When you’re feeling blue, life can feel overwhelming quite quickly, and your normal daily tasks can feel herculean.
Getting your mood back to being fighting fit is important because you deserve to feel your best, but happiness has an array of other benefits that we don’t even realise!
Happiness and health have a strong correlation. Studies show that feeling happy can positively impact your immune system, helping keep those pesky winter colds at bay! Happiness has also been proven to reduce stress, which can have a whole host of negative effects on your physical and mental wellbeing.
The most impressive feature of happiness, however, is that it can extend your life expectancy. One study showed a 35% decrease in the likelihood of death in the next 5 years for people who were happy.
Did you know that you can raise your daily energy levels just by being happy? This becomes something of a self-fulfilling cycle, as more energetic people are typically more motivated, higher levels of motivation lead to higher productivity, and productivity is proven to improve your mood due to the dopamine hit you get from completing tasks.
Exercise can similarly help elevate your mood by releasing feel-good endorphins. Why not maximise the potential benefits of this by exercising outside? Fresh air is shown to help release more serotonin due to raising the oxygen levels in your blood, consequently making you feel happier, refreshed and relaxed!
If you encounter some sunlight, this effect may be even more powerful, as sun exposure can also boost your serotonin levels. And fear not, we can still access this in dull and dreary winter months by using a sun lamp, which can help regulate your serotonin and melatonin levels, supporting both your mood and sleep cycle!
Feeling down is a normal part of the human condition, but it can still make us feel quite lonely and isolated. A great way to cheer up if you’re feeling down is to spend some time with loved ones, as socialising is proven to improve your mood. What better excuse to ring up your bestie for a girls night?
To get yourself in the mood for a hang out, or just for something a bit more low-key, you can try listening to your favourite music. Listening to our favourite melodies is shown to produce dopamine in our brains, so whether you have a dance party in your kitchen or quietly listen through your earphones at work, a playlist of your favourite tracks can be very therapeutic!
Self-care is an important part of feeling happy. Taking 5 minutes to give yourself a blissful head massage with our scalp exfoliator is a great way to remind yourself that you deserve a bit of relaxation and special treatment!
Sometimes, doing an activity doesn’t feel appealing when we’re feeling down. So an easy way you can essentially trick your brain into feeling a bit happier is to simply laugh. By doing this, you can trigger your body’s stress relief response while boosting your mood and self-esteem. This technique even has positive effects on pain and your immune system - now that’s nothing to laugh at!
If your favourite comedy isn’t available and you feel a bit silly just laughing into the void, smiling has been known to produce similar effects. This is because smiling stimulates a chemical reaction in your brain that makes you feel happier.
But, be warned, studies have found that the mood of clients who have received botox injections which inhibit their ability to smile is negatively impacted, as their brains don’t receive the signals that they are happy! So, you’re better off tackling fine lines and wrinkles with our completely non-invasive collagen powder, available in tasty berry or tropical flavours!
Happiness can refer to different emotions, and we most commonly associate it with joy - which is an important thing to feel - but overall, happiness is best ascribed to overall contentment. Writing regularly in a gratitude journal is a really effective way to teach yourself to take notice of the positive things in your life and increase your levels of satisfaction. And why not get creative with it and add some stickers and sparkles if you want to try some art therapy!
Disclaimer: if you are experiencing long bouts of low mood or feel like it is negatively impacting your day-to-day life, please get in touch with your GP for professional support.
