If you’re wondering how to improve your mood, set yourself up for a productive day, and combat the daily creeping stress, there are a number of easy, proven, natural approaches you can take in creating healthy habits.
Here, we break down some of the best things you can do during the day (and the night) to give yourself a mood boost—in both the short- and long-term.
Key Takeaways:
- Elevating your mood often comes down to a routine. It’s the little things; go for a run, breathe in some fresh air, let the sunlight hit your skin.
- CBD and vitamins are a low-effort, high-reward natural alternative to help elevate your mood. Incorporate them into your daily routine.
- Sleep, sleep, sleep. A healthy sleep cycle might just be the most important facet of your mood regulation.
Get Some Exercise
As athletes know well, exercise is one of the fastest, most effective ways to improve your mood. Hop on a bike, take a run, or do some yoga, and you’ll get a variety of mood-enhancing benefits.
For instance:
- The Great Endorphins – First, you’ll likely get the immediate benefits that come from a surge of endorphins. These neurochemicals, which are created by the pituitary gland and the central nervous system, act on the brain’s opiate receptors to reduce pain and increase pleasure.
When we exercise vigorously, our bodies can release enough endorphins to create a feeling of euphoria—often described as a “runner’s high”—that brings with it an upbeat, energized feeling that can last long after the exercise is over, brightening our whole day.
- Can Someone Say Serotonin? – Second, exercise can elevate mood in the long-term by increasing your levels of serotonin. This neurotransmitter helps relay messages between different parts of the brain, and it also plays a key role in your physical and psychological well-being.
Serotonin is believed to help regulate everything from mood to appetite to memory, and low serotonin levels are linked to depression. Research suggests that increasing physical activity increases the levels of serotonin in the human brain and that people can improve their moods with regular aerobic exercise.
Spend Some Time in Nature
One of the easiest ways to improve your mood, by far, is to interact with nature.
Repeated studies have shown that taking a walk outside, getting away from the city, or even just sitting in the backyard can have a variety of therapeutic effects ranging from lowering blood pressure to calming the nervous system:
- Fresh Air Heals – Spending time in nature boosts your mood and can even reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. What’s more, you don’t have to take a walk in the forest or even leave your home to benefit from interacting with nature. Studies have shown that just looking at trees outside your window, having indoor plants, or even listening to nature sounds can have a beneficial effect.
- Sunlight, Sunlight – Another mood-boosting benefit of spending time in nature comes from the extra light you get when you head outdoors. Getting a good dose of sunlight boosts your serotonin levels, elevating your mood (and helping regulate other important systems, like your sleep cycle).
Cut Out Caffeine and Alcohol and Drink More Water
There are a number of ways that both caffeine and alcohol may be unnaturally suppressing your mood. Drinking water, on the other hand, can help you feel alert, calm, and happy.
- Coffee – While a cup of coffee can produce a feeling of alertness and well-being, studies have shown that for some people, this feeling might actually be a trick of the mind. If someone consumes caffeine regularly enough to develop an addiction, they end up in withdrawal, which can make them feel tired and foggy.
The feeling of being awake and alert that they experience after a boost of caffeine is actually, then, a “reversal of withdrawal” symptoms, rather than a real boost to their mood or productivity.
- Alcohol – Alcohol plays similar tricks with our perception of our moods. While a beer, a glass of wine, or a cocktail can initially cause a feeling of relaxation and even seem to improve our mood for a short time, research shows that alcohol actually increases the symptoms of depression and anxiety.
So what should you drink to improve your mood?
Water.
Proper hydration helps us stay alert and happy, improves concentration, and balances our emotions. Having a cup of water can even have an immediate effect on our feelings of well-being.
If you’ve relied on caffeine to jumpstart your day (or keep you going mid-afternoon), and you need a boost while you adjust to a new, healthier normal, there are other ways to feel bright and sharp—in addition to that important cup of water. A few minutes of exercise can also give you enough endorphins to help you feel awake and alert.
To that end, have you heard of CBD? And do you take enough vitamins?
Give Yourself a Boost with Vitamins and CBD
For over a century, people have used vitamins to improve mood and health.
If you’re looking to supplement your diet and exercise routine with an additional boost, there are a number of different vitamins and compounds that can improve your mood.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids – The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, nuts, and plant oils help with everything from eye health to heart disease. They also fight depression and anxiety—so much so, that one study found that omega-3s were as effective as a common antidepressant. For the best mood boost, pick the right type of omega-3; while there are three types of omega-3 fatty acids, one known as EPA, appears to be the best for elevating your mood.
- B Vitamins – B vitamins also play a role in mood regulation. Both B6 and B12 play important roles: B6 helps your body produce neurotransmitters, is essential for brain function, and can ward off depression. Similarly, B12 helps the body with DNA synthesis, red blood cell production, and energy production. If you are low on B12 (which is primarily found in animal proteins), you can benefit from a shot of synthetic B12 that will boost your energy, your mood, and overall well-being.
- Vitamin D – While vitamin D is probably best known for helping the body absorb calcium, it is also extremely beneficial for warding off or reducing depression. Vitamin D is produced in our bodies naturally when sunlight hits our skin, but for those of us who spend most of our day inside, a vitamin D supplement can help with tiredness and anxiety.
- CBD – A dose of CBD, taken orally in either an oil or gummies, can also help boost your mood over the course of a day. As we’ve explained in previous posts, taking CBD supports the body’s natural endocannabinoid system, which regulates several systems in the body, including those that deal with stress and anxiety. CBD also interacts with your serotonin receptors, and this interaction is thought to lessen stress and anxiety.
Another option is to use one of our CBD oils to boost energy and focus. Similarly, you can use CBD oil or gummies to replace a drink at the end of the day. A CBD-infused gummy or a few drops of a CBD oil like our Orange Rise isolate oil can help you feel calm and relaxed.
If you’re looking for an effective way to elevate your mood (and your overall health), add vitamins and CBD to your routine. Together, they can do wonders for your mood and general happiness!
Try Meditation
Meditation enthusiasts have been telling us for centuries that regular mindfulness practice will boost your mood. Now there’s clear science to back up these claims. Even a few minutes a day of meditation—whether it’s in a dedicated quiet space, at your work desk, or on the train home from work—can provide a number of mood-boosting benefits.
- Research shows that meditation can reduce the stress of the day, giving you an immediate feeling of well-being.
- Over the long-term, regular meditation can be one of the most effective ways to improve your mood by helping you increase imagination and creativity and build skills to manage stress.
Make Sure to Get a Restful Night’s Sleep
When we think about how to improve mood, we often focus on things we can actively do, like those listed above, but neglect the importance of a good night’s sleep. A good night’s sleep is one of the most important things we can do to improve our health and maintain a good mood.
What’s more, poor sleep can actually increase the risk of a mood disorder. Even a few nights of poor sleep can lead to a worsened mood (we’ve all been there).
If you’re prone to wakefulness, or anxiety and stress is keeping you from a good night’s sleep, there are several things you can do to set yourself up for a more restful night:
- A CBD Bath Bomb – Taking a hot bath before bedtime will help you fall asleep faster, because your body temperature drops after you leave the hot water, and this temperature shift reinforces your circadian rhythms and lets your body know that it’s time for bed. For an extra-relaxing soak, add one of our CBD bath bombs, which can enhance the feeling of relaxation by helping relieve sore muscles. Ever wonder “Is CBD good for muscle recovery?” Soak in a bath and put on some CBD lotion and see for yourself!
- Stick to A Sleep Schedule – Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, and sticking to it, can help you fall asleep faster. Having the same schedule night after night will help keep your circadian rhythms regular.
- Oils & Gummies – You can also use CBD oils or gummies to help reach a restful sleep. CBD can help ease nervousness, tension, and stress, and it also supplements your body’s regularly occurring endocannabinoids, which help regulate systems throughout your body—including sleep. (Just remember to start with a low dose to see how CBD oil will affect you, then work up to a higher dose slowly, if necessary.)
Resilience CBD
Here at Resilience, we believe in the power of peak performance.
From your mood, your health, to your training, our mission is to help you push boundaries, build healthy pillars, and establish optimal recovery routines.
Your mood directly influences your ability to exercise, work, and go about your everyday life. By following these proven ways to elevate your mood naturally, you’ll be able to find a routine that best suits you. Should CBD become a part of your journey, we’re here to help.
Our oils, topicals, bath bombs, and gummies are formulated for a variety of outcomes. Choose the one that aligns with your goals and see first-hand how it’ll increase your performance.
That’s Resilience.
Sources:
1. Tandfoline. Comparison of therapeutic effects of omega-3 fatty acid. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00048670701827275
2. National Library of Medicine. View through a window may influence recovery from surgery. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6143402/
3. Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School. Sour ood getting you down? Get back to nature. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/sour-mood-getting-you-down-get-back-to-nature
4. NCBI. How to increase serotonin in the human brain without drugs. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2077351/
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Written by: Michael Tatz | Linkedin
Michael Tatz is the Co-Founder of Resilience CBD, and a passionate leader in the health & fitness world helping others rise to and crush their wildest goals. A former Division 1 college wrestler, Army Officer, and investment manager at Goldman Sachs, he has pushed his body and mind to the limits on the mats, dressed in camo, and in the boardroom.
Today, he spends his time leading Resilience CBD to develop the absolute best recovery products for athletes everywhere. Resilience was founded after CBD personally impacted Michael’s life, and the brand was built to partner with everyday athletes in pursuit of conquering their most difficult challenges, rebounding after their toughest performances, and rising to their goals that once seemed impossible.
