We all have low days, whether it’s because of the weather, a bad day at work, anxiety, depression, or unexplained reasons. Don’t worry; I did my research to find some easy natural ways to boost your mood.
So next time, if you feel like curling up on the bed, hiding under the sheet, because you think everything sucks, force yourself to jump out of bed and try any one of the following to give you a natural booster immediately.
Here are the top 12 scientifically proven natural mood promoters to boost your mood and enhance productivity.
12- Get plenty of daylight
Outdoor activities are the best source for your physical and mental health. Depending on the weather and also which part of the world you are in, always try to get enough sunshine to boost your mood.
Study shows that vitamin D can reduce depression and boost your mood. If you live in the northern area like me, with 5+ months of snow, I would suggest incorporating vitamin D supplements in your diet.
I recommend going outside if there is a bright sunny day and feeling low. It will help you to lift your mood.
11- Take a bath
studies show that submerging yourself in warm water will help you to combat depression. Next time, if you feel low, put some Epsom salt in the warm water and enjoy a long bath. If the bathtub is not available, I would suggest long hot showers to get the maximum benefits.
I wrote a long article on the benefits of the bath. Here is the link.
10- Smile often
One smile in the morning can change your mood for the entire day. One hug in the evening can usher you into cheerful night dreams you will never regret! — Israelmore Ayivor
Study shows that a laugh can change our mood. Even a fake smile will do the trick to decrease stress hormones and boost the happy hormones called endorphins.
Here are a couple of ways to laugh more:
- Watch a funny show
- If you’re in an audiobook, listen to a funny one
- Call that funny friend; every social group has one the funniest friend
9- More Water
Water is one of the top natural mood boosters. Up to 60% of the human body is water; therefore, even a slight water change in your body can influence your mood.
Try to stay hydrated all the time. After reading this article by
Denys Opria — I Drank 4 Liters of Water Daily for 365 Days. I bought the water bottle (1 gallon), which I fill in the morning and finished before bed. Here is my Amazon affiliate link if you would like to buy.
Here are a couple of ways to drink more water:
- You can follow my trick to buy a water bottle (gallon) then try to finish all day. It is easy for me because I work from home.
- Try to drink at least one glass of water before every meal
- Target your daily water intake
8- Look at the best old memories
This one is my favorite; just scroll your old happy pics. I upload all of my pictures videos on Google Photos, which is a kind of google photo search engine. I have been uploading pictures on Google photos since 2016.
I love outdoor water sports because it always puts me in a great mood. If I want to recall a particular memory, I simply search Google photos. For example, the Cancun cenote is my favorite one.
7- Great music
Everyone knows that music is one of the best to generate emotions. Music can always put you in a different mood if you feel low; put your headphones on play your favorite music to boost your mood.
Physicians even use music therapy to treat mood disorders: dementia, Parkinson’s, etc.
Here are the couple of options you can try to enjoy music on the go:
- I use Alexa a lot to play music, news, time, etc., and it’s parking out great for me. Alexa is a great option.
- Invest. in good headphones
- Maybe consider buying a YouTube subscription without ads to enjoy the music, audiobooks, funny talks, etc.
6- Make a habit of stretching daily and spending time outdoors
Since I started hikes, Stretching has been a part of my life. Stretching lifts your mood immediately. I recommend trying it right now; if you are sitting at one spot for more than an hour, stand up and do some basic stretching exercises.
Study shows that Stretching has many benefits like increased flexibility, reduced chance of injury, etc. The study also shows that stretching releases serotonin in the brain, which is the brain’s main chemical to boost joy.
5- Good smell triggers your mood
A good smell puts me in a great mood and even inspires my creativity.
— Maria Canals Barrera
Study shows that scents have an immediate effect on our brains. Here are the top 6 scents to transform your productivity and boost mood.
- i) Lemons
- ii) Rosemary
- iii) Cinnamon
- iv) Peppermint
- v) Jasmine
- vi) Lavender
4- Wear bright color clothes
I am a firm beleiver that color affects people’s moods.
— Lilly Pulitzer
I personally experimented with the clothes and interior of our apartment last year while working at home. I used to wear black all the time. Then I read an article that wearing certain colors boost your brain and change your emotions.
Here are the 8 effective colors to boost your mood:
- Blue: make you feel relaxed and serene
- Yellow: brighten your mood and increase your energy
- White: leave you to feel clean
- Green: helps to reduce anxiety. It’s also one of the top colors for home office.
- Purple: to boost creativity
- Orange: great color to boost your mind, especially while doing exercise to get more energy
- Red: boost energy, great for social gathering but not a good idea for relaxing.
- Pink: Have you heard about the Pink Effect? Pink color helps you calm down your nerves and helps relieve feelings of anger and aggression.
3- Get rid of the notifications, use less social media
Turn off all notifications on your phone, except the most important ones. And check your social media only once or twice a day, not every minute. If you can do this, then perhaps there is a possibility, that society will not completely lose its sanity and health after all.
— Abhijit Naskar
2- Dance
Sometimes all you is some dance to lift your mood to refresh you mind to refuel ypur soul.
— Vaishnavi Shrivastava
Almost every culture has some kind of dancing. Dancing always boosts the mood and makes you happy. Research shows that dancing also helps to boost our cognitive functions for great mental health.
I consider myself a terrible dancer, but sometimes I put on my headphones to enjoy the track dance. I can guarantee you that dancing will boost your mood instantly.
1- Hug a friend
I have learned that there is more power in a good strong hug than in a thousand meaningful words.
— Ann Hood
This is one of the quickest mood boosters. Next time, when you feel low, simply give a hug to someone. Hug also release a love chemical known as oxytocin to boost your mood.
0- Bonus tip, play with your pets
This is my favorite one; I love to hug, play, chase, talk with my pet. He is a great gentleman, a Himalayan kitty.
It just fills my heart and always puts me in a great mood.
Simply petting an animal can decrease the level of the stress hormone cortisol and boost release of the neurotransmitter serotonin, resulting in lowered blood pressure and heart rate and, possibly, in elevated mood. — Marwan Sabbagh
Thank you for reading, and let me know if you have some natural mood booster therapies in the comments.
