4 Tips to Improve Your Mood Every Day
Imagine living life waking up feeling well rested, having a full, productive day, then going back to sleep at night and doing it all again. That fully-functional way of life is the reality for some people, and you can have it too. While everyone’s life is sure to have ups and downs, there are a few simple life-hacks we can use to actively improve our mood day after day.
Say positive things to yourself
You may not think so, but the way you talk to yourself matters. Some people go through life being their worst critic. Others go through life being their best friend. Both of these depend on how you choose to speak to yourself. If you constantly tell yourself that you’re stupid or that you’re fat or that you’ll never be successful or you’ll never find love, that will be your reality. It’s true! Every time you say something negative about yourself, you create new neural pathways in your brain that solidify that belief. These negative thoughts become a subconscious mantra. Through a self-fulfilling prophecy, you’re bound to make your thoughts your reality.
Start replacing those negative thoughts with positive ones. For example, if you believe you are overweight but are working to be more healthy, focus on that positive thought. Tell yourself you love yourself for making positive choices and working to improve your physical health.
Speaking of loving yourself, when is the last time you told yourself that? Seriously! Telling yourself that you love yourself may seem like a silly thing to do, but it can actually lead to improved confidence and automatic positive thoughts (versus the automatic negative thoughts you may currently experience).
Listen to positive music
If you’ve ever had a song stuck in your head, you’ve likely been slightly frustrated as you try to push that infectious tune from your mind. Just as your thoughts are your mantras, so is the music that you listen to. If you listen to music with negative undertones (i.e. breakups, drug addictions, depression, etc.), those negative thoughts get stuck in your head. When you repeat a song over and over, you are making it your mantra and making those negative lyrics your reality.
Unfortunately, most of the mainstream music played on the radio by beloved artists, are centralized around these negative themes. We encourage you to explore new sounds and seek out positivity in your music choices. You can still listen to your favorite artists, but be mindful of how their music makes you feel. If you find yourself feeling depressed or down after listening to your favorite album, it may be time to reconsider your daily listening.
Get a good night’s rest
Never underestimate the power of a good night’s rest. Sleep is sort of like a reset button, especially after a bad day. Even taking a nap can help alleviate negative tension and bring about a new positive outlook. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults aged 18-64 should get roughly 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Getting more or less can negatively affect mood, outlook and energy levels.
If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, it may be beneficial to take nightly melatonin supplements, which encourage sleep. If you have a habit of sleeping too long or too far into the day, find things to motivate you to wake up such as a hobby, plans with friends or even a pet to take care of.
Make an appointment with Mile High Psychiatry
Talking about your day and all of its ups and downs can help put a lot of things into perspective and improve mood. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to be suffering from severe anxiety or depression to benefit from talk therapy. Anyone who is looking to be more positive, mindful and happy can get the cognitive tools they need through specialized providers, like the ones at Mile High Psychiatry.
Get the personalized cognitive tools you need to feel happier and improve your mood every day by scheduling an appointment with Mile High Psychiatry today.
