Knowing how to boost your mood in the less favourable seasons of the year can be the difference between thriving in winter and feeling low until the summer.
If you're feeling low right now, you're not alone. Thanks to the unsettling run of events last year that provoked feelings of worry, anxiety, and sadness, and the harsher weather and darker days that come with the new year, it's not surprising many people are feeling more than a little off right now. But the good news? It’s easier than you think to feel positive because it’s entirely possible to ‘think yourself happy’.
Learning how to be happier, whatever the time of year, comes from the ability to navigate life, says psychotherapist Owen O’Kane. "We can’t control what happens to us, but we can control how we respond and, even in difficult times, we can salvage something and still find contentment." Finding this balance is not only key for living a contented life, but also for staying healthy. "Happy people have better heart health, stronger immune function and suffer less chronic pain – they also live longer," says Miriam Akhtar, an expert in positive psychology. Ready for a mindset switch? Try these tips to top up your positivity tank.
How to boost your mood
1. Start moving more every day
Exercise gives us a way of proactively building mental health resilience, says Tally Rye, author of Train Happy. "After you exercise, the brain can increase the happy neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, noradrenaline and endorphins, which are the ones that make you feel good," she explains.
"Workouts don’t need to be overly long or intense for you to feel those mood-enhancing benefits," she adds. While working out in cold weather isn't most people's idea of a good time, power walking while chatting to a friend or whizzing through a field on a bike and going cycling as a workout with your partner or family are both feel-good ways to get moving.
2. Make sure you get at least 7 hours sleep a night
It's no secret that learning how to sleep better can be the key to better health and wellbeing but it's also key to our happiness levels.
While eight hours of sleep a night is optimum, at least seven hours of sleep can offer you more energy, help you concentrate, and make you feel more awake throughout the day. You're also likely to be in a better mood with more shut-eye so it's hardly surprising that research from Seoul National University suggests that how we view our life changes with sleep. The more good-quality, healthy sleep you have, the more positive your outlook on life will likely be.
3. Turn negative thoughts into positive ones
Need to know how to stop feeling sad immediately? Whether it's bad news, a dreary day sapping your motivation, or an unwanted chore you've been putting off, a simple exercise like the ABC method from leadership mentor Clare Josa can help perk you up.
Here's how to do it:
- Accept: Try not to resist the negative thought or it will 'fight back'.
- Breathe: Take three deep breaths. That starts to reset your nervous system and your body goes back into calm.
- Choose: Think one positive thing about your life in that instant.
4. Keep track of your emotions
If you've not been one for keeping a diary or log of thoughts, think again in 2024. "Keeping a gratitude journal is a powerful, free and quick way to boost your levels of happiness," says functional medicine certified health coach Suzy Glaskie.
"Have a notepad by your bed and, before you go to sleep at night, write down five things from that day that you are grateful for," she suggests. Use a gratitude journal if you're not sure where to start and if you're not a fan of pen and paper or would prefer to keep your thoughts from any potential prying eyes, why not try one of the best journaling apps?
5. Eat yourself happy
Just as sleep has an impact on our happiness levels, so does what we eat. You are what you eat, as the saying goes, so choosing lots of mood-boosting foods could be essential for helping you learn how to boost your mood this winter.
Here's some tips to get going with:
- Breakfast: Choose plain, sugar-free natural yogurt. Probiotic-rich foods such as this help you think fewer negative thoughts, per research by the University of Virginia as they help the body cope with stress better. As one of the best gut-healthy foods, this can also keep your important gut microbiome balanced.
- Morning snack: Strawberries are rich in vitamins B and C, which contribute to the production of happy chemicals in the brain. Including more foods rich in vitamin C will also help to keep winter lurgies at bay, which is bound to make you feel brighter too.
- Lunch: Feast on low-carb avocados and eggs. "They both boost the concentration of serotonin," says nutritional therapist Judy Watson.
- Afternoon snack: A small chunk of dark chocolate is known to cause the brain to release endorphins, feel-good chemicals that decrease anxiety.
- Dinner: Tuck into omega-3-rich salmon and kale. The healthy fats in the fish are linked to a lower risk of depression, while the green stuff is packed with nutrients, including iron, chlorophyll and vitamin B, which will help improve your mood.
6. Be kind to yourself
It sounds cliché but self-compassion can act as a powerful antidote to mental health difficulties, says Brendan Street, a BABCP accredited cognitive behavioural psychotherapist and the head of emotional wellbeing at Nuffield Health.
"Think about the words you might say to someone else who is feeling low and needing encouragement, and then use the same words and phrases to positively encourage yourself," he suggests.
7. Volunteer and help others where you can
The act of giving fires up areas of the brain associated with pleasure, social connection and trust. "Helping others has powerful benefits in helping us feel more positive about ourselves," confirms psychotherapist Noel McDermott.
Whether it's contributing your money or your time, whatever you can offer or do is likely going to make some kind of difference to an important cause. Plus, your odds of feeling ‘very happy’ rise by 16% if you do it every week, found researchers at the London School of Economics.
8. Learn to let go
Is there anything you can shed for a lighter, happier life this year? This could be toxic relationships, irritations at friends or family members left over from last year, negative habits or traits you want to change in yourself, or even physical items.
"Regularly look at the things you could leave behind to make space for all the good stuff," says mindfulness coach Louise Murray.
Social interaction with those you love is one of the best ways to boost your mood.
9. Smile more
Hear us out - while there's nothing more irksome than being told to 'smile' when you're not in the mood to do so, smiling is contagious. If you smile at people, in general, they will smile back. This makes your environment more positive and boosts other people's wellbeing along with your own, leading to a cycle of positivity that's hard to feel gloomy in.
Smiling is also clinically proven to release a shot of serotonin, the chemical that creates happiness.
10. Invest in making new memories
Experiences make us happier than new objects – the excitement of buying something new fades faster than memories, say psychologists at San Francisco State University. So, why not plan a get-together with friends, a movie night with your family, or a date night with your partner?
Not only does creating new memories make you happier in the short-term as you have something to look forward to and you are enjoying yourself, but research from the University of the West Indies also shows that creating and retelling memories is key for improving your relationships - particularly long-term romantic relationships. This is part of the key to happiness in later life, according to experts.
And be sure to take photos and look through them later. Leafing through a family album can lift spirits and help to reduce stress, say researchers at the University of California.
11. Consider outside health influences on your mood
It's not just current affairs and possible seasonal affective disorder (SAD) symptoms that could be getting you down though. If you're dealing with the symptoms of menopause, the disruption of mood-regulating chemicals can hurl many onto a roller coaster of mood swings and unexpected lows even at the best of times. So, it's worth exploring other reasons for your low mood at this time of year.
When it comes to menopause, positive psychologist Miriam Akhtar has some advice. "Challenge your attitude to it," she suggests. "See menopause as a transition rather than a loss. Yes, we’re vulnerable when going through this transition, but eventually, it will settle. Ask yourself, what are the positives?"
These can include the fact you are:
- More emotionally stable: "You are less sucked into the drama of emotions, and you care less about others’ opinions," she says.
- Wiser: With this experience, you know yourself and the world around you better. Not only can this help you navigate your life better but you have more wisdom to share with others.
- More confident: "You have a lot to offer – and confidence is a very sexy quality," she says. A survey by Superdrug found 64% of women felt they were more confident past 50 than they were in their 20s. That being said, if you've found that you've lost confidence in recent years for any reason, it's entirely possible to learn how to be confident again.
Why don't I feel good in the winter?
The winter blues, or SAD in more serious cases, is something that happens to many people when the days are darker and the weather brings more rain, wind, and lower temperatures than we're used to. The main theory behind it is that the lack of sunlight prevents the hypothalamus, a part of the brain, from working to its full potential.
For example, many people don't want to wake up early in the morning in winter as the lack of sunlight prevents the inhibition of melatonin - a hormone that makes us feel sleepy - and disrupts our sleep cycle. Those with SAD tend to produce this hormone at higher levels as well, meaning they may feel tired more of the time.
The darker days also mean our natural serotonin levels tend to be lower. As this hormone is linked to our happiness, it can affect our mood, appetite, and sleep schedule as well.
The NHS says that about 2 million people in the UK and 12 million people across Europe experience SAD and some people have genes that may make them more vulnerable to the condition.
Most of the suggestions for how to combat SAD involve getting out during the day to soak up the limited amount of sunlight and vitamin D available, taking a supplement, exercising more, and increasing the time you spend around others.
Needless to say, feeling gloomy in winter is fairly normal and quick tips to learn how to boost your mood can make all the difference for many people. However, if you're struggling with symptoms of depression or anxiety at any time of year, it may help to talk to someone.
Speak to your GP who will be able to recommend treatment and counselling options. The Samaritans are also on hand if you're looking for someone to talk to outside of your immediate friends and family – call them on 116 123.
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