent.
4. Give yourself a hug
It’s perfectly normal to turn to the people in your life for physical and emotional support when dealing with low moods and other frustrations.
Hugs and other physical feelings can stimulate your body to release oxytocin and help you feel closer to your loved one.
5. Listen to music
The upbeat and upbeat melody gives you new energy. Playing one of your favorite songs can help you improve mood and emotion regulation abilities, relieve stress and reduce anxiety, promote healthy brain function, including better memory recall, and, in some cases, improve your concentration.
6. Try Really Cute Random
Perhaps you feel trapped or stuck because there is nothing you can do to change your current situation. Instead of getting caught up in a spiral of anxiety and stress, try focusing your energy on someone else instead.
Doing something nice for someone else can make their day a little better, bring a smile to their face, and potentially improve your mood in turn.
Just knowing that you made someone else’s day better can leave you in a more positive state of mind.
Follow one of these ideas, such as asking your co-worker if they need any help, or doing a chore for your child, roommate, or partner.
7. Call a loved one
Whether you’ve just had a long and stressful day or a stressful event is looming, a quick message of love and support can go a long way toward lifting your spirits.
Even a 5-minute conversation with your romantic partner or favorite sibling can lift your spirits and help you shake off a gloomy mood and nervousness or anxiety and other emotional stress.