17 Sure Fire Ways to Help Improve your Mood Now

In this, many times, cruel, frustrating, fast paced world we live in, I am always looking for ways to find peace, joy and happiness. My guess is you are too. I've compiled a list of 17 sure fire ways to help you improve your mood and help release those feel good hormones now.

1. Reach for the sky. Stretching and reaching up, up, up will help release those feel good hormones, help increase blood flow and help deliver oxygen rich blood to the brain and other areas of the body. Any type of stretching or workout is an instant mood booster!
2. Give someone an extended hug. You know that hug, that lingers for a full 20-60 seconds. Long embracing hugs are guaranteed to boost your mood.
3. Pay it forward. I love this concept. Not only does it send good ju-ju out into the Universe, you have changed the energy and day for the person you have paid it forward to. It's a win-win!
4. Play with your dog, cat or other pet. I don't know about you, but when I snuggle, hug and play with Tucker my GSD, life is soooo GOOD and all my cares drift away!
5. Volunteer your time, even if means simply opening the door for someone. We have so many less fortunate people and animals in this world, that there will never be a shortage of others to help create positive change. Volunteering has been proven to help with depression and helps to release the feel good hormones to help you feel calm, happy, peaceful and fulfilled. Animals Asia is the non-profit I volunteer for. Our efforts support the work of the team rescuing Asiatic moon bears and allowing them to feel grass under their feet and the sun on their backs for the first time ever for many of the bears. You can imagine the joy it brings to be a part of that!
6. Donate to your favorite charity. When you give to others who are in need, it changes the entire energetic dynamic around you. Just like with volunteering there are unlimited registered charities that are doing amazing things to help make this world a better place. Not only will donating help you feel better emotionally, but you will be a part of that positive change.
7. Take Magnesium. You will never go wrong with adding Mg to your diet. Just about every single person (and pet) is deficient in this mood boosting, muscle tension tamer mineral. This is the liquid Mg I take orally, 1 dropper 3xday in tea or water. Liquid Mg is very bio available and uptakes quite well in any person or pet.
8. Tell others you love them. We know this, right? But putting it into action sends out that good ju-ju and helps to strengthen your relatonships.
   
9. Turn your to-do list into “it's done!” Simply creating a to-do list can actually feel overwhelming and make you feel tired versus inspired to tackle the task. I love to type my lists in word and then use the strike through, once I completed the task. It keeps me focused and motivated to see all of my chores with a completed line through them. Try it and you'll see!
10. Forgive, so that you can fully live. Forgiving others does not mean you condone their behavior, it simple means that you give up the hope that the past could be any different. -Oprah. Harboring a grudge is nails in the coffin. Not only will it keep you stuck emotionally, but this is what cancer and other dis-ease cells are made of. Let go, let go, let go. Feelings of bitterness release feel-bad hormones throughout your body and cells. The act of forgiveness merely allows you to not be a prisoner anymore. Freedom is the ultimate feeling of peace and happiness and is all anyone wants.
11. Consistently take fermented cod liver oil (FCLO). Cod liver oil and especially fermented fish oil contains those powerful fat soluble activators that feed the brain. Naturally occurring vitamin A and D, boost the immune system, help to balance hormones and naturally boost mood and help us feel calm. This is the FCLO that I use and love.
12. Be grateful. Gratitude always brings more abundance to you.
13. Soak up the Sun. The suns rays, energy and natural vitamin D have been proven to elevate your spirits, mood and make you feel alive.
14. Ditch the grains. Grains are pro-inflammatory in nature and wreck havoc on the digestive system, nervous system and brain. Read more in one of my favorites books: Grain Brain by David Perlmutter.
15. Boost your fat intake. Fats give you fuel and feed your brain. They also support and help your adrenal glands, your fight or flight glands, to rest. Plan to increase your good fats and do so every 3 waking hours. Examples: eggs, cheese, butter, coconut oil, nuts/seeds, FCLO, meat, avacados.
16. Take a daily good quality pro-biotic. Your gut really does have a mind of it's own and it is controlled by the quality and quantity of your beneficial and pathogenic bacteria. In order to feel calm, clear and balanced, we need our bad bacteria to be at bay and our good bacteria to flourish.
17. Laugh out loud! A good belly laugh is the cure to any blue mood.

Is there a specific mood booster you implement that is not on my list? I'd love to know.

This post is part of Real Food Wednesdays.