Three activities that can keep your mood sunny on any given day

It could be one of these: a cloudy, rainy morning just as you were hoping to wake up to a glorious sunny morning. Or it could be a health issue flaring up, again, just as you were hoping you were done with it. A friend letting you down, a loved one going through tough times.

Whatever it is, truth is you can do little to help yourself or others if you allow your mood to plummet. From a purely practical point of view, it is the least productive path to follow.

But if you are in the business of keeping a sunny face no matter what, knowing that you can then help more by doing so, here are some suggestions to help you achieve that (backed up by science too!)

1. Volunteer. Find someone to give your time and energy too every now and then. A study by The Empirical Institute for Economics in Zurich concluded that volunteers are more satisfied with their lives than non-volunteers. People who never volunteer, the researchers said, reported the lowest scores in life satisfaction. One of the main conclusions of the study was that people who volunteer, hence not pursuing their own happiness at all times, but allowing space and time for others, are the happiest among us. Depending on your life commitments, you can choose to offer a few hours every week or even less. Often times, cooking a few dinners for friends who go through life-changing events – happy or sad – and even offering to run chores for them can be great mood boosters. For your and those you are helping.
2. Exercise in a green setting. A 2010 review emphasized an already known fact but easily forgotten. Exercise can serve as one of the most efficient mood boosters, not just for an average feeling-low kind of day, but for people suffering from depression and anxiety. Researchers suggest that bad mood becomes the very reason will step out to exercise once they discover this amazing tool that everyone has access to. For a clearer mind and a better mood, give yourself 20 minutes of exercise. A few days into it, you won’t need any more reminders; the good mood boost you got the day before will be enough to usher you put the door, rainy morning or not.
3. Be grateful. Before you get out of bed, take a few moments to find at least three reasons to be grateful for. You’ll never stop at just one. Gratitude makes you feel optimistic, psychologists say. Make an effort to focus on less tangible things because those are most valuable to achieve and the hardest to lose. Even in face of adversity, being grateful can serve as a reminder of your worthiness, capabilities and the things you still have.

Bottom line: swampy moods can be dealt with and the most efficient mood busters are free. Try it today!