How to Boost Your Mood Naturally: Finding Ways to Lift Your Spirits Doesn’t Have to Be a Pill
How do you boost your mood naturally? There are ways to lift your spirits that don't involve taking a pill, although medication is a very valid option.
Stay connected.
“Face-to-face contact releases a whole cascade of neurotransmitters, and, like a vaccine, they protect you now, in the present, as well into the future,” explains psychologist Susan Pinker, author of The Village Effect. As a result of social interactions, “[the chemical] dopamine is generated, which gives us a little high and it kills pain. “
Be mindful.
“Meditation appeared to provide as much relief from some depression symptoms as other studies have found with antidepressants,” explains Johns Hopkins expert Madhav Goyal, M.D. “One way [such] mindfulness may help is by causing you to pause and react less to whatever is bothering you.”
Stay active.
According to a Harvard study, people who Moved more were less depressed. You can run for 15 minutes or walk for an hour, but the study’s author, Karmel Choi, says, “[Physical activity] can include taking the stairs or walking to the store or putting away laundry, things that people may not recognize as being active but may add up.”
Try chocolate.
Per the Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon, the cacao in chocolate “has a positive effect on mood due to its flavanols, which convert chemicals into the natural mood stabilizer serotonin. It also contains theobromine, which reduces anxiety.”
Lighten up.
Winter's lack of daylight can affect your body's chemistry … and hence how you feel. So, says the Cleveland Clinic, “Sun lamps [can] positively impact your body's regulation of serotonin, which helps regulate your mood by relaying signals in your brain.”