6 Proven Ways To Shift Your Energy And Improve Your Mood

You just aren’t feeling yourself right now. In fact, you’d quite happily crawl under the covers and hide yourself away from the world. Truth be told, everything feels like a bit of a struggle and try as you might you just can’t seem to help yourself.

Listen: we’ve all been there. But don’t despair. If you’re tussling with a low mood right now, there’s loads you can do to feel better fast.

Let’s look at why low moods happen and what you can do right now to overcome them…

Why do low moods happen?

First things first, let’s debunk a few things, shall we? Low moods are totally normal. They happen to everyone (yep, even that permanently positive person in your office and that hashtag goals influencer smiling on your Instagram feed) and they can strike at any time.

Low moods aren’t a sign you’re failing and, unless they’re happening very regularly, they aren’t a cause for concern. (If you’re feeling low more often than not, it’s a good idea to see a therapist. More on that below.)

Recently a culture of toxic positivity has emerged. It suggests that we must be happy all the time but not only is that inadvisable, it’s impossible because emotional dips happen. They’re a fact of life.

Sometimes these low moods can be the result of unhelpful thinking. Other times they’re caused by stress or other external factors, and sometimes they stem from low self-esteem.

Whatever their source, it helps to have a toolkit in place to manage low moods with more ease.

Here, we show you how…

How To Improve Your Mood On A Bad Day

Get up and dance

Okay, okay, we get it: the last thing you feel like doing is dancing, but Taylor Swift had it right. There’s incredible power in shaking it off. Why so? Well, firstly it’s shown to alleviate stiff muscles and joints that can be the result of stress.

Add to that, it also triggers the release of endorphins, a group of hormones that trigger the body’s opiate receptors and flood the brain with good feelings.

Chances are if you’re feeling low, upbeat songs feel a little out of reach right now. (You might be more in the mood for Adele.) That’s why it’s a good idea to create a happy playlist before a low mood strikes.

If dancing feels like too much for you right now, do some jumping jacks or jog on the spot for a minute. It’ll help shake off some of the stress.

Don’t forget the basics

When you’re feeling down in the dumps it can be easy to neglect the self-care basics, like remembering to drink plenty of water, moving your body, and eating healthy food.

You might find you ignore the mental health practices that usually make you feel your best too, like meditating and keeping a gratitude journal.

Clinical Psychologist Dr Julie Smith discusses this phenomenon in her book Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? and offers advice on how to overcome it.

“The basics are the first things we let side when we are not feeling so good,” she writes. “We withdraw from friends, we drink too much coffee and then can’t sleep, we stop exercising.”

She continues, “We underestimate these defences so much that they are often the first things we let go when we are under stress… but [the science] has shown their potency to be even more far-reaching than we once thought.”

In other words? Staying consistent with the basics – even when you’re not feeling your best – can pay dividends for your mental health.

Julie’s advice is to remember that you don’t have to do these things perfectly.

You could go on a five-minute walk, pick up a salad from the shops instead of ordering a takeaway, or text a friend. When it comes to mood, even taking small inconsistent steps counts.

Turn to familiar comforts

Most of us have a few fail-safe fixes when it comes to low mood: you might turn to your favourite TV show – the one that always makes you laugh out loud – chow down on your favourite treats, or don your running shoes and get out in the fresh air.

Consider this permission to indulge (a little) in the things you love.

It might help you to write a list of all the things that comfort you and pull it out when you’re feeling low.

Better yet, you can create a comfort box. It could include instructions like calling your best friend or turning on your favourite show, or include items like happy photos, your favourite loungewear, or a list of your achievements.

Practice self-compassion

Often when we aren’t feeling our best, we compound our low moods by beating ourselves up. You might experience feelings of failure, and it’s not uncommon for your self-esteem to take a nose dive too.

Kicking yourself while you’re down is the last thing you need.

Self-compassion is the answer. In his book Kindfulness, Padraig O’Morain says self-compassion is about being a true friend to yourself. It’s the art of befriending “the person you already are, with all your virtues, faults, and foibles.”

So, how do you do that? Well, it’s simple really.

Imagine a friend is feeling the way you are now. Chances are you wouldn’t berate them or tell them they’re a failure for feeling low. You’d comfort them, reassure them, and build them up.

You need to be that very same cheerleader for yourself. Look out for negative self-talk when it pops up, and as a rule of thumb, if you wouldn’t say it to a friend, don’t say it to yourself.

Rest

In our busy world, rest is so often overlooked. Most of us will insist we have little time for it, or suggest it’s lazy or unproductive to take a break.

Here’s the thing though: Sometimes resting is the most productive thing you can do. Low moods can often be the result of ongoing stress. Consider them your body’s way of slowing you down.

Now, how do you incorporate rest into your day? Well, there are the obvious fixes, like lying down, having a nap, or taking a mental health day off work, if it’s possible to do so.  

But activities that you truly enjoy – the kind that fill you up to the brim – can also leave you feeling rested.

Maybe you love to paint, be in nature, read or drink coffee in your local café. Sometimes carving out moments of joy and indulging in these replenishing pastimes can be enough to lift you out of a funk.

Explore your emotions

For many of us, this is the very thing we don’t want to do when we’re feeling low. It might feel a little like opening Pandora’s box: you don’t really want to know what’s inside.

But, exploring why you feel the way you do does two things: it may alleviate stress and sadness by providing perspective and clarity and may prevent you from feeling sad for the same reasons in the future.

When you’re feeling up to it, you might like to put pen to paper and write about how you’re feeling. This exercise isn’t about great penmanship. Don’t worry if your notebook is full of scribbles, typos, or sentences that seemingly make no sense.

This is for your eyes only so get everything out on paper and be completely honest about how you feel.

Here are some journal prompts that may help you get to the root cause of your low mood and ultimately move past it:

·        What emotions am I trying to avoid right now?

·        What might have led to me feeling this way?

·        What needs of mine haven’t been met?

·        What does this emotion need from me? / What do I need right now in this moment?

·        What do I fear most?

·        Have I felt this way before? When?

·        What emotions would I prefer to feel right now?

·        What would bring me relief right now?

·        What could this moment be teaching me?

When to see a professional

Sometimes low moods are a sign of something more. They can be more insidious in nature and take over how we live our lives day to day.

Here are some signs it’s time to seek out professional help:

·        Your low mood no longer seems like a rough patch, but a recurring problem

·        You use unhealthy coping skills

·        Your mental health is having a knock-on effect on your relationships

·        You’re having difficulty focusing at work

·        Your mental health is affecting your physical health, for example, weight or sleep routine changes

However, you’re feeling, help is always at hand. If the above tips simply won’t cut it, there are a few ways you can reach out and ask for help.

You could talk to your GP and get a referral to a psychotherapist, book a therapist online, or use digital mental health services such as Better Help or Talk Space.

Whether your choose to self-soothe or seek the support of a therapist, we hope you’re feeling back to your best fast.