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3 Ways to Improve Mood
ShareHere are three ways to improve mood:
Do a Good Deed
Those who volunteer tend to be happier than those who don’t. Research has shown that volunteering boosts happiness as it increases a sense of empathy. This helps you to appreciate all that you have in your own life.Flip Through Old Photos
One of the best ways to improve mood is to flip through old photos of happy memories. Break out your holiday photos or your kids’ baby albums. Researchers at the United Kingdom's Open University found that after they examined how much people's moods rose after eating a chocolate snack, sipping an alcoholic drink, watching TV, listening to music, or looking at personal photos, they found interesting results. The music and chocolate left most people's moods unchanged; alcohol and TV gave a slight lift (1%), but the winner by a long shot was viewing pictures, which made people feel 11% better.Lighten up
In a study measuring mood and light, it was found that 50% of the participants reported a better mood and sounder sleep after three weeks of bright light therapy.The sun also plays an important role in mood. The most interesting support for daylight and its effect on mood emerged with a condition called Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. The term was coined by Dr. Normal Rosenthal at Georgetown University to describe the so-called winter blues: the lethargy and feelings of sadness and hopelessness that comes when the weather forces people to spend more time indoors and the season provides little opportunity for exposure to natural light.
Rosenthal found that while not everyone is as strongly affected by a lack of sunlight, for the people who are, light boxes that discharge a few minutes of bright light in the frequency of natural sunlight each morning can help to elevate mood and re-energize them to face the day.
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