The other day, Mal and I were both in bad moods (oh, Gemini mood swings), which, of course, is never a good time. Usually, when one of us is in a crappy mood, the other person helps them snap out of it, but Mal and I kept annoying each other and making little snide comments. We both knew we were being crankypants for no reason, but we just couldn’t get ourselves out of it.
Eventually, I had enough of our bickering and craptastic moods, so I started suggesting little, goofy things we could do to get us out of our funk. I forget what ultimately snapped us out of it, but the situation inspired this blog post.
We all have bad days and experience not-so-great moods (sometimes for no reason!), so I thought this post might help you when you’re having one of those blah days. With that said, here are 10 ways to boost your mood!
1. Swing by Starbucks (or your favorite café) and buy a delicious beverage. My newest obsession is two shots of espresso over ice with coconut milk. (I bring Silk vanilla coconut milk from home in a travel mug.) Another suggestion: Ordering your drink with whipped cream instead of skipping it this time. Mmm, whipped cream… love it.
2. Put some new photos on your fridge or in your office/cube at work. Think about how many times you look at your fridge or walls of your office/cube throughout the day… a lot, right? Put something there that will make you smile! For me, seeing photos of Mal and Murphy always make me happy. (I bought the magnetic frames from CVS for $2 each!)
3. Start a countdown on your calendar to a fun event coming up in your life. Having something to look forward to always cheers me up!
4. Watch this video where a guy surprises his girlfriend with a pug puppy. It’s the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen. It literally brought tears to my eyes. Pug puppies are the cutest.
5. Add some sliced cucumber or fresh (or frozen) berries to your water. It’s such a simple thing to do, but it always makes me a little happier. Plus, it will encourage you to drink more water, which, of course, is a healthy habit!
6. Take a few minutes at Target, CVS, Walgreens, etc. and read some funny greeting cards. Once you’ve had a good laugh, buy one for your best friend and mail it to her/him.
7. Turn on Songza and pick an upbeat and happy playlist, such as Surfing in SoCal, Driving on the Open Road, or Touring a European City. Music is an instant mood-booster! Songza’s playlists are so great. I’m totally obsessed.
8. Make this smoothie or mix up this “cookie dough” for dessert tonight. Both are guaranteed to make your taste buds happy!
9. Skip your usual workout and go for a long walk while listening to a podcast or audiobook. I love listening to the Balanced Bites podcast on long walks with Murphy. It’s such a nice way to get moving and stimulate my brain at the same time. After some light activity and time to unwind, I always return home in a great mood.
10. Start a “happy” board on Pinterest. Some suggestions: baby animals, cute end-of-summer outfits, tropical vacations, inspirational quotes, Ryan Gosling, peanut butter and chocolate desserts”¦ whatever makes you smile! I bet you can guess the theme of my “happy” board!
Question of the Day
What are some things you do to boost your mood?