Mood Boosters for a Festive Season
The occasional slump is inevitable - whether it be work, the weather, the holiday season, or other personal reasons, it can all take a toll on how we feel both physically and mentally. By making a conscious effort to engage in natural, flexible activities and habits that nourish our mind and body, we can expect to feel more inspired, be more productive, and see our personal, social, and work lives thrive - simply because we are feeling our best.
At Blue Rosa and Vitality House, we value the importance of being able to foster and maintain a sense of well-being so that we can prosper in all aspects of life. We have collectively collated simple and inexpensive activities that we can use to reduce stress and enhance our mood throughout the holiday season.
Meditation and Breathwork
Meditation is the practice of focusing our attention inwards in order to achieve contemplation and deep relaxation. When we experience stressful periods or events in our lives, the physical symptoms our body displays typically alter our minds as well. When this stress sticks around, the effects this has on our body and mind can be detrimental to our well-being. By actively engaging in meditation practices, we give our body the time it needs to rest and therefore minimise the impact that stress has on our overall health. The best thing about meditation is that it’s inexpensive, doesn’t require props, and can essentially be practiced anywhere at any time. By building a consistent daily habit, like dedicating ten minutes at the start or end of each day to meditate, you can expect to see a huge shift in your mood - even when you are faced with overwhelming situations. Sit down somewhere quiet and pay close attention to the present moment - your thoughts, emotions, feelings, and sensations. When we focus on this - we are allowing ourselves to be less consumed by the overwhelming feelings we may be experiencing, and more grounded and in control of them.
Breathwork is another tool we can utilise throughout our day and is an incredible way to put the body in a meditative and relaxed state. Breathwork is a very powerful practice, and when we are consistent with it, we can notice a huge shift in our state of being. Everyone has the natural, subconscious instinct to inhale and exhale, but to get slower, deeper, and connect with our breath takes practice, concentration, and skill. Once we are able to observe our breath, sense it, return to it, and ultimately control it, we can use it to influence our mood and create a shift within.
Movement
We all know that physical activity is an essential part of maintaining a balanced lifestyle, but it also has an extremely positive effect on our mental health and overall feeling of Vitality. Moving our bodies improves our brain function and regulates our mood - regardless of skillset, fitness level, or the activity we are engaging in.
Yoga is an excellent way to bring our bodies into a state of rest and regulate our mood. Through combining movement and breath, Yoga aims to connect ourselves to our body, align breath and asana, as well as improve our range of motion, circulation, concentration, and mental focus.
Other physical activities such as walking, running, or riding a bike are also great ways we can boost our mood - particularly when we are feeling a little pent up. Not only are we switching our energy to focus on what we are doing at that very moment, but we are also actively releasing and increasing the feel-good hormones in our bodies.
Vitamin D
Exposure to vitamin D in natural sunlight is thought to significantly boost serotonin levels in the brain so it’s no wonder why when we’re feeling a little low or energy depleted, we’re often told to get outside! Serotonin is the brain's happy hormone’, which is why low levels of serotonin have been linked to a higher risk of developing major mental health disorders. Whilst exposure to the sun should always be done smartly to avoid skin damage, spending a small amount of time each day in the sunshine can be extremely beneficial for your health and mindset. When we’re stuck inside, it’s easy to ruminate on the day that was or feel a little overwhelmed by our endless to-do lists. Just by changing our environment and soaking up the sunshine for a small amount each day we can expect to see our mood change and be more productive in the long run.
Infrared Sauna and Ice Bath
The physical benefits of an infrared sauna are well known: detoxification, relaxation, better sleep, relief from sore muscles, and so on. One benefit that might surprise you is the positive influence it has on our mental health. When we struggle with physical ailments that hold us back from doing the things we love, it’s natural to feel down, so when we indulge in therapies that help ease our pain, we can expect our body and our mind to feel better too. A recent study found that those who used saunas several times per month had higher mental health scores compared to those who used saunas less frequently. Infrared saunas have been shown to optimise the production and reception of the natural antidepressant hormones in our brain, such as dopamine and serotonin.
Cold therapy, through ice baths, is another way that we can boost our mental health. Similarly to an infrared sauna, an ice bath can help to ease muscle pain and inflammation, taking away the physical stress in our body. Ice baths have also been shown to improve symptoms of anxiety by decreasing our body’s stress hormone, cortisol, and increasing our endorphins, which acts as a natural ‘painkiller’ in the body and helps to elevate our mood. Many people who take the cold plunge may initially be overwhelmed by the intense chill at first, but often experience a feeling of elevation afterwards. The more regularly we engage in cold therapy, the better we get at handling the stress of the cold, and therefore become more resilient in managing similar stress in everyday life. Ice baths are also a great way to improve focus and concentration when we are in need of a little mental boost.
Sleep
Sleep is our way to give our whole system a full recharge and is essential in keeping the mind and body in equilibrium. Without enough sleep, the brain is simply unable to function at its best. Whether it be due to a late night out, our busy mind, or feeling unwell - we all feel sluggish and mentally down when our sleep is disrupted. Dedicating time and energy to making sure that our sleep cycle is consistent is one of the best ways we can prepare to start each day feeling refreshed and in a good mindset.
Ways we can actively improve our sleep include reducing blue light exposure before bed, avoiding caffeine and alcohol intake in the afternoon and evening, doing meditative activities, and creating a positive environment. If we go to sleep feeling relaxed, we are bound to wake up feeling it too.
Gratitude
We all feel grateful for certain things in our life, but actually practicing gratitude is a habit that we can implement every day for a more joyful state. It’s common to get drowned in stressful thoughts or feelings that circulate in our heads daily. By identifying the things that make us happy, we can expect to feel happier in the present moment and ultimately more optimistic about our life going forward. In addition to feeling happier, when we practice gratitude, we can improve the social bonds and relationships we hold in our lives. By switching our focus to the things and people we are grateful for, rather than the things we are struggling with or missing, we, in turn, can express more love, appreciation, and connection with those around us - and this in turn makes us open to receive more of it ourselves.
Practicing gratitude can be as simple as starting or ending your day by writing down one thing you are grateful for at that moment. We can also practice this during an overwhelming situation by flipping the negativity and finding a positive. To connect with others, we can express our gratitude openly with our friends and/or loved ones around the dinner table, or by writing a personal note to someone we appreciate.
Having a good mindset often begins with identifying the things in our lives that make us happy.
