The weekend just gone I was teaching my hypnotherapy practitioner diploma, in this particular module we cover ways to help clients who suffer with depression and that involves examining a wide range of ways to improve your mood.
I ran a group hypnosis session that led to a very playful ensuing tone in class for the rest of the day. It was important to have mood elevated in the class while we examined depression as the very nature of the subject can create a dip in mood and I like my classrooms to be stimulating, enjoyable places to study in.
It was so noticeable how people responded and then behaved afterwards. The way they communicated, the way they interacted, they way they responded to what was being taught. Mood is something that we can all elevate and take control of with relative ease. I wanted to write about that today.
Ever heard somebody utter the phrase, “Somebody must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed!” in your general direction? It can, in and of itself, put anyone in a bad mood. Not only is it hugely irritating to be reminded that you aren’t feeling (or appearing to be) bright and cheery – the statement itself seems to imply that your mood is set, that nothing can change it and we are a passive recipient to our mood.
Well, our minds are actually a reflection of the thoughts we choose to dwell on and how we react to them – which makes it entirely possible to change a bad mood to a good one if you find yourself battling a sometimes-grouchy demeanour.
The following are a few of the different techniques you can use to improve your mood:
1. Aim For Gratitude
Often times, you may find that your bad mood stems from feeling deficient in some area. Maybe you wish that your business was further ahead, that you were wealthier or that you were in better shape. Even if these thoughts are unfounded, they can really get you down!
In these cases, taking the time to be grateful for the things you are fortunate to have puts you in a better mood every time. To really put things in perspective, you need to try to take some action that solidifies this gratitude – whether that’s making a list of things you are thankful for, writing a thank you note to someone who’s helped you or some other task that helps you feel better about where you are at now.
Read more about how to effectively express gratitude here.
2. Play Your Favourite Song
We all have songs that make us feel happier overall. Blasting these “feel good” tunes can make a big difference in lightening your mood. You can create your own “inspiration playlist”. Listen to it before a sales meeting, on your way to a networking event, and whenever you need to boost your mood. A recent research published in the Journal of Positive Psychology shows that students who listened to “happy” music while making a concerted effort to feel happier experienced elevations in their mood, than students who didn’t actively try to boost their mood.
3. Get a Pre-Game Pep Talk
Ask a trusted friend, family member or colleague to describe what makes you special. Ask them to list your talents and give examples. Hearing this praise from someone you respect will reinforce it in you. If you’re having trouble recognizing how great you are, remember that your sister/best friend/business partner is very, very smart – and you should trust them. You can also use affirmations regularly. I wrote a great article about how to create your own running mantra if you are a runner, but you can use the process and principles even if you are not a runner. Some favorite sayings from films and popular culture are:
Just Do It.
You Rock.
Life is Not a Dress Rehearsal.
Go Greased Lightning.
I’m King of the World.
Find your favourite and most compelling motivational quotes and have them listed and available for you to read each day. I wrote here about my own top ten motivational quotes and why.
You can read your favourite motivational quotes at the same time as listening to music, thus combining the previous two points.
I wrote about how to do this in more detail here:
Wake Up and Be Awesome
4. Get Some “Touch Time”
There really is something to the healing power of touch, it seems. Studies have demonstrated that engaging in touch – whether that’s getting a massage, petting a dog or simply holding hands with your spouse – helps to lower blood pressure, improve the stress response and improve your overall mood. Tiffany Field, head researcher at The University of Miami’s Touch Institute, said in an article in Psychology Today that, “when you stimulate the pressure receptors in the skin, you lower stress hormones and also that touching others stimulates oxytocin, which also has positive effects on our mood.”
5. Do Something You Love
If your bad mood is preventing you from getting your work done, take a break and do something you love. If you love playing video games, take a 15-minute break away from whatever is stressing you out to shoot some zombies. If you play a musical instrument, a 10-minute jam session might be all you need to help you turn your mood around and get back to business.
Find something that makes you laugh, go read this article about laughter which has a great many ways to do that.
6. Do Something Healthy
It’s no secret that exercise raises endorphin levels, which improve your mood and make you feel better overall. It’s thought that exercise boosts mood by increasing the feel-good chemicals serotonin and dopamine in the brain. If you’re feeling down or angry, a long run, a kickboxing class or a weight lifting session might be all you need to start feeling better.
Do something that engages your mind, your body or both. Participate in an activity that requires your brainpower, unique skill sets, or that simply makes you feel good about yourself.
Read this article too:
A Bunch of Ways to Give Your Brain a Workout: And Why Brain Exercise Is So Important!
7. Try A New Food
Sometimes changing things up with one sensory system – in this case, experimenting with new tastes – is enough to promote adjustments in other bodily systems. And really, if you go out of your way to make sure the new food is one that you’ll enjoy, why wouldn’t you be in an instantly better mood?!
8. Stare At Something Blue
The idea that different colours promote different emotional responses is pretty well-established and, in this case, blue is important because it’s the colour of relaxation. Really, this is why therapists often recommend that patients stare at the sky in the hopes that its blue colour will provide a calming effect.
To achieve these benefits for yourself, try putting on a blue shirt, sitting in a blue room or tucking yourself under a blue blanket. Not only will you be warm and cosy, you’ll find yourself in a better mood as well!
Go and lie down somewhere comfortable, stare up at the sky and see what shapes you can imagine the clouds to be, or imagine the clouds dispersing as you stare at them.
9. Volunteer
This one goes along with the ‘expressing gratitude’ idea listed above, but really, if you want to put life into perspective, spend some time volunteering. The process of helping other people in the world to benefit their situations can be a huge mood booster, while also providing valuable services to the less fortunate in your area. A recent University of Exeter study found that volunteering can boost happiness, ease depression and even help you live longer.
10. Put A Smile On Your Face
Sometimes, laughter really is the best medicine. According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter may help relieve stress, reduce pain, and improve mood. If you’re feeling down, try plastering a smile on your face – no matter how awful you feel! You’ll think that you look silly at first, but eventually, you’ll find that your mood begins to turn around and your interactions with others around you improve.
Right now, this very second, force a massive smile onto your face three times in a row and notice how it helps release feelgood chemicals in the brain. Go on, do it now.
11. Use Self-Hypnosis
Self-hypnosis is a fabulous way to elevate your mood. Here are a wide number of specific ways you can use self-hypnosis elevate your mood, go follow these sessions:
a) Come On In Here And Use Self-Hypnosis To Lift Your Mood!
b) First Aid For A Bad Mood! Using Self-Hypnosis To Get Into A Great Mood.
c) Lifting Mood By Combining NLP’s Classic Circle of Excellence With Self-Hypnosis
d) Lifting The Fog and Lifting Your Mood With Self-Hypnosis
e) Being Positive: Creating A Happiness Filter Using Self-Hypnosis
There you have it, a big bunch of ways to be in control of and improve your mood.
If you’d like to learn more or if this has resonated with you in some way, then visit these pages:
1. Has mood swings or low mood levels held you back and/or is it still doing so now?
Coaching with Adam Eason Or Hypnotherapy with Adam Eason.
2. Would you like a satisfying and meaningful career as a hypnotherapist helping others to elevate their mood?
Adam Eason’s Anglo European training college.
3. Are you a hypnotherapist for whom a negative thought process is detrimentally effecting the success of your business?
Hypnotherapist Mentoring with Adam Eason.
Self-hypnosis is a great way to help elevate mood. If you’d like to learn more about self-hypnosis, understand the evidence based principles of it from a scientific perspective and learn how to apply it to many areas of your life while having fun and in a safe environment and have the opportunity to test everything you learn, then come and join me for my one day seminar which does all that and more, have a read here: The Science of Self-Hypnosis Seminar.
