An Essential Checklist for Curing Low Mood
- Say no to anything that isn’t important to you. Give yourself permission to focus on your priorities. Be firm, implement boundaries and keep a razor sharp eye on where you are headed.
- Are you asking for help? No-one is an island. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness and who knows, your friend might gain pleasure from knowing they made a difference today.
- Getting enough sleep? Resting is important and will make the difference to your thinking and feeling.
- Music in your life? can be a shot in the arm sometimes. Want to lift your mood? Choose an appropriate playlist and experience a shift in your emotions.
- Are you getting good nutritious food? It’s a statement ‘I care about myself’. It gives you energy, glowing skin, a healthy body and peace of mind knowing that you are doing the best for you. Good food can improve your mood it’s a fact!
- Walk in Nature. It balances, recalibrates and clears the fog – try it!
- Seeing your Friends? It can be difficult when we are feeling low to make the effort to communicate with others. Often when we do make arrangements to hook up it leaves us feeling restored. Laughter and a natter brings us out of ourselves.
- Are you truly grateful? Low mood and negative thinking are bed fellows. Thinking about what you are grateful for will naturally pick you up. Focus on this first thing in the morning (write it down if this is your thing). Notice the shift in perception and how you relate to the world by noticing how bloody lucky you are. By the way there is always something to be grateful for.
- How are you talking to yourself? Would you stay friends with someone who spoke to you the way you speak to you? Be conscious of your internal dialogue and what it is telling you. Say nice things and appreciate the great things you do big and small.
- Affirm. A great way to keep on track. I love ‘I am enough’ and write it on the inside of the shower door every morning. Keep telling yourself the positive truths and enjoy the effect of nurturing yourself with kind words.
- Limit your social media. It can be an exercise in self-flagellation yet we cannot resist the temptation. See if reducing your on-line activity improves your mood.
- Reward yourself. Do you feel guilty when you treat yourself? What do you do for yourself? How far down the list do you come? Give yourself a little luxury or time doing what YOU love. Think about the balance between meeting the needs of others and getting your own needs met.
- Are you moving enough? When our energy levels are low it may seem counterintuitive to expend more energy. The fact is that exercise gets your happy hormones whizzing and your blood pumping, contributing to more energy and improved mood.
- Who are you hanging out with? Do you feel negative or positive after you have spent time with them? What do your emotions tell you? Follow your gut and limit time with those people that tend to bring you down.
