Boost your mood!

LOSE THE RUDE AWAKENINGS

Download Sleep Cycle app on your smartphone (69p) for an gentler morning wake up call

Waking up in the dark every morning is hard enough without an angry alarm clock. For a gentler start, download the Sleep Cycle app on your smartphone (69p). It sends you to sleep with soothing ocean sounds and, if you pop it under your pillow, it will monitor your sleep by picking up your movements, and rouse you in your lightest sleep phase, so you wake more easily.

SEE THE LIGHT

Winter blues affect around one in five people in the UK, according to the Seasonal Affective Disorder Association. The lack of sunlight affects our circadian rhythm, which regulates our internal body clock. When this is out of sync we feel lethargic during the day, don’t sleep well at night, feel anxious and overeat.

To banish the blues, sit by windows and go outside on brighter days. Or buy a light box and use it for 30 minutes a day. The boxes give out 10,000 lux of white light — equivalent to the light you’d get outside on a clear day. Try the Lumie Bright Spark, £115.

LISTEN TO SAD SONGS

Forget upbeat music — scientists say listening to sad songs is the best way to boost our mood. Sad songs regulate low moods and loneliness, as they help us to express emotions, according to Tokyo University scientists. They also make us feel calmer.

TAKE A TEA BREAK

Scientists have found that the ritual of having a tea break can help boost your mood and creativity

Take a break from your desk and put the kettle on. Dutch scientists found that the ritual of having a tea break can boost your mood, increase creativity and help with problem solving.

Caffeine is a stimulant and tea contains theanine, an amino acid linked to relaxation. An experiment with 150 people asked one group to make tea during their breaks and the other group to drink water.

Participants were then tested to assess their mood. Those who drank the tea had a greater desire for success in the tests than those given water, and also had a faster response time when faced with difficult problems. People who drink tea four times a day also have lower cortisol, according to a University College London study.

STAND ON YOUR HEAD

Yogis are big fans of what are called ‘Inversions’ — basically putting your body upside down. The rush of blood to the brain boosts energy and improves concentration. It also reduces the production of cortisol, which can destress you in the short term and help with depression over the longer term.

If you haven’t done a headstand since school, try it leaning against a wall, or lie down and put your arms under your back while raising your legs to the sky.

WEAR A RUBBER BAND ON YOUR WRIST

The Fitbit band (from £59.79) tracks your footsteps, distance travelled and calories burned

to break a habit, try wearing a rubber band as a bracelet. When you catch yourself engaging in the bad habit, snap the band hard enough to create mild discomfort.

Like Pavlov’s dog, Yale scientists argue you should begin to associate the bad habit with a negative emotion, which makes you more likely to stop.

. . . OR TRY THE HIGH-TECH VERSION

Exercise is said to be as effective in boosting mood as anti-depressants. If you’re not a fan of the gym, trying to walk as much as you can, ideally aiming for 10,000 steps a day.

The Fitbit band (from £59.79) tracks the number of steps you take, the distance you walk and calories burned, as well as showing how you’re stacking up against your daily goals.

At night, it also tracks your sleep cycle and wakes you in the morning by a vibrating alarm.

STAND UP

Sitting for hours at a time can increase your chances of diabtes, heart disease and obesity

Sitting is the new smoking, according to a growing body of research that shows sitting for hours on end increases our chances of diabetes, heart disease, obesity and early mortality, not to mention back pain.

Consider investing in a stand-up desk. Posturite’s sit-stand desks are height-adjustable, and the simplest option is £389. Or try the Go Standing Desk, which you pop on top of your normal desk (£99, amazon.co.uk). Advocates report improved concentration, mood, energy levels and posture.

EAT RAW CHOCOLATE

We all reach for chocolate when we’re feeling low, but raw chocolate could actually help.

With no dairy, sugar or additives, raw chocolate is cacao in its purest form (the beans are not roasted and mixed with sugar and additives, as in a normal chocolate bar).

Cacao is rich in antioxidants, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, vitamin C and more — which all boost the immune system — as well as being rich in tryptophan, a mood-enhancer that has the same impact as love on our brain.

Try Beond’s Organic Raw Chocolate Bar (£1.39, therawchocolateshop.com).

EXERCISE FOR A MINUTE

Set yourself small goal that will be easy to achieve, the thrill of meeting your goal will encourage you

How many join a gym, but never use it? Psychologists have a handy hint to help you stick to a habit: just set ludicrously small goals, e.g., going for a one-minute run.

They say that once you hit your one minute, you’ll get the thrill of meeting your goal, and this will encourage you to keep going.

Some say just putting on your trainers is enough — once they’re on, nine out of ten people say they automatically go to exercise.

JUST BREATHE

one thing that has been found to make you happier, more creative, and less anxious, as well as easing arthritis, slowing Alzheimer’s, improving sleep and reducing cold symptoms, is mindfulness meditation. Sitting in silence and taking long, slow breaths reduces stress by helping us to slow down and end negative thoughts.

You can do it on your own, or download the Headspace app (£4.99 a month), which talks you through a different ten-minute guided meditation each day. The first ten sessions are free.

WRITE A THANK-YOU LETTER TO SOMEONE

Not just for auntie’s Christmas present, but thank people for the effect they’ve had on your life. A paper in the Journal Of Clinical Psychology found in a study that those who wrote letters of gratitude to others reported a happiness boost lasting weeks.

Boost your mood in three minutes!

The mind-body connection is well-documented in research from neuroscience, psychiatry, and medicine. Findings have consistently shown that our emotional experience (stress, anxiety, anger, sadness, etc.) can have a negative impact on our health. The good news is that, when harnessed correctly, we can use our mind to help heal the ailments of the body. The reverse is also true. When we are in emotional distress, we can use the body to shift our feelings.

Take Back The Reins -- Harness The Power Of The Mind-Body Connection
 
When we are stressed, scared, or sad the brain sends cues to the body that danger is present and the body assumes its natural fight or flight response. This can result in muscle tension, increased heart rate, increased body temperature, shortness of breath, etc. This fight or flight response is very helpful when there is actual physical danger present (i.e., help us run from a potential predator), but rest of the time it just sounds a fire alarm in the body even though there is no smoke. However, we can send a message back to the brain that things are actually safe by making subtle, yet powerful shifts in the body. Through adopting different postures, changing our facial expressions, or even placing a hand on our heart we can slow the body's stress response and start to sooth the emotional pain we may be experiencing.

Smile  --  Especially When You Don't Feel Like It
 
When Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh said "Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy," he was really on to something. Turns out that there is evidence to validate his assertion. Research by Tara Kraft and Sarah Pressman at the University of Kansas demonstrated that smiling can alter our stress response in difficult situations. Their study indicated that smiling, even if one is not feeling happy, can slow heart rate and decrease perceived levels of stress. Smiling sends a signal to the rest of our body that things are okay, it's safe to let down our guard. So next time you are feeling overwhelmed, try smiling, even if you don't feel like it. It might just make a difference. (Tip: If you really can't get yourself to smile, practice holding a pen or a chopstick in between your teeth. It mimics the same expression as a smile and can produce the same effects.)

Posture  --  Sit Up Straight And Take Up Space
 
Shifting our posture can also shift how we feel. A study by Brion, Petty, & Wagner in 2009 reported that sitting up straight positively influenced peoples feelings of self-confidence, while slumping over had the opposite effect. Additionally, research by Amy Cuddy and Dana Carney at Harvard University has shown that holding "power postures" for 120 seconds can create a 20 percent increase in testosterone (helping to boost confidence) and a 25 percent decrease in cortisol (reducing stress). In order to reap these benefits try assuming an open and expansive posture. Take up space, put your hands on your hips and spread your feet (think wonder woman) or lean back in a chair and spread your arms. Hold the posture for at least two minutes. For more info on Cuddy's research you can watch her TED Talk "Body Language Shapes Who You Are."

A Hand On Your Heart Is Not Just For The Pledge Of Allegiance
 
Touch is also a very powerful healing tool. When we are sad we often turn to others for a hug or to be held. We can actually provide ourselves with some of the same benefits. During a particularly distressing moment try placing a hand on your heart, rubbing your own arms, or massaging your own head. May sound cheesy, but it actually can be very helpful in slowing the body's stress response. Pairing this with the self-compassionate thoughts such as, "This is really painful right now, but this too shall pass" can help sooth the discomfort of the present moment both physiologically and mentally.

So next time you are feeling overwhelmed by whatever is arising for you emotionally, try standing up straight, smiling, or putting a hand on your heart. For a super boost, try all three.

Boost your mood in FIVE minutes


1. Make your bed . This isn't about being a clean freak. It's a small ritual that can help create a calm environment for you in your bedroom -- and a soothing bedroom is part of "sleep hygiene" -- little habits that can help you sleep better. Author Gretchen Rubin recommends making your bed as a daily habit in her book, The Happiness Project . Do it first thing in the morning, and you've got one less thing to worry about for the rest of the day.
 
2. Pack a snack. Before you head out the door in the morning, prep a healthy snack to take with you. Ideas include fruit, unsalted nuts, and low-fat cheese or yogurt.  When you get hungry later in the afternoon, you'll be ready!
 
3. Clear your desk. From stray papers to scattered coffee mugs, clutter can make you lose focus and curb productivity. Declutter your outer environment and you may feel more organized and better able to concentrate on the task at hand.
 
4. Pump up the music. Several studies have found that listening to music can help lower blood pressure, reduce stress, and boost mood. The right music has the power to change your attitude. So load up your MP3 player and create a playlist that will make you smile -- whether you're working or working out. As long as you don't blast it (bad for your hearing), this is a safe, healthy way to make your day more enjoyable.
 
5. Sniff a lemon. For a quick de-stressing trick, turn to an underrated sense -- your sense of smell. Japanese researchers found that linalool; a substance found in lemons, may turn down the classic "flight-or-fight" stress response. Not into lemons? Try basil, juniper, or lavender -- those scents have also been found to lower stress.  

6. Stretch. No need to put on your yoga pants or get all bendy. Just a few easy moves will do. Stretch your arms overhead. Raise and lower your shoulders a couple of times. Stretch your legs as you lean your torso against a wall. Be gentle, so you don't overdo it.  Stretching can help improve your circulation and flexibility, and may help ease the tight muscles that come with stress.
 
7. Meditate . It's easier than you may think. Here's how: Settle into a comfortable position in a chair or on the floor. Then follow your breath -- in, out -- for a few minutes. Thoughts are bound to bubble up in your mind -- no problem. Just let them float by and turn your attention back to your breath. Meditating daily, even just for a few minutes, may help tame stress.
 
8. Keep a gratitude diary. Take a minute every day to write down what you're thankful for -- big or small. It's easy to vent about weather, traffic, or job woes, but complaining brings negative energy along with it. Being thankful for what you have can make you appreciate all the positives in your life.
 
9. Turn off your electronics. Take a little break, already, from all your gadgets. Staring at computer screens and electronics all day long can zap your energy and encourage inactivity. So log off -- of everything -- every now and then. This is especially important to allow you to unwind and relax before bed. Just because the world is on, 24-7, you don't have to be!
 
10. Prioritize. Give yourself permission to admit that you can't do everything, all at once. Instead, you can nibble away at your to-do list, and feel more satisfied, by setting some priorities. So make a list, figure out what really matters, what can wait, and what you can skip. Work your way down the list, handling your top priorities first. Bit by bit, you'll get there!