Tips for Improving Your Mood

Do you feel your mood has been negatively impacting how you feel about your personal and professional life? Would you like to improve your mood? To help understand what type of impact a person's mood can have on their overall life and what you can do to improve your mood, I have interviewed psychologist Keren Sofer , Psy.D.

Tell me a little bit about yourself.
"I am a clinical psychologist in private practice in Philadelphia, PA. I earned my doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Denver, Graduate School of Professional Psychology, where I received broad-based training in various modes of psychotherapy treatment and assessment, with a specialization in couples and families. I treat clients for a range of issues including depression, anxiety, relationship issues, chronic illness, grief and loss, trauma, and chronic mental illness ."

What type of impact can a person's mood have on their overall life?
"Mood is central to our quality of life. While our emotions can fluctuate throughout a day, our mood is more of a long-standing overall tone to how we feel. If a person is feeling sad or anxious most of the time and most days, it will affect all aspects of their life including: relationships, work, energy level, sleep, and motivation. We even begin to view the world through the lens of our overall mood. For example, someone who suffers from a depressed mood may begin to view most events with pessimism and may emphasize or only notice things that are going wrong.

Our mood provides us with vital information by giving us clues about our stress level, our relationships, our environment, and even our physical health. In other words, one's mood may be a symptom of other problematic issues in one's life. If a person is feeling depressed, angry, anxious or irritable most of the time, examining all those aspects of his or her life is important."

What are some tips for improving your mood?
"There are many strategies that can help improve your mood. Improving your diet by eating healthier foods and adding more physical activity to your day can help. Spending more time outside in the sun may help your mood, as lack of sunlight can impact our mood negatively. Some people even suffer from seasonal depression (i.e. seasonal affective disorder ). For those who struggle with an anxious mood, learning relaxation strategies or doing activities that promote relaxation, such as yoga or mediation, can help. Another approach to improving your mood includes increasing your social contact with others. Spending more time with friends or joining a fun group activity can help your mood.

I would also recommend evaluating the major areas of your life, such as your close relationships, your job, and what you are (or are not) doing for leisure or fun. Some questions you can ask yourself include: Are any of my major life domains lacking or unsatisfying? Are there ways I can make small immediate changes or gradual long term changes in any of those areas?"

What type of professional help is available for someone that is having a difficult time improving their mood?
"Some options for professional help include psychotherapy, medication, and/or a medical check-up. Psychotherapy is a type of talk therapy in which you meet with a psychologist, social worker , or counselor over a period of time. The professional will be able to evaluate your symptoms and mood and work with you to develop strategies to improve your mood. Medicine is a possible approach to incorporate in addition to psychotherapy; usually psychiatrists will provide this type of treatment in which they prescribe a medication that can help with mood. I also included a medical check-up as an option because there are certain medical conditions that cause mood disturbance and the medical issue would need to be addressed in order to treat the mood issue."

Thank you Keren for doing the interview on tips for improving mood. For more information on Keren Sofer or her work you can check out her website on drkerensofer.com .

Recommended Readings:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2944934/treatment_for_depression.html?cat=70">Treatment for Depression

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1848075/6_tips_for_getting_into_a_happy_mood.html?cat=5">6 Tips for Getting into a Happy Mood

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5650898/how_to_be_happy_after_divorce.html?cat=5">How to Be Happy After Divorce