A hopeful, optimistic mood makes everything about your life better. Here are some reasons why improving your mood is good for your total well-being and happiness.  

It Improves Your Mental Health

Your mental wellness shapes your thoughts, feelings, and actions. It reduces stress and makes it easier to cope with challenges and setbacks.

Look, you’re going to have problems. Everyone has anxiety, fears, and worries. Going through difficult times is a natural part of living. 

But, when you’re healthy mentally and emotionally, you’re resourceful and resilient! You find solutions and bounce back faster. You face stuff head-on with confident expectations.  

Being resilient means staying flexible and focused and having confidence in your abilities when life throws you a curveball.

Benefits of Boosting Your Mental Well-being And Improving Your Mood

• You see opportunities where others see problems
• You’re confident and have healthy self-esteem
• You have a sense of contentment with life in general
• You balance work and play and set boundaries
• You build healthy relationships
• You take care of yourself because you know and believe your life matters
• You enjoy your life and can laugh at yourself

Improve Your Mood by Polishing Your Social Skills

We thrive when we feel connected to others. It’s how we were designed – it’s hardwired into us. So, be engaging!

You don’t have to be surrounded by people 24/7. But make an effort to enjoy companionship and friendship to boost your mood and spirit. 

Calling or texting is great. But nothing beats the mood-boosting power of sitting down with family or friends. Quality face-to-face time is priceless.

Sitting, talking, listening, sharing is great for your spirit and brain. Here’s why: studies show that our brains are wired for connectivity. Certain areas of our brains light up when we do volunteer work or spend some time with a friend.

Not only that, but the brain rewards us for being socially outgoing by signaling the release of two happy hormones, oxytocin and serotonin. Just being with your partner, friends, or even colleagues, brightens your mood. 

But guess what, it works with strangers too. Look people warmly in the eyes with a smile as you say hello or wish them a good day. 

Take a friendly second or two to smile and greet the barista or the cashier. It takes only seconds, but these little acts of cheerful kindness are terrific mood boosters. You’ll make their day and yours.

Improve Your Mood by Staying Fit

The link between the mind and body are linked; they affect each other. Taking care of your physical health nourishes your mental well-being.

Get this: Exercising for just 20 minutes causes your brain to release endorphins. These are one of the four happy chemicals that work to stabilize your mood and boost energy levels.

As added bonuses, regular physical activity also improves memory and concentration, relieves stress, and promotes sound sleep.

Don’t make it complicated. Find something you enjoy and do it several times a week. Simple but revolutionary. 

Better yet, find a group of friends and be active in a group to stay motivated and improve your mood.

Improve Your Mood by Regulating Stress Levels

Stress is a “bad guy.” Everyone knows this. Chronic stress harms our mental, emotional, and physical well-being.

Here’s the deal, though. Can we avoid stress? Nope. But you can use certain stress-reducing techniques to manage the pressures of daily life.

Stress coping strategies will help you to cope with life’s ups and downs, and are practical tools to reclaim your power, improve your mood, and feel good about yourself.

Consider these stress-reducing strategies: 

• Get quality sleep nightly
• Eat healthy food like vegetables, fruit, nuts, beans, avocados, and fatty fish 
• Practice relaxation techniques, like mindful meditation, full-body stretching, and deep breathing
• Make time for yourself and do something you enjoy
• Get outside and soak in some sunshine
• Go out with friends
• Enjoy dates and special alone time with your romantic partner
• Laugh more
• Pray
• Connect with a community of faith

Remember…

Either you control your mood, or your mood will control you. Why be at the mercy of your mood when there are so many ways to improve it, feel better about yourself, and enjoy life more this very minute? 

The post Why You Should Take Time To Improve Your Mind Right Now! appeared first on Lifestyle.

Whole grains instead of refined foods 

Whole grains retain their bran and germ. Examples: oatmeal, wheat, barley, millet, whole rye.

They include many important nutrients, such as proteins, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. Whole grains lower your risk of many diseases like diabetes.

Refined grains lose the bran and germ during processing, drastically decreasing their nutritional value.

Always look for 100% whole grain on the product label or the Whole Grain Stamp on the packaging.

Eat a variety of foods 

Many diets fail because they make you give up most of your favorite foods and restrict what you can eat.

With time you’ll start craving those “forbidden” foods. Eventually, your cravings take over and the diet goes off the rails.

However, if you eat a variety of foods in small portions, there really isn’t much that’s off limits.

Remember those foods you feel guilty eating? Well, even they can be eaten once-in-a-while if the portions are small and you stay within your daily calorie allowance.

Fruits and veggies can be your new friend 

Nature offers a banquet of low-calorie fruits and vegetables. Some fruits and veggies are “negative” foods, which means you use more calories eating and digesting them than they contain. Examples: celery, oranges, apples, lettuce, broccoli, and cabbage. These are great choices when trying to lose or maintain weight.

By the way, eating fresh fruit is much healthier than drinking fruit juice. Whole fruit contains fiber that’s filtered out during the juice-making process. Fiber slows down how fast sugar enters your system, and it makes you feel full longer, reducing your desire for unhealthy foods or snacking between meals.

Control your portion size

Is losing weight your goal? Then consider reducing your portion sizes.

To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume. Here are some tricks to make portion control easier.

1. Get a smaller plate. Replace your 12- inch plate with a 9- inch one. Once you fill up your plate, your eyes will send signals to your brain that you’re eating a full plate. Smaller plates equal fewer calories.

2. Avoid supersizing when eating out. Eat a normal-sized portion because bigger portions pile on calories and pounds.

3. Consider using smaller serving spoons to help with reducing portion sizes. Less food on your plate helps you to stay within your daily calorie allowance.

Eat healthy fats 

Fats are divided into three main types; saturated, unsaturated, and trans fats. Of the three, unsaturated fats are healthy. Examples include Olive oil, Canola oil, Avocado oil

Fatty fish like tuna, salmon, herring, and mackerel contain healthy fatty acids like omega 3 and 6. Therefore, if you eat meat, include these in your diet as much as possible.

Reduce the amount of saturated fat you eat, like fatty cuts of beef, lamb, whole milk, and palm oil.

The unhealthiest fats are trans fats because the body stores them as body fat. You find them in baked goods like cakes, cookies, fried foods, French fries, doughnuts, and non-dairy creamers.

Always check the label to see how much of each fat the product contains.

Avoid added sugar

Refined sugar is a simple carbohydrate that’s associated with many diseases like diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.

Sugar is added to many foods like ice cream, cakes, biscuits, and sodas to satisfy our taste buds.

Companies hide added sugars under different names such as dextrose and maltose. Boost your health and trim your waistline by avoiding added sugars.

Reduce red meat

Red meats, especially if they’re fatty cuts, contain high amounts of saturated fat, which is bad for your heart.

If you really want to include red meat in your diet, choose grass-fed organic meats because these animals are fed naturally without drugs and hormones.

Avoid processed meats

Processed meats like sausages, bacon, hot dogs, and canned meats are consistently linked with harmful health effects; strive to avoid them, or limit consumption.

Incorporating these eight healthy eating habits into your lifestyle (which is pretty easy), will help you to manage your weight and reduce your risk of disease. Interested in doubling your health benefits? Add regular aerobic exercise a few times a week.

By practicing these eight healthy habits you’ll feel better, be happier, and live longer!

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

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It can take a particularly rough morning and turn it into “I have the worst luck in the world!” or a slightly strange look from a stranger becomes “he /she doesn’t like me” or a myriad of other negative thoughts.

These types of thoughts are the result of cognitive distortions, and they can be awful for your mental health. They can reinforce negative emotions like anger and frustration, and perpetuate mental health issues such as anxiety and depression

Research suggests that cognitive distortions are a part of the brain’s survival mechanism and are useful in protecting us in dangerous short-term situations. However, in the long term, they wreak havoc on our mental health.

Interestingly, people who’ve been through severe traumatic events are more prone to cognitive distortions.

5 Common Cognitive Distortions That Can Steal Your Joy

Black-and-White Thinking

The official name for this distortion is polarized thinking. It refers to an inflexible type of thinking that sees things as either all good or all bad and makes people believe that they’re either perfect or a total failure.

Overgeneralization

This type of thinking exaggerates a situation by turning it into a generalized pattern that goes something like this, “I always make mistakes.”

Catastrophizing

Catastrophizing is common in people with anxiety and panic disorder. It involves expecting the worst-case scenario in any given situation and overreacting to the scenarios you’ve made up in your mind.

Personalization

This is where you blame yourself for everything, even things that are clearly not your fault. You may also believe you’re being singled out or targeted when something bad happens to you, which makes anxiety and depression worse.

Ignoring the Positive

This distortion filters the positive and focuses on the negative. It causes you to focus on the one thing that went wrong instead of the many things that went well.

Jumping to Conclusions

People who think like this might see themselves as fortune-tellers or mind readers! They make predictions based on very little evidence and often believe they know what other people are thinking. Curiously, their predictions and readings seem to be mostly negative and rarely positive! Jumping to conclusions is distorted thinking.

How to Get Rid of Cognitive Distortions

Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most effective way of dealing with these and other harmful thinking patterns. This type of therapy focuses on changing your thinking patterns today rather than exploring what happened in your past to shape your thinking patterns.

There are things you can do on your own to challenge your negative thinking patterns, too.

First, make a habit of separating what you do from who you are. Just because you make mistakes sometimes, doesn’t mean you’re not smart.

Second, make a habit of listing your options to keep yourself from making decisions based on little or no information. You can also use this technique to deal with overgeneralization and catastrophizing. Listing everything that went well vs. citing everything went wrong, shifts your focus back to reality, and helps you realize things aren’t so bad.

Understanding the different types of cognitive distortions makes it much easier to identify the root causes of your negative thoughts. Use your power to nip them in the bud so they stop stealing your joy!

Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash

The post Your Brain May be Lying to You and Stealing Your Joy! appeared first on Lifestyle.

When someone asks what makes us happy, we often think of our family and friends, circumstances, and possessions.

However, happiness has more to do with the chemicals in our brains than with what’s going on in our lives.

In fact, there are four main neurotransmitters associated with the feelings we refer to as happiness: endorphins, serotonin, oxytocin, and dopamine.

Here’s the good news. By boosting the levels of these four brain chemicals, you can be a lot happier regardless of what’s going on in your life. Below is a guide on how each of these chemicals works and how you can boost them.

Endorphins

Endorphins are responsible for what is known as the runner’s high. They relieve stress and pain and produce a feeling of euphoria. As such, people with low levels of endorphins are likelier to suffer from depression and fibromyalgia.

There’s no better way to get a runner’s high than to go for a run or do some other form of vigorous cardio exercise. However, if you’re not exactly in the mood for a run, try laughter, dark chocolate, or spicy foods, all of which have been proven to boost endorphin levels.

Serotonin

Serotonin is often referred to as the feel-good hormone. However, it also affects almost every function in your body, from digestion to blood clotting. Deficiencies have been known to cause Insomnia, cravings for sweet foods, and several mood disorders.

Studies show that there’s a connection between the amount of time spent in sunlight and serotonin production. Therefore, spending as little as five minutes outdoors can raise your serotonin levels and boost mood.

Regular cardio exercise can also raise your serotonin levels. This is why exercise is often prescribed for anger, anxiety, and depression.

Dopamine

This neurotransmitter is commonly known as the reward chemical. It’s produced when you accomplish something, reach a goal, or perform an act of kindness.

You can boost your dopamine levels by seeking out new experiences. It could be something grand like skydiving or something as simple as trying a new recipe — however, the newer the experience, the bigger the dopamine rush.

If the thrill of trying new things doesn’t appeal to you, try volunteering. It brings on thoughts of loving-kindness, which boost your dopamine levels.

Oxytocin

Oxytocin is also known as the love hormone because it helps you bond with others by fostering feelings of closeness. It’s also been shown to reduce blood pressure and stress.

A quick way to boost oxytocin is to listen to music. And if you want a double dose of oxytocin, listen to music with someone else and bond over your shared interest in music. Better still, throw in a couple of hugs for a greater oxytocin rush.

These four brain chemicals are responsible for your mood and happiness. Thankfully, you don’t need to do much to boost their levels. A simple hug, an act of kindness, a bar of dark chocolate, some spicy food, or a quick run outdoors can help you snap out of a gloomy mood and keep you feeling happy all day every day.

The post How To Boost the Brain Chemicals that Make You Happy appeared first on Lifestyle.

We’ve known for a while that exercise boosts mood. That’s
why going for a walk at the end of a stressful day makes us feel better and
happier.

But, just how many minutes of physical activity does it take to improve mental wellbeing? Are we talking about an hour or two?

Turns out, scientists have been asking this question and have found the answer!

Some Activity is
Better Than No Activity!

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends at
least 30 minutes of exercise, five days a week for good health. However, a
little bit of physical activity is better than no activity.

As little as 10 to 15 minutes of aerobic exercise
can improve your mood, especially if you opt for vigorous activities like
running or cycling. It’s better to commit to a few minutes of exercise everyday
than to skip several days until you’re able to spare 30 minutes for a full
workout.

Cardio Vs. Strength
Training

If your primary goal for working out is to improve your mood, which one is better: cardio or strength training? Well, the jury is in and strength training is a better picker-upper than cardio. So if you only have 10 minutes for a mood-boosting workout, you’re better off pumping iron than pounding the pavement.  

We’re not saying that cardio doesn’t boost mood. It’s just
that the benefits of cardio, with regards to mood, are less consistent than
strength training. Scientists think this might be because strength training
increases a substance called BDNF, which causes beneficial changes in the brain.

Getting Over the
Mental Obstacles

Motivating ourselves to work out when we’re in a good mood is hard enough! But it seems twice as hard when we’re stressed or in a bad mood. It’s pretty clear that simply knowing the mood boosting effects of exercise isn’t always enough motivation to take that first step.

One way to get over this hump is to schedule your workout for
the time of day when your energy is highest, which is likeliest in the morning,
or at lunch before the afternoon slump. Scheduling your work out for the
evening creates too many opportunities for other priorities and people to infringe
on your time. So try to get it in earlier in the day.

When you’re having second thoughts about working out or going to the gym, remember this,  although you might not feel like it, you will rarely, if ever, regret having gotten your workout in.

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