There’s no denying that this year has been so overwhelming and overbearing. Waking up to so many uncertainties and worries can easily take a toll on our mental health and happiness.
I can’t tell you how stressful this year has been for me. Worrying about finances, unsure of what will happen next, and thinking if things will eventually turn out for the better or will it be for the worse has caused me so many meltdowns and so much unhappiness.
But focusing on all those negativities did not only keep me from being happy and productive but it also greatly impacted my mental health.
It felt like every day my mental health was just slowly deteriorating and that made me realize that regardless of how tough this year will be, focusing on all the negativity will not help me in any way and will only make things worse.
And that’s the reality. Life will not always be full of smiles and laughter, all of us are bound to experience bad days and go through difficult seasons but of course, we don’t want to trap ourselves in unhappiness or a bad mood forever.
If you’re looking for ways to easily lift your spirits and help you go through difficult times, adopting these habits will not only help boost your mood but it will also greatly help improve your mental health.
Here are 5 habits to help improve your mood…
Meditate
I was definitely not a big believer in meditation. I thought that meditation will only make things worse for me since I would be alone with my thoughts and worries – making the experience so stressful.
Also, I thought that while meditating, I needed to turn my mind off and not think of anything else which is basically impossible for me to do.
But that was definitely not the case. Meditation is not about blocking out any thoughts, it’s about welcoming them without any judgment and without letting them pull you in or letting yourself get sucked into a spiral of thoughts.
Now meditation is a huge part of my day. It did not only help reduce my anxiety but it also helped me become more aware of my emotions – making it so much easier for me to control them.
So, try doing it for 10 minutes a day — you’ll be surprised how this small step can make a huge difference to your mood.
Allow yourself to unplug…
There’s no denying that regardless of how useful social media can be, it can also bring us so much negativity.
When I was going through the toughest moments of my life (Basically, I hit rock bottom) scrolling through social media, seeing all these” perfect” lives, only made me feel so much worse and hopeless.
If we’re on the same boat, be sure to take the time to unplug every day. I do this right before bedtime and just before I start my day, instead of checking my phone and mindlessly scrolling through social media, I read a book, reflect or spend time with my doggies instead – doing this is definitely a mood booster.
Related: 5 Effective Ways to Live Below your Means without Feeling Deprived
Spend some time alone and reflect…
Regardless of how much we enjoy other people’s company, there’s no denying that taking some time off for ourselves is also greatly beneficial.
Spending time alone with yourself and allowing yourself to reflect on your day or week can be very refreshing. It does not only help you recharge and refocus but it also helps you get to know yourself more, clear your mind, think, and just breathe.
Let the sunlight in…
When I was going through my darkest days, I used to spend days in my bedroom, isolating myself from everybody and not letting any sunlight in. Windows closed and doors shut.
But doing those things just made everything worse for me. It just made it harder for me to push through and find any motivation to do something about my life.
Letting the sunlight in maybe a very small step but it just makes so much difference. Letting natural light does not only help you increase your mood but it also gives you the motivation to stand up and do something.
Related: 5 Simple Things You Can Do To Get Through Hard Times
Practice daily gratitude…
When so many bad things are happening in your life, it’s so easy to be stuck in the negativity and pain.
But one thing I’ve learned from going through the darkest season of my life is if we allow ourselves to focus on the setbacks, rejections, losses, and pain we easily trap ourselves in the past and we tend to overlook the good small things that are still happening to us every day and the good things that can still come.
We need to remind ourselves that regardless of how difficult things are, there is always something to be grateful for.
Please remember that cultivating these habits is not something that can easily be done overnight, so be patient with yourself.
Start small and be consistent. You can do it!
