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Mood Boosting

Hello from Melanie

Introduction to Mood Boosting

Scientific evidence suggests that being happy may have major benefits for your health.

For starters, being happy promotes a healthy lifestyle. It may also help combat stress, boost your immune system, protect your heart and reduce pain.

What's more, it may even increase your life expectancy.

The fundamental reason why happiness is so important is that it's extremely vital to our own goals in life and can help us achieve many other cherished personal ambitions and goals.

Also, by being happy, we have the potential to change many other lives just by being ourselves.

True happiness is enjoying your own company and living in peace and harmony with your body, mind and soul.

Three Keys to Living a Happy Life

If you want to live a happy life, try starting with these three focus points:

Nurturing a strong network of family and friends
Eating healthy
Exercising regularly.

It's okay to be alone because you learn how to make yourself happy without the need of somebody else. You learn how to enjoy things without being forced to please others.

Mood Boosters for Happiness and Health

Get close to nature

Getting close to nature is good for the mind.

Choose what you like to do: walking by park or seaside, do some gardening or feed the birds.

Health is increased by embracing the great outdoors. It increases happiness too.

So: we need nature for our health and wellbeing.

Quote: “Focus on an object from nature such as a flower or a seashell. See its beauty and intricacy and place all other thoughts to one side while you marvel at the detail of this natural object.”

'Escape' with a good book.

You can be transported to a lovely place. Mental health charities promote reading as a good mood booster.

Or you could opt to listen instead via audio books.

Get creative and channel your 'inner child'.

Colouring books or apps like Happify.com can unleash your creative side.

Colouring – or writing a journal or poetry – can be therapeutic and help you to immerse yourself in the moment.

Creativity also helps you to connect to your inner child.

Don't forget to smile.

With smiling, science has proved that your mood is lifted.

Your body sends signals to your brain to let you know what state you are in.

So, pull back your shoulders, lift your head and tell your brain you are confident and strong.

Quote: “Keep smiling, because life is a beautiful thing and there’s so much to smile about”.

Quote: “A smile is a curve that sets everything straight”.

Be your own best friend.

Try to speak – and treat – yourself as though you are your own best friend – someone who likes and values you and is kind to you.

Too often we give ourselves negative messages about ourselves and judge ourselves too harshly.

Remove the clutter

Having a clear out of physical stuff on the outside makes more space, shifts the energy to more positivity, and is a purposeful action.

It also gives you more focus and helps you carry out your tasks more meaningfully.

Look through your photo albums

Focusing on happy memories gives feelings of happiness so look through your photo albums or digital photos on your phone or computer.

With a special photo, try to close your eyes, remembering the smells or temperature of that moment.

The more senses you can evoke, the happier you will be in that moment.

Eat more 'high-fluid' foods.

Eat more mood enhancing food and drink.

Water is best; it keeps us hydrated. If you are dehydrated it affects our mood.

Foods such as watermelons, pineapples and courgettes are high fluid foods.

Walnuts have high levels of magnesium, linked to reducing depression.

Dark chocolate, in moderation, is a mood enhancer.

Have a 'moan day'.

Focus on the positive in everything for a whole day. Complaining about something uses up vital energy.

Seeing the positives, instead of the negatives, helps us move forward and embrace change.

Dance like no-one is watching.

Exercise helps release the endorphin hormones which makes you feel better. It also increases oxygen and nutrients to your tissues, giving more energy.

Turning up the radio or listening to your favourite playlist can work wonderfully! Having a private dance in your house, can have the same effect!

(words by Michelle Zelli (Life Coach and Behavioural Expert))

Quote: “Try any kind of dance or movement class where you can enjoy the music and be aware of every fibre in your body as you move. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got two left feet, nobody’s watching you – just have fun!”

Ways to Happiness

Here are some more ways that you can boost your mood and find a path to happiness...

Love Yourself

The person you believe yourself to be, good or bad, is the person you tell others you are. Love and respect yourself so you can be loved and respected in return.

Practice Gratitude

It’s important to cultivate gratitude, it is a key to happiness and a good attitude to have, it can become a way of life.

Be with Friends

Studies show we become like the five people we spend most time with. It’s important then to surround ourselves with kind, positive people.

Set goals

Having aims and goals will give a sense of direction, purpose, and on completion, a sense of achievement.

Declutter

Having your home and workspace in order, clears your mind and helps focus you.

Manage your time

Poor time management can make you feel overwhelmed or more rushed, which creates extra stress. Allow some time in your daily life for reflection or time to consider what you would like to do or achieve.

Relax at home

The home is a place to relax, switch off and recharge. So, to create a happy environment and lift your mood; display happy pictures and photos. Smell impacts on your mood too so use candles or oils.

Find 'quality time'

Spend quality time with those you love, family or friends, doing things together that you enjoy, and add to your happiness.

Give to receive

What you give out reflects back to you. If you smile, people usually smile back. Ensure through your thoughts and actions that happiness shines back on you.

Think Positive

Make efforts to think happier thoughts, this will empower you and make you the happy person you deserve to be.

Quote: “There are always flowers for those who want to see them”.

Quote: “If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely”.

Create Joy in Your Life

A joyful life is the best existence we can hope to achieve. It's the kind of life that produces positive vibes and feel-good energy and encourages us to look to the future with high hopes.

Pure joy might seem like a fleeting emotion, but even if you only feel it for a moment in time, you can hold onto it.

Ways to increase joy in your life:

Start each day with a smile.
Connect with others.
Do what you're most passionate about.
Reflect on your blessings and be grateful.
Choose to be positive and see the best in every situation.
Take steps to enrich your life.
Create goals and plans to achieve what you want most.
Live in the moment.

Studies show that joyful people have less chance of having a heart attack, maintain a healthier blood pressure, and tend to have lower cholesterol levels.

There's research to prove that joy boosts our immune systems, fights stress and pain, and improves our chance of living a longer life.

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