Mood Lifting Tools To Support Your Wellbeing
We all know how it feels to have days where we are overwhelmed or feeling low. It can be difficult to avoid this from happening, but we can prepare and arm ourselves with tools that may help to lift our mood and support our mental wellbeing when we are feeling this way.
Below is some information on practical everyday ways we can support our mental health.
Physical Activity
There are so many reasons to take part in daily activities that involve moving your body and here are just a few:
- Physical exercise strengthens your heart
- Exercise improves circulation
- When we exercise our body releases endorphins and these trigger a positive feeling and can boost our mood
My advice would be to get outside and do some movement in the fresh air and pay attention to how you feel after this. Many people have found that exercising regularly has been a game changer in how they feel day to day.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness practices have been shown to help reduce stress, increase happiness, provide greater perspective on situations and help bring a sense of calm. Here are a few ways to incorporate mindfulness into your everyday life:
- Take a nature walk and notice the beauty around you
- Practice mindful eating by using your senses fully and savoring your food. Truly enjoy it without distractions like phones, TVs or laptops
- Engage in hobbies that you enjoy as it takes your attention away from everyday stressors and brings focus to that activity. It's the perfect opportunity to pick up a sport, instrument, or join an exercise class that interests you!
Healthy Eating
Maintaining a balanced diet rich in wholefoods can benefit both your mental and physical health and have a positive impact on your mood. Here are a few ways to incorporate some healthy habits into your diet:
- Eat the rainbow: Eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains helps to increase your fibre intake and as fibre feeds our gut bacteria, this supports our gut health.
- Aim to eat 2-3 portions of oily fish per week: This provides omega fatty acids, good fats for the brain which help to support concentration, focus and memory. If you are vegetarian or vegan, you can obtain omega fatty acids from nuts, seeds and algae sources.
- Cook from scratch with wholefoods: Prepare meals using wholefoods that are not highly processed, as this increases the nutritional value of your meals. Try a recipe this week that contains fresh wholefoods; it may take longer to prepare but you can use this process as a mindful practice!
- Hydration: Make sure you are drinking enough water daily by having a water bottle with you throughout the day. Add some lemon slices, cucumber, or mint leaves if you would like some added flavour.
Sleep
If you are a night owl, adjusting your bedtime to get a good night's sleep can be challenging. A helpful tip is to gradually shift your bedtime by 10 minutes earlier each night for a week, and then continue to increase it week by week. Sleep plays an important role in our overall wellbeing, so it’s important that we prioritise a good, restful night’s sleep as much as possible. If you have trouble winding down at night, try using a sleep spray on your pillow to help you drift off.
Hopefully these tips have been helpful and if you ever need support or advice in relation to wellness and health, don’t forget that the Meaghers team are on hand to help. Contact any of our stores or pop in to speak with our teams in our 9 Dublin stores.
Please find phone numbers of mental wellbeing supports below that are available should you need them.
call 116 123
call 1800 247 247 or
TEXT Help to 5144 4
call 1800 804 848
email supportmail@aware.ie