Top 10 tips to lift your mood
I've been battling depression and anxiety for years alongside my M.E. Well, I find it's more of a by-product of this illness. I recently realised I've suffered from anxiety since my teenage years. The constant mental battle of about 100 questions to myself of how things could possibly go wrong and a panic being in large groups of people. Wondering if people like me, what if they find me annoying, are they really interested in what I do & do they really want me to do well in it.
I know now that this all stems from insecurities, lack of confidence & not knowing who I really am at my core. I was so concerned about what others thought of me, what if they think what I like is stupid etc. This has been an inner battle for many years and I definitely have a long way to go still but I am much more comfortable in who I am now than I have ever been before.
It's been a 4 year battle so far to get to this point! So no, there is no quick fix, like anything it takes time, patience and most importantly consistency. Consistency is where I struggle the most so if you have failed many times before, I completely get you. 4 years ago I started to actively try things to help lift my mood, changed my diet, read self-development books, started yoga & so many more things along the way so I thought I'd share my top 10 tips on what I do daily or weekly to help shake off the 'funk' I can get into sometimes.
MY TOP 10 TIPS
- Listen to music
They say listen to upbeat, energetic music and that is definitely where I would start but for me, I like more acoustic chilled music. I also listen to the more pop, upbeat music but it just depends on how my senses are feeling (I suffer from sensory overload some days). I like to do this as soon as I wake up. - Sing out loud
This is what really lifts my spirit. I can not sing for shit...a strangled cat sounds a lot better than me but I do not care when I'm at home on my own. The key is to just let go, sing along, sing loud and you mess up the words who cares?! no one can hear you. I tend to laugh out loud more if I fuck it up. - Dance
Dance like no one is watching! The moves I come out with while dancing in the kitchen is nobodies business but again I don't care because it makes me feel good. You don't even need music, just a song in your head. Although I recommend music if you tend to have people turn up randomly as you look a little less crazy! - Make a list
We tend to not be able to think straight when we feel down, fatigues, anxious. It becomes almost impossible to make the simplest of decisions so get a piece of paper and write everything that pops into your head down. Then from everything you have on the paper pick what is a priority and work on those first. Then you can tick them off your list....literally my favourite part of doing lists. I now write a list at the start of each week in my diary so I can see it every day and work my way through them. - Write your gratitudes
Get a nice new notebook...any excuse for stationary. Keep it by your bed and either in the morning or evening write down 3-5 things you are grateful for that day. It could be having a roof over your head, the kids making you smile, somebody helping, literally anything that makes you smile or fills your heart with joy or warmth that day. - Get out
Force your butt outside, get some fresh air in your lungs. This can be so hard some days but it is so effective. Taking time to feel the wind on your face, the sun on your skin and breathing deeply for a few minutes can refresh your body more than you realise. - Exercise
Move your body...I understand if you can't due to illness, some days are impossible for me too. However, some days are better than others for me, even if I'm fatigued I still do floor stretches for just 5-10 minutes. I also do yoga on my better days, which I have found to be something that really uplifts my mood. I am somebody who loves being active but my body fights me on this daily so I don't get to practice yoga daily and going out walking is something I'm still working on. Find what works for you and your body but just moving your body for 10 minutes can give you that feel good feeling. - Meditation
This is my one of my newest practices and it's been incredible with helping with my anxiety as well as my depression. I found it hard to start with, I just couldn't sit still so I started with just 10 minutes a day and now I can do 40 minutes. I used an app called headspace to get started, they have great guided ones helping you focus on your breathing and then you can build from there. - Your diet
Everyone has different eating habits, some live on takeaways, fast food, ready-made meals...I was one these and an absolute choc-a-holic. I started changing my diet about 4 years ago now. There were many ups and downs along the way. It can be hard to change habits and the hardest part was not eating as much chocolate for me. My diet is now much better, eating mostly a wholefood diet, cooking from scratch, cutting out as much wheat as possible as I now know it causes me to bloat & causes a lot of pain. I've also reduced my dairy as I was having the same issues with that. I know eat about 80% clean & 20% whatever I fancy because life is all about balance - Water
I didn't realise how little I drank until I was being conscious about it. I've always drunk water over squash but I just wasn't drinking enough. It can make such a huge difference to how you feel. Sometimes I get so sluggish, can't think and it's because I haven't had enough water, not to mention the headaches *rolls eyes*.
I hope these tips can help you or someone you know who is struggling. If you have any tips of your own please feel free to comment below so I can try too, I'm always open to new ideas.
Thank YOU Guys For Reading <3
Katie Rose X
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