Self Care Sundays: 5 Ways To Feel Better In Less Than 5 Minutes
5 Ways To Feel Better In Less Than 5 Minutes
Ever had a lousy day? A terrible week? Wish you could turn things around in a matter of minutes? I know I’ve definitely been there. I think we can all agree that we’ve experienced this far more often than we’d like. Feeling down and gloomy even on days that started out fantastic. Just one bad event sending us into a downward spiral of sadness and insecurity. Feeling overwhelmed by our to do lists. Or, feeling like life is a never-ending loop of lousy days. It honestly sucks feeling this way.
In my previous Self care Sundays post, I spoke about a few springtime self care hacks to help you feel great this spring. A few tidbits and tips on habits that truly help you to feel relaxed and refreshed. Feel free to check out that post for more springtime inspiration.
But what if you’re short on time and you want to improve your bad mood as quickly as it came in? It’s time to get rid of those nagging thought that drains energy when you don’t address it. And if it can be done in 5 minutes or less even better.
I know we all love to feel good. Great even. Or at least I hope we all do because I surely love feeling great.
Here are five ways to improve your mood in 5 minutes or less:
Disclaimer: These tips may not completely fix the severity of the problem but will help you feel better if only so you can start again refreshed and rejuvenated.
1. Meditate and Just Breathe
Close your eyes. Inhale. 1 2 3 4. Exhale. Being overwhelmed with too much distraction can sap your energy and affect your mood. Whenever you feel anxious, mad, or tense. Take a slow calming breath. Take some deep breaths and close your eyes and relax. Release all the stress. Release the anxiety. Let it all go. Sometimes all you need is just a moment to yourself. A moment to quiet your mind of everything bothering you. Quiet that rapid fire brain of yours. Take some time to reflect and release. Science has proven that meditation helps to reduce stress, controls anxiety and leads to better emotional health. It sounds so simple, but it truly helps tonnes. When you slow down and become more efficient with your breathing, most things seem better. If you’re not sure where to start, you can even try some guided meditation to get you started.
2. Dance it out
If you’re an OG fan of Grey’s Anatomy like I am then you know about the infamous dance it out ritual by Meredith and Christina. It’s what they do whenever one or both of them are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, happy or sad. It was their way of celebrating their wins and shaking off their losses. And trust me when I say the idea stuck in my mind like white on rice. I mean not only do I love to dance and they’re doctors like me. But also there’s a science behind it. Dancing like any physical activity gets you moving and gets your heart pumping and your brain excited. As a result, dancing releases those feel good hormones known as endorphins that is proven to make you feel happier and boosts your mood in a matter of seconds. Plus it doesn’t even have to be good dancing, you just need to move your body however you feel and enjoy the music. I mean its party of the reason why Caribbean people, especially Jamaicans, tend to have a good time even on the suckiest days and in the suckiest circumstances. We dance it out and use it as an escape from all of life’s stresses. So anytime you feel down, just crank on some tunes and dance it out. Cue iCarly’s announcer ‘Random Dancing’
3. Make a list of three things that you are grateful for
I know! I know! I keep going on and on about this gratitude thing but it really does work. Not only does it help you realize that you have things to celebrate and it’s not all bad. But it’s a great way to truly jot down the things you probably forgot even existed in the first place. Once you start to take account of your blessings you will begin to realize that whatever you are going through may not be so bad. Trying to think of things you are grateful for forces you to focus on the positive aspects of your life. Sometimes so many of us get so caught up in life’s whoas that we forget how awesome our lives truly are. There are literally people who would love to live our lives and we’re making a fleeting incident get us down and out. Nerp. We can’t do it to ourselves anymore.
Plus, there is science to back up how awesome it is to express gratitude. According to research, regularly expressing gratitude/ gratefulness doesn’t only improve your mood, but it changes your brain completely. Gratitude lights up parts of the brain’s reward pathways leaving us to feel great everytime we express it. It makes us not only happier but healthier too by influencing your metabolism and reducing stress levels. This is great for our hearts and nervous systems and makes us more resilient to life’s stresses.
So the next time something bad happens, just take a few minutes to start thinking about all the things you’re grateful for. Bonus points if you actually write it down. You might just find that once you start, you can’t stop.
4. Go for a short walk
Just like dancing, walking releases those feel good hormones that instantly improves your mood. But beyond that, sometimes feeling stuck is as just about the physical as it is the mental. Sometimes a change in mood is as simple as a temporary change in location. Walking gets the heart pumping and the blood flowing. This will decrease stress and improve your mood instantly. Even better would be to go for a walk outside. Escape for a few moments into nature and breathe in the fresh air. It improves your energy, makes you feel good and overall boosts mental health and well-being. So if you feel blue and don’t know what to do, just head out and take a quick walk somewhere new. You’ll feel good. Promise.
5. Take a minute to do something you love
If you love music, listen to some of your favorite songs. Put on something upbeat. Studies actually show that listening to music affects your mood. So happy music= happy mood. Dance! Be silly! Watch a funny Youtube video! Have some chocolate. Write it out. Read a comic. Call a friend or loved one. Sometimes taking a small break may help relax your mind to accomplish what you need to do. Taking a break when necessary to do something you absolutely love is an amazing mood booster!
There you have it loves. Just a few tidbits on how you can improve your mood in a matter of minutes. There are so many other ways you can feel better in minutes but I think the items on this list is something everyone can do. The list is short but very effective. Remember, you can always make a positive change regardless of where you currently are or what you are currently going through. I really hope these tips help you!