There are many people who, feeling down, look for ways to lift their spirits by changing their habits. It is very true that one cannot change one’s state of mind simply by desiring it or by devoting oneself to introspection, but if we begin to modify our way of behaving in the right way, our psychological side will evolve.

So… how can you raise your spirits and feel better? Let’s see.

The separation between emotions and reason

When it comes to influencing our emotions and feelings, we must be clear that they can only be affected by us indirectly, and that we have limited power to turn them in one direction or another.

This is important, because believing that having a low mood is a consequence of not applying rationality or logic can lead us to feel worse, by feeling guilty about it , especially if we perceive that there are no objective reasons for maintaining that negative mood.

The emotional side of the human being is governed by its own rules, and that is why we should not embrace unreasonable expectations about the degree to which we can control them.
Nevertheless, it is clear that we can do things to increase the chances of a good mood as much as possible. Applying them on a daily basis is the first step to start recovering and living with renewed energy .

Tips on how to lift your spirits

Follow these basic guidelines and ideas about how to lift your mood and apply them to your day-to-day life to notice changes in the moments when you feel down.

1. Avoid isolation

When we feel low, we tend to adopt a very passive attitude, so we very easily stay at home. This, which makes sense if we only take into account what “the body asks of us” in these situations, actually makes us perpetuate the behavioural dynamics that feed the emotional state that dominates us.

Thus, a certain degree of forcing oneself to socialize is healthy and leads us to increase our chances of getting involved in stimulating situations that activate us mentally.

2. Sleep well and eat well

Keeping ourselves in good condition by attending to our basic biological needs can generate great changes in our emotional side . Therefore, something as simple as getting the right amount of sleep and eating a healthy and balanced diet helps us not to enter a state of decay that may actually be the consequence of a lack of energy.

3. Exercise

Following the same logic of the previous advice, to raise the spirit it is good to activate one’s own organism through actions that predispose us to it. And exercising or playing a sport is a good way to achieve this.

To do this, it is preferable to start with something we already have some experience with, as learning from scratch can be a problem given our initial resistance to it, rather than striving for something.
If it is also a sport and not a series of movements to work the muscles, it is easier to focus our attention than to focus on the immediate objective we want to reach, so that the psychological stimulation is greater and with this it is easier to raise the mood.

4. Expose yourself to laughter

Laughing is something whose effects are not only felt at the moment of laughter. It leaves an emotional imprint on us that, if added to other mood-enhancing aids, can produce a qualitative change in our psychological state .

Going to monologues or watching them on the internet, reading comic books, joking with friends… There are many ways to expose yourself to the beneficial effects of laughter.

5. Change of habits

The simple fact of change can produce very positive changes in mood, as long as they lead to goals that are meaningful to us . For example, starting to learn a language for which you have always felt weak can give you a sense of purpose that motivates you and makes you feel excited about your progress.

6. If you think it is serious, see a psychologist

As in everything, the way we feel discouraged can be so intense that the intervention of psychology professionals is necessary. In this case, personalized treatment in a professional context offers options that simply do not exist if one decides to face the problem alone.

That is why it is necessary to assess what is happening and decide whether by taking sides you can get out of this situation.