9 Simple Ways to Brighten Your Mood

27 Dec

Today, I reminded myself to look at Pinterest. I said to myself, “I need to look at some pretty things.” It just cheers me up. I like to see nature pictures or beautiful medieval cities, fashion (believe it or not!) or home decor, especially including books and some nifty organizing idea.

That sent me on a little Google search about the validity of looking at pretty pictures and how it affects mood, and sure enough, there have been studies about it.

I also stumbled across studies about how nature specifically improves mood.

So with a mix of invention and borrowing, here are some *new* tips for some quick cheer-ups.

  1. Start an image file on your phone and download into it any time you see or take a picture that just makes you happy. When you start to feel gloomy, scroll through it.
  2. Get lost browsing an old photo album or go through that file of letters and cards you’ve saved over the years and read a few.
  3. Bring some of the outside in — plants, pine scented candles, a little water fountain.
  4. Make a collage wall with pictures and artifacts from your favorite adventure.
  5. Spend mindful time with your pet, doing something with or for her that she loves. Leave your own thoughts to focus on what she’s feeling in the moment.
  6. Go for a walk and touch a tree and thank it for its contributions to life.
  7. Get into Google Maps, change it to satellite view, and zoom in on favorite places you’ve been or want to go. Pick a road and see where it leads.
  8. Plan something nice for yourself, whether cooking your favorite meal or going on a day trip. Mark it on your calendar so you know it’ll happen and have it to look forward to.
  9. Read your favorite poem aloud.

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