9 Natural Ways to Improve Mood

We all go through times when we’re not feeling ourselves, and that’s okay. It’s impossible to be a cheerful ray of bleeping sunshine all the time, although we might want to.

It can be frustrating when you’re feeling low while needing to be productive and chipper, but there are a few natural things you can do to feel better and lift your mood. Check out the tips below to get started letting go of stress and feeling more energetic.

There’s a reason why being “hangry” is a thing. Have you ever drank water and felt that it has never tasted that good? That’s because the human body will make you really uncomfortable to signal to the driver (aka you) that it needs fuel, and probably better fuel than it’s getting.

Signs your mood is suffering because of a poor diet include:

• Feeling flooded with negative emotions
• Experiencing constant headaches
• Boughts of depression
• Increase in illness
• Nausea for days

Eating good foods is a great and easy way to naturally improve your mood. While any healthy food can help you feel better, there are some special foods that offer a noticeable pick-me-up.

Eating these foods can improve your mood:

It’s been scientifically proven that clutter can trigger the stress hormone cortisol, which can bring about anxiety and put you in a bad mood.

Luckily, decluttering isn’t tough to do! The positive effects of decluttering happen instantly as you go and increase the more you do.

Start by letting go of stuff that bring up negative emotions like guilt or anger. Sometimes it’s a gift from someone that was a great friend… at the time. You might’ve forgotten about the knick-knacks from over the years and might not notice it, but they can stir up bad feelings.

Bag and box all the junk that trigger half-hour monologues over the terrible, terrible things this person did. If the item is too bulky for you to get rid of or you don’t know how to, call a junk removal service to save you the hassle of donating, recycling and proper disposal.

Related Read: How to Let Go of Emotional Attachments to Stuff

Sometimes your old activities are just that — old. They aren’t exciting, inspiring, and all that positive to you anymore. Picking up something new naturally improves your mood because your brain is stimulated in ways it hasn’t before. It forces you to break out of “auto-pilot.”

Bring a friend along if you’re not one to go out on the town all alone. Even if you do go out alone, there’s plenty of people that are in your exact same shoes. So go out! You’re not alone.

Volunteering makes you feel better and boosts your mood because it releases endorphins from connecting with a community, bringing about the helper’s high. It’s real and addicting.

Helping others has been shown to lead to greater life satisfaction in that moment, and in the long term. You can walk into a soup kitchen and ask “where do you need me” and boom you’ve got your dealer for a healthy addiction.

Donating to charities and local thrift stores things like clothes, electronics, toys and more, is another way to feel better and help the community.

To get rid of worn-out, larger things like pool tables and entertainment centers that you can’t bring to the donation center, call LoadUp! We strive to get rid of things as often as we can through donations, recycling, or the next best available option.

💡 Want to help both the environment and communities? Check out this viral #TrashTag challenge!

For some, it’s re-reading the first Harry Potter book as a throw back to the magical wonder it was when reading it as a kid. For others, it’s playing a musical piece that was difficult to master.

Whatever makes you feel full and forget about the stresses of life, try it now.

Even if the activity doesn’t sound appealing or like it’s going to make you feel better, chances are that if it worked in the past, it will now.

Activities that may have improved your mood before:

• Jam to upbeat throwback music
• Watch a classic hollywood movie

• Window shop at your favorite store
• Eat at a new or your favorite restaurant

Starting your day with exercise reduces stress from the get-go and improves your mood at work, giving you the chance to bring wokeuplikethis to your mood and not only your looks.

Exercise helps not just because of the physical movement alone, but because your brain gets time to breathe and relax before you go and give those brains to someone else.

Rushing out with a piece of toast in your mouth, burning coffee spilling onto your hand, and raggedy hair that you’ll brush on the way gets you to where you’re going, but it’s stressful.

Instead, spend time in the morning to go for a walk, swim, hike, run, yoga, etc. to reduce depression and help you feel good throughout the day.

Another way to improve your mood is by getting out of the house. Walking in nature lifts spirits best, but even just sitting in your backyard (if you have one) can help.

Other ways you can feel better include:

• Go to a dog park
• Drive around town
• Visit a coffee shop

• Walk around the mall
• Explore a museum or a new area
• Browse a bookstore or antique shops

Another reason to get out of the house is to quit procrastinating! Have you been putting off errands like cleaning up your home, doing laundry, getting an oil change, etc.? Taking care of those things will take a huge load off your shoulders. Just go do them and you’ll instantly feel better to the point where you’ll wonder why you let yourself procrastinate in the first place.

No one just knows how to be happy all the time, but taking care of your health is a core aspect of feeling happy in the long run. Everyone needs help, and it’s very important to acknowledge when those moments arise to be comprehensive in our journey of self-love.

As we’ve said, your body can make you pretty miserable to signal something is wrong. If you can’t shake the negative emotions, it’s time for a medical diagnosis.

Uncontrolled health conditions like ones that affect your lungs, cardiovascular system, and thyroid can make you have severe mood swings.

Mental health conditions like bipolar, cyclothymic, major depressive disorders, dysthymia, and other mood disorders also cause severe shifts.

It certainly isn’t always easy, but reaching out to a relative, a friend, your doctor, or a helpline makes a difference. If you’re currently in a crisis or considering self-harm or suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255.

Go Easy on Yourself and Be Realistic

Sometimes you just needed a walk outside and a little self-care to feel instantly better, and other times it does nothing. Don’t beat yourself up and spray blame everywhere. You need to keep trying other activities and be patient with the process to achieve greater happiness.

As long as you’re not just watching paint dry, you’re on the right track to feeling good. If you just sit and stare, your mind is free to go into the darkest little corners. Keep it busy and away from wandering into the nooks and crannies of negative thoughts.

Life has its ups and downs, and pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional. Feel those feelings but remember to look up and be grateful for everything good in your life, too. There is so much to celebrate on earth, but sometimes it can be hard to see if you’re not actively looking.

Related Articles from the Trash Talk Blog:

• The 40 Bags in 40 Days Decluttering Challenge
• How to Get Rid of Garage Clutter
• 29 Ways to Get Rid of Household Clutter
• Why ‘Tidying Up with Marie Kondo’ Is About More Than Decluttering