It’s easy to find yourself in a bit of a funk during the holidays and in winter. I certainly succumb to it annually, almost like clockwork, when the sun sets so early and the cold feels antagonistic. Some days I’ll admit that I’m fighting full-on seasonal depression, but on other days I’m able to recognize that I’m just … grumpy, and in need of a mood reset.
Instead of moping about and letting ourselves get bogged down in negativity, sometimes it’s helpful to have a few mood-boosting remedies up your sleeves. Here are some suggestions to get you started.
First: Recognize Where The Funk is Coming From
Bad moods can be triggered by just about anything — from work stress or inadequate sleep, to eating too much junk food and doomscrolling. Understanding the factors influencing your mood can help you find your way back to a brighter, more positive state of mind. Pinpointing a trigger makes it easier to negate. For example, you might have noticed that you feel ill-tempered on days when you indulge in playing on your phone just a little too long. (Research has backed the fact that too much screen time contributes to poor moods and emotional dysregulation — even in adults.) A mood reset might come from getting outside, even if it’s for a brief, brisk walk around the block. Some fresh air and physical activity can often work wonders for a screen-related slump.
Find Your Way to Laughter
When you’re in a terrible mood, you might be inspired to take a swing at anyone who suggests that “laughter is the best medicine.” But it’s legitimate advice for getting a mood reset. According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter has impactful short- and long-term health benefits. Laughter can enhance your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulating heart, lungs, and muscles, and releasing endorphins into your brain that make you feel better. A good laugh can also activate and relieve your stress response, in turn increasing and decreasing your heart rate and blood pressure, resulting in a calm, relaxed feeling of relief. And laughter can soothe tension by stimulating circulation and aiding in muscle relaxation, both of which help to reduce physical symptoms of stress.
The hard part is getting yourself to laugh when you’re stuck in a full-blown pity party. Some suggestions: Watch a comedy show or peruse funny videos online, call a friend who never fails to crack you up, or read humor publications such as Cracked, McSweeney’s or The Daily Mash.
Take a Break
Try to find a way to take a break from whatever you’re doing and hit the mental reset button. This can look like many different things, depending on why you’re in such a funk to begin with. If you’re stressed, practice self-care by scheduling 10 minutes into your day to sit and breathe or practice mindfulness. If you’ve been mostly sedentary, on the other hand, physical activity is the perfect reset. Go for a walk or do 15 minutes of flow yoga. Calm, the mental health app, offers tips like taking a warm, relaxing bath and playing music that will lift your spirits.
Change Your Scenery
We tend to forget how much of an impact our surroundings can have on our mental health. Just moving to sit in a different room of your house can be an effective way of telling your brain that “things have changed, and it’s time to alter our perspective.” Even better, getting outside for a little nature break can vastly improve your mood. Find a spot of sunshine to sit and bask for a bit or take a brief walk through the woods to get some of the benefits of forest bathing. Essentially, getting space between you and your stressors — even temporarily — is the key to feeling refreshed and energized.
Alternatively, consider decluttering. Clutter can leave you feeling stressed and overwhelmed, along with interfering with your ability to function effectively. If you find yourself inexplicably unhappy with your surroundings, try tidying up and see if that doesn’t help.
Give Yourself Grace
Sometimes dwelling on the fact that we can’t seem to shake a bad mood can make matters even worse. If you’ve tried a few of these tips and you can’t set the funk aside, don’t fret. Taking those positive actions — even if your heart isn’t in it — can still have benefits, according to Dr. Susan Albers, Psy.D., in an article for the Cleveland Clinic. She advises us to take a deep breath and reassure ourselves that having a bad day is part of being human. “Give yourself some time to respond to your feelings in a productive way,” she says, and remind yourself that what you’re feeling isn’t going to last forever.
Get Some Sleep
If all else fails, get some good, quality sleep. Sleep and mood are closely intertwined, and getting seven or eight hours of decent sleep can do wonders to refresh your outlook. Go to bed early, try not to ruminate on whatever is bothering you, and limit your use of cellphones, computers and tablets for at least an hour before bedtime (because they ruin your quality of sleep).
Additional resources:
- If you or a loved one are struggling with loneliness or depression, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.
- For more mental health resources, the National Helpline Database offers five helpline numbers to know.
Top image source: sdominick from Getty Images Signature, via Canva.com
