Maintaining a positive mood provides deeper benefits than feeling great about yourself and your day. Experts say mood directly impacts your health. Negative emotions like anger and hostility can increase the risks of heart disease. Meanwhile, positive feelings and dispositions, such as happiness, satisfaction, and gratitude, are linked to improved heart and brain health.
Here are tips to turn that frown into a smile and take better care of yourself.
Wake Up Early
Quit cramming and hurrying in the mornings. Rise early and dedicate yourself more time to prepare and organize before you grind. A stress-free morning helps put you in the best mood for the rest of the day.
Start a Grateful Journal
Maintaining a journal of things you’re grateful for motivates you to highlight the best side of things. It drives away the negativity from worries and inconveniences from taking over your day. If you’re religious, keep a sermon notebook to reflect on scriptures that help elevate your mood.
Stay Organized
Keeping your space clean and organized will do wonders in boosting your mood and staying productive daily. That’s because clutter can overwhelm your head with stimuli overload, increasing your stress levels. It stirs feelings of frustration, confusion, and irritability. Marie Kondo once said, “Keep only things that speak to your heart. Then take the plunge and discard all the rest.”
Go Outside
Stepping outside for a short stroll or change of scenery helps you calm down and keep your emotions from spiraling down. Spending time in nature has positive effects on mental health, stress reduction, attentional function, and cognitive development.
Crank Up the Music
Listening to your favorite songs efficiently eases tension, unloads pressure, and reduces anxiety, lifting your mood in just a few beats. Music keeps the brain young and helps regulate emotions. It can also help you make lifelong friends.
Call a Friend
When you have a a terrible day, a simple chat with a close friend can turn things around. That’s why don’t be afraid to reach out to your friends or family members. Talk to them about your concerns and get advice and encouragement. There’s no better feeling than knowing that there are people behind your back.
Lend a Helping Hand
Helping others isn’t merely an act of kindness. Science shows that it releases endorphins and gives you a rush of elation and calm. The helper can still experience the same high even long after their acts of kindness. Volunteering and charitable acts are a form of self-care as they promote better emotional and physical health.
Practice a Healthy Lifestyle
Healthy living can elevate every area of your life. A healthy diet, regular exercise, and good sleep are holy grails to keeping your body and mind in excellent shape. And when your body feels great, you have more energy to take on your day. You’re resilient to daily stressors that can negatively affect your mood.
Have a Great Day, Every Day
As much as you want to maintain a sharp mind and a great smile as you go through your daily hustle, worry and distractions will come at you. Fortunately, there are practical ways to fortify your memory and enhance your mood to help you perform your best in any setting. Make sure to keep in mind the best practices listed above to have a great day every day.
Did any of our tips help improve your day? Let us know in the comments and share your personal hacks to boost your mind and moon!