So you’ve got as much to do as you always have — but you’re finding instead of feeling fuelled by the challenge, you’re listless and moody of late? Get a little boost as Nanz Inc shows you how to cheer up the natural way.
By: Ng Lin-Li
Nobody ever said Superwoman had to be in a good mood all the time. But with busy schedules and different commitments competing for our attention, it’s easy to start feeling tired and moody. Throw in a few difficult colleagues or family members, and the day gets even gloomier.
The best way to combat this is to develop an arsenal of your favourite things that can help lift your mood. Some people recover their spark by taking a long shower with their favourite scented soaps, others find it in showering their pets with love (and vice versa). Whatever your modus operandi, recognize it’s important to get out of a blue funk, so that you can go back to being productive. These activities Nanz Inc suggests can help lighten things up.
Exercise in moderation
It may be the last thing on your mind, but it really helps. While it isn’t clear exactly how exercises decreases anxiety and moodiness, research shows that brain chemicals that make you feel good (endorphin and neurotransmitters) are released during exercise. If you don’t have time to hit the gym, even half an hour of Pilates at home or climbing the stairs instead of taking the lift, three to five times a week, can help. Join a fun sport or group exercise if that motivates you more.
Increase your Vitamin B intake
Symptoms of a Vitamin B deficiency are moodiness and anemia, which could leave you feeling tired and grumpy. Besides having regular, nutritious meals, supplement your diet with a multivitamin containing a B complex with the essential range of B vitamins. Alternatively, take more foods that are high in vitamin B12 like fish, dairy products, eggs and liver, and foods high in vitamin B6 like bell peppers, bananas, tuna, garlic and cauliflower.
Laugh and smile
Watch a comedy, read a humorous book or find anything else that tickles your funny bone and laugh away. A variety of physiological changes occur as we laugh heartily, with endorphins and muscle tension being released with each guffaw. Humor can also remind us to take a more positive and light-hearted look at life and people.
Connect with positive people
Call up your most encouraging and upbeat friends, and spend a little time with them. Share your feelings instead of trying to keep it all in. Being with people who care about and love you, even if you are moody and not at your best, can give you the boost that you need. What you need is to feel supported, and maybe you could get a change in perspective as well. (Friends that make you laugh are a bonus!)
Get enough sleep
Time spent in La-la-land is nature’s way of giving us a break from stress and immediate concerns, restoring the body and mind to give us energy to get through the next day. Conversely, insufficient sleep can make us feel negative and lethargic about everything. Each person needs a different amount of sleep, so find out what is your optimum quantity because getting enough shut-eye is imperative to feeling and living better.
Have some fish oil
Remember those mouthfuls of cod liver oil you had to take as a child? It might be a good time to revisit that (go for capsules if you still shudder at its fishy taste). Besides providing a host of other health benefits, omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil, namely EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), has been shown to have positive effects on moodiness.
Important: If you are feeling chronically depressed (ie no matter what you do to get out of feeling hopeless, you cannot seem to overcome it), or if you find you are unable to regulate your mood, be sure to seek counseling or medical help as soon as possible.
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