Nearly 10% of adults will experience a mood disorder each year. It may be caused by several factors such as major life events, chronic or severe illness or injury, medications, or mental diseases. Sometimes, there might not even be an obvious cause. The good news is not everyone who experiences mood changes will develop a disorder. Oftentimes, it will resolve on its own, improve over the course of the day, or within a couple of hours. There are also activities that you can do to combat fluctuating emotions and enhance your mood.

Go Outdoors

Spending time in nature is one of the ways to improve moods especially if you’re living in cities where stress is prevalent. From doing errands to catching public transportation, city living is often hectic. New research validates that urban living is more demanding than rural life. The Meyer-Lindenberg research suggested that residing in cities shapes the way the brain responds to social stress and increases the risk of mental problems compared to living in the countryside.

However, a study by White et al revealed that people who have their home in urban areas that are near greeneries such as parks reported the least mental health concerns. You don’t need to live near a park or a wooded area to get its benefits. A research article by Bratman et al indicated that a 90-minute walk through a natural environment can decrease negative thoughts.

Indoor Activities

If you cannot spend as much time outdoors, there are also ways to improve your mood if you are cooped up inside your home. Playing video games is one activity that offers several benefits. It not only boosts learning and social skills, but also the enhances the health improving moods, promoting relaxation, and warding off anxiety. According to a study on the effects of video games, electroencephalography (EEG) changes during the game were consistent with increased mood while heart rate variability (HRV) changes decreased physical stress.

Another easy activity to ward off the blues is to listen to happy music. A 2012 study by Ferguson and Sheldon found out that listening to positive music could be an effective method to enhance happiness and perk up the mood. By winding down at the end of the day and turning on positive tunes, you can engage in some self-care activities that will lift you up—even at day’s end.

Get Moving

Exercise is touted for its physical and mental health benefits including instant mood enhancement. The link between exercise and mood improvement is strong. Typically, within 5 minutes after a moderate exercise, your mood changes positively. The effects of physical activity also go beyond the short-term because it can relieve long-term depression.

When you engage in physical activity, it stimulates various brain chemicals such as endorphins that are natural mood enhancers and painkillers. You experience relaxation, happiness, and less anxiety. You’ll feel better about your appearance which in turn, increases confidence and self-esteem. Furthermore, exercise promotes better sleep, controls weight, and wards off health problems such as high blood pressure, obesity, arthritis, depression, and anxiety, to name a few.

Fluctuations in your daily mood can be improved by a host of actions. Spending time in nature, listening to upbeat music, playing video games, and indulging in exercise are activities upheld by science and research studies to have a profound effect on mood oscillations. 

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