How to improve your mood

We all want to improve our moods and feel better but sadly for most of us this is just a distant wish. Most people have been living miserable lives, experiencing bad moods and only feeling happy once in a while even though they really want to be happy all the time.

People might be feeling bad because they are too lazy to take actions to improve their mood or they might be completely clueless of what should be done in order for their moods to improve.

In this article I will provide you with methods that can help you improve your mood and live a happier life.

If you want to improve your mood then you must know why you feel bad

1+1 = 11

This equation will sound funny to a mathematician but not to a psychologist. If you felt angry and stressed in the same time then the resulting emotion won't be anger plus stress but it will be a really horrible feeling that you can hardly tolerate.
One of the major reasons that prevents people from having a Good mood is the accumulated effect of emotions where the result of two or more bad feelings becomes something really horrible.

You might be thinking that two separate events must happen on the same day in order for both of them together to generate two different bad moods but do you know that lots of people wake up carrying already some bad feelings??
Just take a look at the following examples:

* Carried over guilt: If you have been struggling to quit a bad habit, unhappy with the way you behave or even not satisfied with your relationship with God then you are actually carrying feelings of guilt 24/7 even if you don't notice them. That's why a very small event could trigger a horrible mood swing!! As you are already carrying one emotion which is guilt, any other emotion that will be added to this guilt will result in more intense bad feelings

* Carried over mild depression: I am not talking about severe depression where the person becomes unable to function but I am talking about the mild depression that results from certain unmet goals in the past, not being able to live the life you wanted or feeling that you are growing older without doing something useful in life.

*Carried over stress: You might be feeling stressed all the time even when you think that you are relaxed. If you are unable to deal with the stress in your job, college or home then your mind will constantly be in an alert state that is similar to stress. The only problem with such stress is that its not easily noticeable and only becomes clear when another bad emotions is added to it

I could give hundreds of examples but I am sure the concept is now clear. Lots of us already carry bad emotions before they even start their day and that's why whenever they encounter a situation that induces another bad one they feel really bad.
The first step to improve your mood is to get rid of all of the previously accumulated bad emotions so that you become more tolerant to facing new ones.

Quick fixes that can improve your mood
There are lots of quick fixes that can be used to improve the mood but if not accompanied with long term plans that can solve the problems that are currently bothering you then their effect will only be temporary and your bad mood will soon return again.

You must have a long term plan for dealing with all the chronic problems that are resulting in your accumulated bad moods and while doing so you can use any of the following fixes to get a quick but temporary mood lift:

* Improving your mood using music: Music affects the brain, mood and mind. you can use music to alter your mood on demand by listening to something that you like

* Hormones that improve the mood: Certain hormones like serotonin, dopamine and endorphins can improve the mood. Those hormones can be released by exercising and getting exposed to sunlight

* Foods that improve the mood: Some foods can improve your mood instantly!! Strawberries, chocolate, milk, salmon, water and bananas are all foods that can improve your mood.

Final words about improving your mood
Quick fixes never last and some of them are really unhealthy like emotional eating, alcohol and various drugs.
Some people live their lives feeling bad all the time because they depend heavily on quick fixes that improves their moods for a short while then makes them feel way worse later on.
If you want a permanent improvement in your mood then you must make permanent changes to your life instead of using quick fixes.

Article Source: How to improve your mood

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