Instant Mood Boosting Tips for Bad Days

Strategies to Fight Negative Feelings and Depression

Jun 4, 2009

Happiness is a key to good health and an increased life span. Instant mood boosters can help on days when everything seems to go wrong and turn a bad day into a good one.

Financial worries, feelings of inadequacy or health problems can contribute to a state of depression and a gloomy outlook on life. Even people with a generally happy and positive nature have days when they are in a slump.

Warding off the blues can have a long term effect on one's health, say researches who have probed the link between depression and immunity. Simple strategies can curb these negative feelings and bring back the joy in life.

Paging Through a Family Photo Album can Boost Positive Feelings

The happy memories that flow from looking at past photographs of family, pets, vacations and other events is bound to bring a smile to one's face. Even just thinking back about happy events or paging through a happiness journal will make it easier to slot into a more positive frame of mind.

Omega-3 Fats Help to Fight Depression

The omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish such as sardines, tuna and salmon can ward off feelings of depression because they may actually change the structure of one's brain. Researchers have found that people with lower blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids are more likely to have a negative outlook on life.

Make Eye Contact When Speaking to Someone

This shows there is a full engagement with the people with whom one is talking. Standing up straight, smiling and looking the world in the eye will make one feel and look more confident and generally people will respond in a positive way. This in turn will make one happier and less depressed.

Planning Ahead Can Help Fight Depression

Anticipating exciting future events is in itself an instant mood-lifter and can help to fight feelings of depression and anxiety.

This must be a conscious decision - mark the event in a journal or diary and make it a date. The plan does not have to be expensive, it may be simply watching the stars at night with a friend or a trip to a pleasant park or nature trail. Being out of the city or town and rambling in nature is a distraction that can quickly change a negative outlook into a more positive one.

Live in the Moment

Life in many places is unpredictable and insecure. Worrying too much about the future or scheduling the day to the last second lest one feels unproductive is enough to cause plenty of stress, anxiety and depression. Enjoy and concentrate on what is happening now even small areas, like taking a bath or eating breakfast without mentally being in that meeting at work.

Learn to Give to Others Can Prevent Depression

Think about ways of helping other people and giving to them in small ways. Writing a thank you letter or being kind to a neighbor of child will increase a sense of well-being in the giver.

Start off by consciously doing five kind, small things for other people every day. Gradually this kind of giving will become a way of life and one will reap the rewards when people start acting the same way back.

A diet lacking in B vitamins and minerals can cause depression. Ask a doctor for a multi-vitamin tonic. Vitamin B complex and magnesium support the nervous system and can provide relief for mild depression, irritability and anxiety. Also, try to get a good night's sleep since sleep deprivation can make one anxious, tense and depressed.

Do Something Different or New

Sometimes a gloomy outlook can become a habit, which may worsen into chronic depression. Change challenges the brain and can force it to revise this negativity. Small changes such as walking the dog along a different route, brushing teeth with the other hand or taking a day off to visit an art gallery or museum can lift one's mood.

Big changes such as starting a new job or moving home can be a stressful challenge at first but getting out of a rut can give one a huge sense of personal achievement.

If every day is grim, a visit to a medical professional may help one to stop spiraling into depression. Watch out for these signs:

If any of these apply, they could be signs of severe depression and it would be best to make an appointment to see a doctor and explain what is wrong - it may be the first step to recovery.

The copyright of the article Instant Mood Boosting Tips for Bad Days in Energy Healing is owned by Fleur Hupston. Permission to republish Instant Mood Boosting Tips for Bad Days in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.