5 Subtle Things You Can Be Doing to Lift Your Mood
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We all feel low from time to time and some of us more than others. If you are someone who suffers from low mood or depression, then you will understand the the lack of motivation that can often accompany these states of mind. I wanted to make a quick post on the subtle things you can do to boost your mood without deep-diving into the depths of self-inquiry because let’s be honest, sometimes we just don’t want to do that. With that being said, let’s have a look at 5 subtle things you can be doing to help boost your mood.
1. Dress Nicely
In the midst of the hardest time I have ever had with my mental health, I was attempting to get through my final year of university. 6 hour-long library sessions do not seem so attractive when you are trying to move through a period of depression and OCD but one subtle thing I did everyday before going to the library, was dress nicely.
My friends would always ask me why I dressed so smart in my jumper, shirt, and jeans as they sat in their pajamas having just rolled out of bed and the reason was that dressing nicely made me feel good. We underestimate how powerful small things like simply dressing yourself a certain way can play on your overall mood. In making a conscious effort to look good externally I was simultaneously boosting my mood internally. I felt smarter, more attractive, and motivated to work as a result. I refrained from working in anything that appeared sluggish because I knew that could potentially affect my inner world.
If you are going through a hard time, I encourage you to wake up each day with the intent of dressing yourself nicely. Have a look in your wardrobe and see what you find. Any sort of self-care regarding your appearance applies here. Whatever you can do to make yourself feel good externally, do it, and watch it be reflected internally.
2. Clean Your Room
A messy room = a messy mind. I stand by that. If I am going through a period where I am feeling low, it will be reflected in the state of my bedroom. Likely due to lack of motivation and care to clean it. This of course just perpetuates a low mood because if we are feeling low about ourselves, then a messy bedroom is only going emphasize the lack of care we have towards ourselves.
I immediately feel clearer upon cleaning my bedroom. It takes no more than 5 or 10 minutes and yet it is a weight off my shoulders. We want to feel comfortable in our sacred spaces and a messy bedroom quickly dampens the place we turn to for relaxation and comfort. If you find yourself feeling low, then pick yourself up and give your room a tidy and see how it makes you feel.
3. Get out of bed, move about, get outside
While I am not opposed to the idea of “bed days”, if your bed days are becoming regular days, we have an issue. A common theme of this post by now is the one of behavior reflecting your mood. James Clear talks about this in Atomic Habits. As he says,
“What you do now is a mirror image of the type of person you believe that you are” — James Clear, Atomic Habits
If you are someone who is spending too much time in bed, feeling lazy and demotivated as a result, that is because you are acting like someone who is lazy and demotivated. Your inner beliefs will lead to specific behaviors that reflect that belief. A feedback loop is then formed as your behaviors reinforce that identity. So despite how hard it can be, make the effort to get yourself up and move about. Each time you are faced with a behavior that does not benefit you as a result of your low mood, ask yourself “what would someone who is motivated and feeling good do right now?” and let that be your motivation.
I can not recommend working out enough but even making the small effort to leave your house or apartment and venture down the street will do wonders for you. The 4 walls of your bedroom can become unforgiving if you are stuck in a bad mindset. Venturing outdoors reaffirms the truth that there is an entire world outside of the 4 walls we lock ourselves in. Hear the birds chirping, see life moving around you, there is a much greater purpose beyond our worries.
This is reflected in studies where people who have recently had awe-inspiring experiences, reported less stress and less worry. Now, this does not mean you have to climb a mountain or see one of the 7 wonders of the world in order to feel awe because awe can be found all around you. Life is a miracle, you only need to venture outside to see how brilliantly strange and wonderful life truly is.
4. Meditation
Now, sitting with your thoughts for 10 minutes might sound counterproductive and something you do not want to do when you are feeling down, but doing so will be beneficial to you. When we are stressed or feeling depressed, these mental states will be reflected in our bodies with increases in stress hormones and changes to our breathing. The benefits of meditation are well known, from decreasing cortisol levels to improving anxiety and depressive symptoms. It will also increase levels of compassion which are essential for stopping oneself from falling deeper into low moods.
The power of meditation also lies in the ability to be able to sit silently with your thoughts without engaging with them. Each time I meditate and practice mindfulness, I am reminded that I am able to observe my thoughts without engaging with them. This is significant as engaging with thought is truly the main reason we suffer. Anything you feel is due to the attachment you have to a thought about that situation. Mindfulness meditation allows you to practice disengaging from those thoughts and opens you up to a world where attachment to thought does not have to be your default state of mind.
5. Breathwork
The power of breathwork is underestimated. After all, we run on oxygen and the reason we are alive right here at this moment is due to our bodies’ ability to take in oxygen and carry it around to the trillions of cells in our body. Due to the fact our brains of course require large amounts of oxygen, the rate at which your brain is receiving this fuel is going to affect how well it works. This rate is influenced by your patterns of breathing which change depending on your emotions. A feedback loop between mind and body is then in play as Danny Penman Ph.D. talks about in psychology today,
“Momentary stress causes the body to tense and you begin to breathe a little more shallowly. A shallow breath lowers oxygen levels in the blood, which the brain senses as stress.”
Breathing is an automatic function that is occurring unconsciously at all times. Changes in your breathing patterns may therefore be influencing your mood beyond your awareness. I ask you to take note of your breathing throughout the day. Each emotion you have will be reflected in a specific breathing pattern and each breathing pattern will enhance that mood. As I am writing this, I am noticing how often I am holding my breath and the lack of depth to my breathing -likely due to the coffee I had 30 minutes ago causing a mild stress response -. As a result, this is being reflected in my mental state. My concentration is impaired and I can feel myself beginning to get stressed as I try to write my thoughts to you.
Due to this running feedback loop between mind and body, simply changing the way you are breathing will have a significant impact on your mood. I can not stress that enough. Your body is running off oxygen and you are able to control how much of it you are getting. It really is not that complicated. As Andrew Weil, MD, a well-known pioneer in the field of integrative medicine says;
“If I had to limit my advice on healthier living to just one tip, it would be to learn to breathe correctly,”
So when you are feeling stressed, anxious, or depressed, take note of your breathing and spend 5–10 minutes practicing deep and meaningful breathwork and watch as it changes your mood for the better.
Closing Thoughts
These are only a few tips but I can not stress their significance. From dressing nicely to being aware of your breathing and cleaning your room, the subtle actions you take during your day will be reflected in your mood. Remember, the actions you are taking during the day, however subtle, will be impacting your mood. So be more aware of these actions and reap the positive awards from showing up with a more compassionate, self-loving intent.
