Ten Instant Mood Lifters: What to Do when You Are Feeling Low

Sometimes your just have a bad day. Things are not going your way, someone you love dies, you lose your job, etc. It is not the end of the world, for you anyway. You have to keep going and if you keep going with your sour mood then it just brings down the people around you too. Here are ten easy tips to brighten your mood instantly.

One- Eat your favorite junk food snack. Don't over-do it or you will feel worse. Have a piece of chocolate, eat a small bowl of ice cream or pop some popcorn.

Two- Take a drive out into the country. Take in all the beauty around you- trees, fields, animals. There is surely something out there that will bring a smile to your face.

Three- Go to the local no-kill animal shelter and pet a dog or a cat. Ask if you can take one of the dogs for a short walk. It is a proven fact that pets brighten up our lives!

Four- Take a walk. Just getting some fresh air will do you a world of good.

Five- Visit the park. You will be getting even more fresh air and you can embrace your lost childhood by swinging on the swings or sliding on the slides.

Six- Laugh. Laughter is, after all, the best medicine. It doesn't matter what you laugh at, just do it.

Seven- Watch a funny movie. A comedy will get you laughing. It may get you laughing so hard that you forget all about what was bringing you down in the first place!

Eight- Meditate. Take some time out in your own little "sacred space" and close your eyes and just think happy thoughts. Clear out all of the annoying clutter that is filling up your mind and replace it with white light.

Nine- Try deep breathing exercises. You can do this during meditation or own it's own. Concentrate on your breaths, that is the important part.

Ten- Exercise! Fitness gets the endorphins flowing, will are like natural happy pills. You will be smiling in no time and you will even have some extra energy to do something with your day.

It really is not too hard to find reasons to smile. My runner up to this list is to write down, each day, a few things that you are grateful for, like chocolate, family or the roof over your head. Pick something different each day.

Source: Inspiration and some of the ideas for this article came from the magazine Best You, Summer 2009 issue, pg 18, "Instant Mood Boosters."