4 Ways to Naturally Improve Your Mood

Sometimes when you are feeling down and sad, it can be easy to feel stuck and like there is no way to escape those feelings. Fortunately, you do have options to boost your mood within the comfort of your own home. Below are four ways that you can naturally improve your mood.

Essential Oils

Essential oils have a lot of different uses for your home, but you can also use them to create your own at-home aromatherapy session. Four great essential oils to use to reduce stress and boost mood are bergamot, chamomile, lavender, and ylang-ylang. You can either put a couple drops into a diffuser to place in your room as you sleep, or you can dab a couple drops directly onto your skin. These oils promote a sense of peace and well-being that can help you feel better overall.

Physical Activity

When you are feeling stressed, one of the last things you feel like doing is putting on your sneakers and exercising. However, the mood-boosting benefits of physical activity are well worth the effort. Cardiovascular exercise can increase levels serotonin, a mood-boosting chemical in the brain, while yoga can have relaxation benefits. Even just a short walk around your neighborhood can improve your state of mind. The important thing is that you are moving. One of the hardest things for most people is to start doing something. Do five minutes of exercise and then reevaluate.

Change Up Your Diet

A poor diet can exacerbate feelings of depression or anxiety. Eating more brain-boosting omega-3s (found in seafood and flaxseed), for example, can decrease your sadness, while making sure you are getting your recommended dose of vitamins can increase your energy and reduce mood swings. Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins to see an improvement in your mood. You should also take a daily multivitamin to make sure that you are getting all the nutrients that you need.

Pet a Dog

Dogs are known as man’s best friend for a reason. Petting or playing with a dog can decrease your stress levels and increase levels of serotonin and oxytocin in the brain. If you don’t own a dog, you can also consider volunteering at a local animal shelter. Then you get the added benefit of working with animals and knowing that you have done something good for someone else.

In short, even if you are feeling down, there are ways to naturally boost your mood. Try at-home aromatherapy through the use of essential oils and meet your body’s needs through exercise, diet, and sufficient rest, and you should start to notice an improvement in your overall sense of well-being.