With everything going on in the world, it’s so important to take care of our happiness. Our mental health is intrinsic to the quality of our lives. Thankfully, there are easy ways to instantly boost your mood.

It’s so easy to slip into a low mood on a normal day let alone in the midst of these trying times. We need to keep checking in on how we are feeling and take steps on a regular basis to boost our mood to help keep us on track.

Being totally honest, I personally have good days and bad days and know firsthand it’s not always that simple to just pick yourself up and feel happy. However, I’m sharing some simple tips that can be helpful. These solutions are right at our fingertips with some really easy and accessible tools that I personally find supportive. 

Here are 5 simple ways to instantly boost your mood.

1. Do your favourite yoga or fitness routine

It’s well researched that a quick way to boost your mood is through physical exercise. I have personally found many forms of physical activity (even though at the time you really might not feel like doing anything!) really helpful, from a walk in the park, to a bike ride, a dance around the kitchen to some banging tunes, martial arts, or a few yoga flows. I’m a huge fan of yoga, it provides so many additional benefits beyond what you might think. It can be gentle and fierce, euphoric and frustrating all in one.

When I practise yoga, I’m often not thinking of other things, just the breathing and movement, even if it’s just for 10 minutes or 50, it’s such a good way to get out of your mind and into your body, increase your blood flow, reducing stress hormones, boosting happy endorphins, the list of benefits goes on and on. Read here for my Energising Yoga Poses.

2. Surround yourself with scents you love

Our mood instantly goes up when we are surrounded by the scents we love, the power of aromatherapy is real. Make your room smell beautiful, choice fragrances you know you love or opt for something uplifting, citrus, refreshing, with orange blossoms rosemary, peppermint or something calming, soothing and soft with lavender, rose, sandalwood, sage. Light your favourite candle, burn your favourite incense, bathe in your favourite bath oils and massage a rich velvety cream or oil over your whole body. Smell beautiful and feel beautiful!

My current favourite candle is this JOGB GOJO Uplifting Candle, with its scent of lively lemongrass mingled with citrusy uplifting palmarosa, bergamot, a hint of ylang-ylang and a divine core of frankincense.

I also love this Wild Rose Dry Body Oil from Neal’s Yard with organic wild rosehip seed oil and naturally derived olive leaf extracts.

My favourite incense is The Mother’s India Fragrances from Sattva, with woody and floral notes. They are perfect for mediation.

3. Get outside

It sounds so simple, and it actually is! Fresh air and a walk, a change of scenery are so good at lifting the spirits and clearing the mind. I have long been a fan of Birkenstocks, they are so comfy to walk in, good for town, city, hill or beach. I know they’re not always classed as the most glamorous of footwear, but I LOVE them. 

4. Exfoliate and nourish your face

To boost your mood, an at-home facial is a perfect pick me up (I’m obviously going to suggest this!). Extend your regular skincare routine with an at home exfoliation or enzyme mask, followed by your favourite face mask. (Now is not the time to be trying anything too crazy! We don’t want tears over a skin reaction when we intended to boost our mood). Choose products that you know and love. Exfoliating will remove dead skin cells at the surface and bring up the natural brightness lying underneath. For an extra boost, nourish your skin with a hydrating or balancing mask. I like to do this type of thing in combination with a cold shower (another mood booster). Read here My Simple At-Home Facial.

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5. Establish a wind down routine

I’m a huge believer in an end of day ritual to help you switch off and decompress from the day, creating a setting ready for the mind to switch off and get into sleep mode. After doing your evening skincare routine, slip into a favourite set of loungewear (obviously not essential, but I find it always helps to mood) a mug of chamomile or sleep tea, bed socks of your prone to cold feet, a spritz of your favourite essential oil or night spray and get your head into a book. Now is not the time to be reading about work or self improvement!

Now is the perfect time for a story book, a fiction you can lose yourself in. Blue light is no good for supporting our circadian rhythm (our sleep, awake cycle) so no reading off screens, get a paperback book, there is something quite lovely about turning the pages and reading off paper. Remember, it’s your time to unwind. Read all about A Good Night’s Sleep here.

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