We have all had some bad days in our life. For some of us, even terrible days when we don’t even want to get out of bed to even allow it to begin. Or even days when we can hardly wait to see it over so we can start fresh again the next morning and hope for a better one. The state of being sad, unhappy, restless or irritable can definitely take its toll on us mentally, physically and emotionally.
But, we have also had fantastic day! Days where we feel everything is going really great. We feel a huge sense of elation and gratitude as we have acomplished something very positive or just have such an uplifting outlook of the world, and ourselves. We feel almost invincible! This is the feeling of high levels of endorphins releasing all at once, elevating our mind, body and soul.
So, with that said, how can we bring ourselves closer to this positive state more regularly? If feeling great, how can we maintain this state or when we are feeling down, how can we pick ourselves up to feel good again? Taking positive steps to elevate our mood can bring many benefits to our overall health and wellness. Research has shown that happy people experience many advantages in life, but aside from those, it just feels so good to be happy!
Many factors in life experiences have an impact on our moods such as diet, physical activity, sleep, weather, seasonal, social connections, lack of organization, financial instability, hormonal, stress, medications, world news and even clutter to name just a few. It sometimes seems that happiness is waiting around the corner with a better job, larger house, better relationships, a better life. But, in reality, we don’t have to make big changes in our life to be happy. Whether we seek that feeling of joy on a daily basis or whenever the need may be in certain times of our lives, we just need to find out what it is that makes us feel good.
Think about it, you likely already know what activities make you feel good and those that bring joy your way. By discovering and choosing different ways to bring you greater levels of happiness, you can lift your mood within minutes, with long-lasting effects.
With that said, there are also several ways in which we can control any unpleasant moods and make us feel happier and more uplifted. Establishing positive habits can help us maintain more balance in our moods and help make them more abundant and continual in our life. Here are some to try:
- Take a relaxing hot shower or bath
- Contact someone you love
- Do deep breathing exercise or Meditation
- Enjoy essential oils scents
- Listen to uplifting music
- Watch uplifting videos
- Dance
- Get more sleep
- Spend time in nature
- Write down your life positives/goals
- Read uplifting stories or books
- Enjoy a pet
- Do a puzzle
- Chew gum
- Buy some flowers
- Eat some chocolate
- Clean/organize your home or desk
- Watch a funny movie
- Enjoy a favourite coffee or tea beverage
- Do some gardening
- Do something kind for someone
- Try Yoga
- Indulge in a massage
- Practice good posture
- Smile
- Say mood-boosting affirmations
- De-clutter
- Get some sunlight
- Receive/Give a Hug
- Laugh
- Exercise
- Volunteer
- Start a new hobby
Without struggles in life, we might never understand that change is required to overcome them. Joy doesn’t just occur, we have to seek and find it. Some people choose mental affirmations or meditation to help pull them out of a sad or lowered state of mind while others might find useful some of the other uplifting tools to choose from, whenever might be needing. These suggestions above will help you tap into that internal “joy” that you can then find any time of the day or night. They will help you live more harmoniously with an increased feeling of control while living a more balanced, healthy, positive and productive life.
So, the next time you feel you are in the thick of life’s stressors or are feeling down or melancholy, go and “do” the things that bring you joy. Try ways that you feel is most useful and needed in your life to raise your positivity and motivation. Start building upon your life levels of joy so that they are already in place for you if having a challenging day or to extend the elation during the great day you are already having. Don’t wait for joy to find you. Learn to seek and find it yourself, by choosing to do things that help bring joy to your life and elevate your state of well-being.
Wishing you a happy and very enjoyable day! 😀