Category: wellness

Posted in physical health, wellbeing, wellness

Monday Matters: 6 activities to boost your cognitive function and increase your brain power

Posted on by Laura

Cognitive functioning refers to the mental processes that we use on an everyday basis to gain knowledge and develop comprehension. It includes our ability to think, learn, remember, pay attention, perceive, plan, communicate and problem solve. As we get older, our brain function can deteriorate, but the good news is, there are lots of activities that we can do to help prevent that decline. Today, I’m sharing six styles of activity that are great for boosting your brain power and are super easy to incorporate into your daily routines.

Puzzles and games

As well as being a calming and mindful activity that reduces stress, doing puzzles or playing games is great for giving both sides of your brain a really good workout – the left being associated with logical thinking, and the right being linked to creativity, intuition and imagination. Regularly doing a range of different types works to improve memory, spatial awareness plus analytical and logical thinking.

There are so many different types of puzzles and games that it would be impossible for me to list them all, but here’s a few that come to mind:

  • crosswords
  • wordsearches
  • jigsaw puzzles
  • sudoku
  • Boggle
  • Scrabble
  • riddles
  • logic puzzles
  • anagrams
  • Wordle (one of my favourite games to play on my tablet right now!)
  • tangrams
  • Rummikub
  • Angry Birds 2 (I’ve been playing this daily for about 6 years so had to include this one!)
  • Snakes and Ladders
  • Monopoly
  • Arrow-words

Whichever you choose, it’s important to make sure that they provide the right amount of challenge but aren’t so difficult that you lose interest in them or they become a chore rather than something fun to do.

Learning new skills

Just because you’ve left formal education behind, doesn’t mean that you should no longer consider yourself a learner. Last year, I wrote a couple of blog posts encouraging life long learning – this one discussing the key benefits and the second part offering ways to learn something new each day. Skills you might like to develop could include cookery, flower arranging, drawing, hand-lettering and calligraphy, painting, photography, gardening, self defence, playing an instrument, speaking a foreign language, papercrafting, Tai Chi, yoga, Pilates, upcycling, creative journalling, sewing, basic first aid, mindfulness, self-compassion, productivity, positive thinking, aromatherapy, money saving, goal setting and goal getting.

There are lots of different ways to learn such as taking a face-to-face or online course, reading a book or watching You Tube videos to name a few. You could also learn from a friend, family member or colleague who has good knowledge of the subject. Assisting someone else also helps the person playing the teaching role too as it strengthens their understanding and develops their communication skills.

Doing creative activities

Once you’ve developed the basic skills involved in a creative past-time or hobby, you can put them to good use in a range of different ways. You might use your watercolour skills to paint your favourite animal and then frame it in your home. You could use your gardening knowledge to create a vegetable patch and then use your produce in your home cooking. Or you might make some bright and colourful new cushions for your living room using your sewing machine instead of buying some from the store. Whatever creative pursuit you engage in, you’ll be giving your brain a great workout in so many ways by using your imagination, planning out your project, expressing yourself in different ways, solving any problems that arise, making decisions, changing your mind or your approach, paying attention to the little details and so much more.

Dancing

I hadn’t given this much consideration before, but during my research for this post, I found several scientific studies which had explored dance as a way of improving cognition (as well as being fun exercise to get you or keep you fit!). I do several Zumba classes and Dance Fit each week when I can and love them both. It can be a real challenge learning the steps, keeping in time with the music, paying attention to and following the instructor (especially when you get tired towards the end) and making sure you don’t don’t crash into anyone else in the class!

At my gym (Everyone Active), there are also special classes for older adults such as Forever Fit and Zumba Gold and both of them are very well subscribed! Of course you don’t have to have a gym membership to enjoy dancing – just put on the radio or other source of your favourite music and bop around the room!

Meditation

Incorporating a daily meditation practice into your morning and/or evening routine can enhance cognitive function in a number of ways. This non-judgmental and intentional awareness of the present moment helps improve attention and concentration as you spend time focusing on your breath, bodily sensations, sights or sounds. It has also been shown to increase the thickness of the prefrontal cortex in the brain, leading to better executive functioning by improving memory, problem solving skills, decision making and the ability to easily switch from one task to another as you go about your day.

Visualisation

This is a simple visualisation exercise you can do first thing in the morning after breakfast. Basically, you pick an activity that is on your to-do list or part of your plan for the day which you’ve done at least a few times before. Then, you close your eyes, and you visualise yourself doing your chosen activity. So, for example, if you’re heading to the supermarket that afternoon for a few bits and pieces, you could go through the actions involved in your mind and picture yourself doing all of the steps that are involved. Try to remember every part of the process in detail, right from locating and putting your shoes on, donning your coat and picking up your keys, all the way to carrying your bags back and unloading the items to your fridge, freezer and cupboards.

Final words…

I hope you’ve found this week’s Monday Matters useful and it has helped you to think about quick and easy ways in which you can give your brain a good workout each day. Let me know in the comments which of these you already incorporate into your routines and which you’d like to give a go in the future. Remember that if you enjoy doing an activity and find it beneficial, you’re most likely to keep it up and make it a habit.

Posted in Bipolar disorder, mental health, mental illness, physical health, relationships, wellbeing, wellness

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Hypomania in Bipolar Disorder, including my personal experience

Posted on by Laura

Right now, I’m going through a period of hypomania as part of my bipolar disorder. It seems to have been brought on by Covid-19 because, despite feeling awful physically, my mind was racing and I was getting less than 4 hours sleep in total. Desperately craving some calm to help myself recover from my temporary illness, I turned to a packet containing medication I was given when I was getting used to my bipolar meds namely Diazepam. I thought as I recovered from the virus, things would settle down but so far, as I write this post, they haven’t. I’m trying desperately to do mindful activities to help myself get back to a stable state (what I would usually describe as my ‘normal’) but it’s proving difficult and I’m worrying that I’m going to get worse.

As part of my hypomanic episode, I’ve got literally hundreds of ideas for blog posts, creative pursuits, ways to improve my life and things I absolutely need to start doing. In some ways this is good as, before Christmas, I was struggling with tiredness and didn’t want to do as much with my day and worries that I was becoming depressed filled my mind. However, being ‘high’ means I’m constantly adding to my to do list (or my ‘must do’ list as it feels) and I find myself working on ‘projects’ until late evening and not wanting to stop. And then, surprise surprise, my mind is full of stuff and I’m struggling to switch off when my husband and I settle down to watch TV and I’m finding sleep just will not come.

My husband is still feeling tired from Covid and by the end of the working day, he’s exhausted and finding it difficult to listen and pay attention to my constant witterings. You see, when my mind is full of thoughts and ideas, I get verbal diarrhoea which is not good news for me or my husband – I can’t stop talking and I talk so fast that he can’t keep up. Even my text messages become long and waffly! And if my husband asks a question that has already been answered or he’s failed to compute something I’ve said, I’ll become irritated and short with him.

Talking of being irritated. I’m getting annoyed with all kinds of people and things. A slow driver in front of me on the way to the supermarket. Someone who doesn’t say thanks when I let them pull out. Ink on my hand because of being a leftie. The queue at the post office meaning I have to wait to collect my Amazon order. Having a headache because I’ve failed to drink enough water during the day. The list goes on, and on, and on!

I’ve also noticed that I’m buying more ‘stuff’ in a bid to improve my life. Luckily, I don’t struggle with mania (as I have bipolar 2) so I won’t make huge purchases like a brand new car or an expensive holiday, but things become much more attractive when I’m high. I was in TKMaxx a few days ago, and the more I looked around, the more I wanted things and so I made my purchases (a new pen pot, a cute bird mobile phone holder and 2 gorgeous sky blue matching chopping boards) and swiftly left the shop. My husband will never say no to something that I really want and it makes me feel guilty afterwards when I’m back to my ‘normal’ stable self and our expenses for the month are way more than usual.

These are a few of the difficulties I face which could be described as ‘bad’, but what about the ugly? By ugly, I don’t of course, mean that I turn into a grotesque monster who people can’t stand to look at. I’m really referring to the effects that hypomania can have on character, traits or behaviour. For example, I can have a short temper and might raise my voice to my husband in frustration for being too slow to answer a question, forgetting something, not getting ready to go out fast enough or for asking me to repeat something I’ve said (when talking at speed and not stopping). I might also make comments about someone that I would consider to be nasty at any other time. Or my inflated ego might make me believe that I’m superior to others and that I could do a better job than them. Although I may or may not say things out loud, I don’t want to be someone who voices or thinks horrible things.

In the past, when I was on a high dose of antidepressants and no mood stabiliser, I would sometimes believe I was better than every teacher in the school and that they weren’t as dedicated as me because they took a proper lunchbreak or left before the school closed at 6pm. I would also often speak in a way which to others, might sound like I was full of my own self-importance. Then, I would rush around trying to do everything at once in a bid to maintain the illusion that I was the best! Needless to say, after trying to keep going and going like a Duracell Bunny, I would inevitably crash and either become physically unwell, mentally exhausted or depressed.

Before my diagnosis, I would go through lengthy periods of depression where I had no confidence in myself and got anxious and cried on a daily basis. I also sought reassurance from my husband constantly. However, when going through a period of hypomania, I genuinely believed that I didn’t need anyone’s help and support and that I no longer needed a husband / family / friends for encouragement, support or just to be there. Especially as everyone and everything seemed to irritate or anger me.

Over the years, I’ve learn to apply strategies to calm myself down and the medication I take helps immensely. However, I will never be cured so I am learning to live with my relatively recently diagnosed illness (even though I believe I’ve had the condition since my late teens) and my husband is incredibly patient with me and supports me in any way he can. Whether I listen to his advice or not depends on my mood! However, I’m grateful to have found someone so wonderful to share my life with and put up with my changing moods.

Final words…

I’m hoping that today’s post has given you an insight into the effects that hypomania can have on an individual. I believe it’s important for everyone to know a little bit about it as it’s likely that most people will know someone who is bipolar, even if they’re not aware of an individual’s diagnosis. If any of the writing doesn’t make sense, it will be because most of the above was written at 4am on my phone whilst I sat downstairs frustrated that my mind wouldn’t rest!

It’s taken me at least a week to finish and publish the above and I’m pleased to say that things are starting to settle down. I’m no longer taking diazepam for sleep and my mind has started to calm down a little. I still have lots of ideas and projects but I’m trying to make sure I only work on those which add value to my life. I’m also adopting the done is better than perfect way of doing things. Hopefully, I’ll continue to head in the right direction towards ‘stable’ a term I’m trying to use to describe my state rather than ‘normal’.

If you would like to know more about bipolar disorder and how it affects individuals or you suspect a love one may have the condition, the NHS website has pages of really useful information, including more detail about its presentation . Although symptoms different from person to person, there are set list of signs which are likely to be visible.

Thanks for reading!

Posted in compassion, mental health, physical health, wellbeing, wellness

Monday Matters: The benefits of engaging in small acts of kindness, plus some RAK ideas for you to try this week

Posted on by Laura

Most of us are familiar with the abbreviation RAK i.e. Random Acts of Kindness and are likely to have given or received one or more of these over the course of the year. Kindness from another, whether they’re a complete stranger, an acquaintance or someone much closer has the potential to brighten our day, make us feel good inside, change our mindset, and even restore our faith in humanity. But, as well as this, research shows that helping others is wonderful for our mental health and wellbeing, so it has huge benefits for the giver too. Today, I thought I’d discuss some of the benefits of doing things for others and also list a few easy and low cost RAK ideas that you might like to give a try.

Photo from a selection on Unsplash

Releases positive ‘feel good’ chemicals

Acts of kindness towards others has been scientifically studied and the research shows that not only do they have the potential to make the recipient feel warm and fuzzy inside, they also release dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin (feel good hormones) in the giver, creating feelings of euphoria which have been described as a ‘helpers high’.

Reduces stress levels

On the subject of feel good chemicals, the release of oxytocin (sometimes referred to as the love hormone) has also been shown to counteract the production of stress hormones like cortisol. As well as creating calm, lower stress levels can also help with physical ailments that are often precipitated or aggravated by stress such as headaches, back pain, neckache, stomach complaints, poor immunity, low energy levels and fatigue, sleeplessness or insomnia.

Increases positive emotions and mood

On a similar theme, small acts of kindness towards others can brighten our mood and make us feel much more positive in general. When we regularly engage in good deeds, it increases positive emotions in us such as contentment, happiness and joy. It can also boost our self-esteem and generally make us feel more optimistic.

Reduces negative emotions

In addition, with being filled with positivity will naturally reduce negative emotions and feelings such as anger, sadness, anxiety, depression, discontent and loneliness. Obviously, it’s normal to feel some of the above at times, but kindness towards others can help to put you in a positive frame of mind and stop negativity from taking over.

Creates a chain reaction

When the recipient of your RAK experiences the feelings of happiness it creates, it’s likely to inspire them to do something kind for someone else and this kindness can then be paid forward, creating a chain reaction. Here’s a video you might like to watch which shows a kindness being paid forward – yes, it’s not necessarily a true to real life situation, but I think it provides a heartwarming illustration.

Creates a real sense of belonging and reduces feelings of isolation

Finally, being kind towards our partner, children, other family members, work colleagues, neighbours and even strangers helps us to feel a deep social connection and trust in others. This can lead to better relationships and the belief that we are a key part of the workplace and local community. It can also reduce feelings of social isolation and loneliness in ourselves and the individuals who receive our kind acts.

Some RAK to try today

Some of the RAKs involve a small financial outlay, but there are also many free ideas too. I’ve tried to include a wide mix of suggestions, so hopefully there’s something there for all of my readers.

  • feed the birds in your garden or local park (please avoid giving bread to ducks though as it isn’t healthy for them)
  • buy a treat for your pet and watch them enjoy it
  • hold the door open for someone
  • help a person who is carrying a heavy load
  • buy a bunch of flowers for someone who’s having a hard time
  • thank your server for being attentive when out for a meal
  • go for a nature walk and say ‘good morning’ or offer a friendly ‘hello’ and a smile to everyone you meet
  • donate some unused items to charity
  • compliment someone on their choice of outfit or accessories for the day
  • leave a surprise somewhere for a friend, family member or complete stranger to find e.g. put a post it note in your child’s school lunchbox saying ‘I love you’ or ‘I hope you’re having a nice day’, paint a pebble with a bright rainbow and leave it at the base of a tree in the woods, hide your partner’s favourite chocolate bar in their bag etc.
  • if someone is popping out for lunch and it’s raining, lend them your umbrella
  • put an item or two in a food bank
  • let someone who has a small number of items go before you in the supermarket
  • show your appreciation for a fitness instructor whose classes you particularly enjoy
  • offer to get groceries for an elderly neighbour or someone who is sick
  • donate old magazines to be put in a waiting room e.g. at a doctor’s or dental surgery
  • bake cookies for your work colleagues
  • if someone is new to your gym class, your place of work or somewhere else you go regularly, find opportunities to get to know them and ask them how they’re finding things
  • when out and about for the day somewhere, offer to take a photograph for an individual, couple or family so that they can all be in the shot
  • create a wildlife friendly area in your garden, for example, by scattering wildflower seeds, putting up a bug hotel or allowing leaves to pile up in a corner
  • write a list of things you love about your partner, child, friend or work colleague and share it with them
  • leave a nice comment on a blog post, YouTube video or picture shared on Instagram
  • leave a positive review for a small business who have given particularly good service
  • give a book to a friend you think might enjoy it
  • send a surprise gift in the post to a loved one
  • donate to your favourite charity
  • offer some helpful advice to a member of an online group you belong to
  • let someone out in front of you when driving in heavy traffic
  • call or text a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while
  • send an interesting online article to a friend or family member you think might benefit from or enjoy it
  • offer a lift to someone
  • write a summary about a place you’ve visited on TripAdvisor so that other potential similar visitors know what to expect if they go
  • message an author to say how much you enjoyed their first / latest book
  • post a good news story on social media
  • make a self care package to give to someone you think would benefit from it
  • take part in a community litter pick
  • stop and take time to talk to a neighbour – even if you’re super busy!
  • give up your seat on public transport to someone who needs it more than you
  • volunteer your time for example, to walk a neighbour’s dog, to do some babysitting for a friend of family member, to go to the shops for someone, to help teach someone a skill such as reading, knitting, sewing, crochet or computing

Final words…

As you go about your day today, try to think of at least one way you can make a difference to someone. It doesn’t matter how small your gesture of kindness is or whether it is costly (financially or time wise) or not. One you get started with offering random acts of kindness, you’ll find that more and more opportunities and ideas will present themselves, making it easier and easier by the day.

After giving or receiving a RAK, why not do a short amount of journalling about it in a notebook to explore the positive effects it has had. Alternatively, you could create a short post about it on Facebook, explaining how you felt afterwards and celebrating kindness towards others. You might even prompt someone else to think about what they could do to help another person in their life.

Posted in amateur photography, Anxiety management, bird spotting, lifestyle, wellbeing, wellness, wildlife

Monday Matters: Wildlife Watching for Wellbeing

Posted on by Laura
Six spotted burnet moth

Over the past month or so, I’ve taken a real interest in watching wildlife and found it to be amazing for my general wellbeing. It’s such a calm and relaxing activity and the perfect way to engage in some mindfulness as it encourages you to be in the moment and really study the action with your five senses whether that’s watching a blackbird taking a bath, listening to the screeching sound of swifts zipping around the sky or quietly observing butterflies sunning themselves in a wildflower meadow whilst feeling the warmth of the day on your skin.

Today, I thought I’d share some of the benefits of wildlife watching that I’ve particularly enjoyed and also include some of my photographs which I’m pretty proud of as I took them in manual mode on my DSLR. I hope you enjoy the post and that, ultimately, it whets your appetite for wildlife viewing this summer season and beyond.

Learning about what’s out there in my locality

Quietly observing in our garden and other local settings such as parks, forest, woodland, heathland, meadow or the coast, I’ve been able to see and enjoy all of the different wildlife and begin to learn more about them. I now know that greenfinch have started visiting our feeders and that, despite us having an overhanging conifer trimmed significantly by a tree surgeon, there are still plenty of birds nesting in what remains, albeit in slightly closer proximity to each other! In my quest to photograph butterflies this summer, I’ve learnt why we have much fewer individuals this season (poor weather at the start of summer) and where I’m most likely to spot different species. I’ve also observed the six spotted burnett moth in tall grasses at the cost, and discovered where their favourite places to land are.

Learning something new each day not only helps with personal growth but it also develops a sense of accomplishment which I believe is essential for wellbeing. There’s nothing better than sitting down at the end of the day, (whether busy or more relaxed) and recalling something new that you didn’t know yesterday.

Female sparrow and her young on our garden fence

Expressing gratitude

I find there’s something to be grateful for every day of the week (in fact I write 3 things in my The Five Minute journal each morning), but I’m always especially excited when I witness something new or go somewhere a bit different in my quest to explore wildlife in the North East of England and beyond. I’ve just started reading Hannah Stitfall’s recently published book, Wild Treasures, where she documents a year of watching wildlife in her home county of Cornwall – a place I have visited and loved many times as a child and throughout my adult years. However fruitful (or not) her trips to wild places have been, you get a really sense of how lucky she feels to have these opportunities on her doorstep, and I must agree – we have so many amazing natural spaces throughout the UK that are just waiting to be explored.

I often find my wildlife spots end up being recorded in my highlights of the day or as part of my morning gratitude writing, whether that’s mentioning our plans for an exciting day out exploring nature and the wildlife it has to offer, or recalling the feeling of a good spot.

Opportunities to practise using my zoom lens

I’ve had my zoom lens for a long time now and I’ve often been frustrated by its limitations in terms of getting close up shots of birds (it’s really not powerful enough and I would need to invest in one of the huge ££££ lenses which I’ve seen used in hides). However, I’ve now discovered that it works really well for insect, plant and flower photography when placed at a distance of 0.85m from the subject. I’ve built a collection of macro shots which are pretty good for an amateur and I’m enjoying adding these to my journals and sharing them on Instagram.

Again, this chance to explore and develop my skills (with both the photography and the use of Photoshop to edit my images) has been a real boost to my wellbeing, including when I add my photographs to social media and use them in my creative journals and show them off.

Small white butterfly at Ryhope cliffs

Enjoying the beauty of all that nature has to offer

As I mentioned earlier, we have some wonderful natural spaces across the UK and I thoroughly enjoy exploring the flora and fauna of different places. Sometimes, I’ll visit familiar places such as the coast, where at this time of year, I can see razorbills, kittywakes (and their young) reed buntings and meadow pipits and mammals such as grey seals and even dolphins! On other occasions, we’ll go further afield to favourite locations and places on my must visit list. Wherever I go, alone or with my husband, I tried to stay in the moment and really appreciate the beauty on offer as I look out for the wildlife to be spotted.

Mindfulness and its many benefits

I’ve talked about mindfulness and the many benefits in various previous blog posts. For some people, mindful activity is all about meditation, but it’s much more than this, practising mindfulness involves being in the present moment and developing a quiet awareness of your immediate environment, and I’m sure you can see how wildlife watching fits in with this. There are too many benefits to list here but a few include reducing anxiety and depression, lowering blood pressure, improving sleep, lowering stress levels and better ability to manage long term illness and chronic pain.

Improved physical health

Although I love watching wildlife from my own back garden (or via the kitchen window as I wash up!), there are so many more opportunities in the North East of England and further afield. As well as the chance to breathe in fresh, clean air, as I explore the natural environments, for me, my travels often include a brisk walk too. Adding in an uphill trek, a saunter across various fields, beaches or heathland on our way to more remote locations, offers a wonderful and more relaxing way to exercise which is completely different in experience to my gym sessions and various classes. Also, whilst your focus is on looking at the stunning views and watching out for various fauna, you’re often barely aware of what a good workout you’re having at the same time!

A sense of community

One of my absolute favourite ways to watch wildlife is to go to a nature reserve (especially one which has some bird hides) and take my binoculars for close up viewing and my DSLR camera for recording my spots. We’re lucky to have a number of locations within an hour and a half’s drive including Rainton Meadows (managed by Durham Wildlife Trust), Hauxley Nature Reserve (Northumberland Wildlife Trust) and RSPB Saltholme. When we visit, there are always plenty of others walking around the reserves or observing birds from the various hides and sharing these spaces develops a really sense of belonging, especially as you know that we’re collectively there for similar purposes – exploring the beauty that nature has to offer, enjoying the peace and quiet, looking out for different species and ultimately hoping to spot something new.

Coot chick at RSPB Saltholme

Wherever you live in the UK, I guarantee there are wild spaces on your doorstep to be explored and shared with other locals. Even in London, there are vast parks across the city offering peace, quiet, wildlife and the chance to get away from the busyness of the place and most people there have the same objective.

Final words…

Although I haven’t covered them here, there are various scientific studies done which offer proof of the mental health benefits of wildlife watching, especially bird spotting. It’s no surprise, then, that many of us turned to walking in the great outdoors during the pandemic to reduce our stress levels and find pleasure in nature. I wonder how many of you still make the time to visit natural spaces as part of your routine each week now there are no restrictions on your activity choices? I would love to hear if wildlife spotting is as valuable to you as it is to me to maintain good wellbeing and general happiness. I’d also be over the moon if you’ve found benefit from reading today’s post and it has encouraged you to find time in your busy weekly calendar for this perfect mindful self-care activity.

Posted in mental health, Mindfulness, mindset, psychology, self care, wellbeing, wellness

Monday Matters: 8 ways to instantly boost your mood

Posted on by Laura

Sometimes, no matter how positive you feel when you wake up, particular events, issues, frustrations and even certain people’s attitudes can put a dampener on things and leave you feeling deflated. You probably wish you hadn’t let these parts of your day affect you as much as they have but it’s a natural part of life to experience ups and downs. When low mood strikes, there are a number of ways in which you can help yourself to feel better. Today, I’m sharing 8 tried and tested ideas which I’ve found helpful and I promise none of them include eating a gigantic bar of chocolate or any other highly calorific item!

Get out in nature

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ll know that I’m a big fan of getting out in nature, whether that’s spending some time in my garden, heading to my local woodland park or even going to the beach to walk on the sand or paddle in the sea. It doesn’t have to be for long – just a few minutes of fresh air can make the world of difference to how you feel.

Listen to some upbeat tunes (even better, dance and sing too)

I first wrote about the benefits of listening to music back in 2021 and, as part of the post, I shared a page I’d created in my bullet journal with a mood boosting playlist. Musical taste is incredibly personal but choosing some upbeat songs to boogie, sing and listen along to can put you in a much better frame of mind. Here’s some ideas for uplifting tracks to find on YouTube, Apple Music or whatever happens to be your favourite resource to listen to through headphones or to blast out through your speakers (if it won’t disturb anyone):

  • Can’t Stop The Feeling By Justin Timberlake
  • I Got a Feeling By The Black Eyed Peas
  • Happy By Pharrell Williams
  • 22 By Taylor Swift
  • Walking On Sunshine By Katrina & The Waves
  • Song 2 By Blur
  • Love Shack By B-52s
  • Roar By Katy Perry
  • Sweet Child O’ Mine by Guns N’ Roses
  • Good Feelin’ By Flo Rida
  • Watermelon Sugar By Harry Styles
  • Dance Monkey By Tones And I
  • Groove Is In The Heart By Deee-lite
  • Blinding Lights By The Weeknd
  • Havana By Camila Cabello Feat. Young Thug

Whatever your favourite style of music, jot down an uplifting songs list or create a track list on your device and keep it in a memorable location (either on paper or digitally) to refer to when you need it.

Get moving

On the subject of moving our body, as an alternative to dancing along to your favourite tracks, you could also explore other forms of exercise in a bid to boost your mood. Any type of physical activity that raises your heart rate has been shown to release endorphins in the body. These hormones and neurotransmitters, which have been described as ‘a natural high’, will have you feeling better in minutes. Here’s some fun / invigorating summer time activities to try:

  • Spend some time in your garden pulling weeds, breaking up compacted soil in your borders, cutting your lawn, deadheading faded blooms, pruning bushes and shrubs, checking for hidden pests and watering thirst plants with a heavy watering can.
  • Get your bike out of the garage, dust it off and head to a trail of your choice. I like to go to the coast as it’s a straight stretch of cycle path which is wide enough for if I get the wobbles but if you search ‘easy bike rides near me’ you can explore different options available to you in your locality.
  • Play a game or do a physical activity that you used to enjoy as a kid – frisbee, bouncing a ball off a wall / bat / the ground,
  • Clean and or tidy your desk / room / house, then sit back and enjoy the feeling that comes with a neat and dust free space.
  • Take a brisk walk around the block and see if you can notice anything new or different – maybe someone in your immediate area has painted their fence, changed their car, got a new pet, weeded their driveway etc. Maybe the council has added a new sign, planted some young trees or mown the grass in another street. If you can’t see anything that’s changed, maybe you could think of some changes you would like to make if you were in charge!

Soak up some sunshine

Sunlight is a natural source of Vitamin D which has been scientifically proven to regulate your mood. If it’s a nice day, get your sunglasses and some sun protection on and feel the warmth on your skin. I like to sit on our bench or one of our patio chairs in the garden and close my eyes for some mindful listening to accompany the experience. This is a great way to get into a meditative state as it gives you something to focus on and minimises the change of your mind wandering towards the major or minor irritations I mentioned previously. In the summer, there’s generally lots of daytime sounds whether it’s someone mowing the lawn, children laughing, birds tweeting or even distant traffic noises.

What a video of something cute or funny

Open up YouTube on your phone or computer and search for cute or funny videos of, plus the name of your favourite pet or animal. Anyone who’s been following my blog for a while is likely to know my animal of choice is a Syrian hamster, but I can guarantee that there are videos out there to suit all whether that’s woodland birds, different pets or even more unusual choices like sealions, squirrels, polar bears or hedgehogs.

Dig out your photograph albums

Looking back at old photographs (and/or journals if you do memory keeping like I do) is a great way to bring to mind happy memories of exciting life events, people in your life (past and present) and places you’ve been. And if you’re one of those people who rarely print your images off, why not flick through those on your phone and select some to add to an album later. Taking time on your own to quietly sit and view several years worth of photographs can be very therapeutic, as can sharing them with loved ones either in person or by contacting them via phone, WhatsApp, email or even letter (pretty paper optional!).

Practise gratitude

Grab a piece of paper or your journal and make a list of five small things you’re grateful for in your life right now. Research shows that a consistent gratitude practice has so many health and wellbeing benefits so give it a try starting today and see how it makes you feel. Check out this blog post to learn more.

Make a list of things you love about yourself

Whilst you’ve got a pen and paper to hand, here’s another positive exercise to try. Write a title ‘Things I love about myself’ at the top of the page and then make a list of your best qualities. This could include physical aspects such as your smile, your lovely, long locks, your clear skin and healthy looking nails, your character traits, e.g. kindness, good analytical skills, reliability, optimism and so on, and things you’re really good at like cooking, motivating yourself, helping others, solving problems etc. Once you written as much as you can right now, try displaying your list somewhere so you can refer to it when you need a mood boost, or add to it when something comes to mind.

Inhale an uplifting scent

If you know anything about aromatherapy, you’ll probably be aware that some scents are thought to be uplifting and mood boosting. I have a few little essential oil bottles which I got from the Body Shop in strawberry, raspberry and exotic which I love to inhale at any given opportunity. My scents of choice are fruity smells but below are a list of classic options which I collected from various websites via Google.

  • vanilla
  • peppermint
  • jasmine
  • citrus scents including orange, lemon and grapefruit
  • juicy fruits like peaches, pear and pineapple
  • relaxing scents like lavender, ylang, ylang and chamomile
  • spicy scents such as ginger, cinnamon and clove
  • fresh forest options such as pine and eucalyptus

Of course, it’s important to experiment and see which you prefer (and think about the mood you want to create such as uplifting or relaxing) but these should get you started with that. As you learn more about aromatherapy, you might like to try combining scents to create your perfect mood booster!

Final words…

I hope you’ve found today’s post beneficial and the ideas will motivate you to be pro-active next time you find yourself in a funk or stressed by particular events in your day. If I haven’t shared your favourite way to uplift your mood, or relax when tensions are high, feel free to add it in the comments as it may help someone else to manage their mood in the future along with my ideas.

Thanks for reading and I’ll be back with another wellbeing post very soon,