There are many people who, when feeling down, look for ways to lift their spirits by changing their habits. It is very true that one cannot change one’s emotional state simply by wishing it or by dedicating oneself to introspection, but if we begin to modify our way of behaving appropriately, our psychological facet will evolve.
So that… How to cheer up and feel better? Let’s see it.
When it comes to influencing our emotions and feelings, we must be clear that they can only be affected by us indirectly, and that we have limited power in the task of making them turn in one direction or another.
This is important, because believing that having a low mood is a consequence of not applying rationality or logic can lead us to feel worse, by feeling guilty about it especially if we perceive that there are no objective reasons to maintain that negative state of mind.
The emotional side of the human being is governed by its own rules, and that is why we should not embrace unreasonable expectations about the degree to which we can control them. Despite this, it is clear that we can do things to, as far as possible, increase the chances of improving our mood. Applying them on a daily basis is the first step to begin to recover and live with renewed energy.
Follow these basic guidelines and ideas about how to boost your mood and apply them to your daily life to notice the changes when you feel down.
1. Avoid isolation
When we feel low in spirit, we tend to adopt a very passive attitude, so we very easily stay at home. This, which makes sense if we only take into account what “the body asks of us” in those situations, actually causes us to perpetuate the behavioral dynamics that feed the emotional state that dominates us.
Thus, a certain degree of forcing oneself to socialize is healthy and leads us to increase our chances of getting involved in stimulating situations that activate us mentally.
2. Sleep well and eat well
Keep ourselves in good condition by attending to our basic biological needs can generate great changes in our emotional facet. Therefore, something as simple as sleeping the right hours and eating a healthy and balanced diet helps prevent us from entering a state of decline that can actually be the consequence of a lack of energy.
3. Exercise
Following the same logic as the previous advice, to raise our spirits it is good to activate our own body through actions that predispose us to it. And exercising or playing a sport is a good way to achieve this.
To do this, it is preferable to start with something in which we already have some experience, since learning from scratch can be a problem considering our initial resistance to putting effort into something. If it is also a sport and not a series of movements to work the muscles, It is easier to focus our attention than to focus on the immediate objective which we want to reach, so that the psychological stimulation is greater and thus it is easier for the mood to rise.
Laughing is something whose effects are not only noticeable at the moment of laughter. It leaves an emotional mark on us that, if added to other aids to raise our mood, can produce a qualitative change in our psychological state.
Go to monologues or watch them on the internet, read comedy genres, joke with friends… There are many ways to expose yourself to the beneficial effects of laughter.
5. Change habits
The simple act of change can produce very positive changes in mood, as long as these guide us towards goals that are meaningful to us. For example, starting to learn a language for which you have always felt weak can provide a sense of purpose that motivates us and, with this, we feel excited to see our progress.
6. If you think it is serious, go to the psychologist
As in everything, the way in which we feel discouraged can be so intense that the intervention of psychological professionals is necessary. In this case, personalized treatment in a professional context offers options that simply do not exist if one decides to face the problem alone.
Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate what is happening and decide if by doing your part you can get out of that situation.
