It’s normal for each of us to feel blue or sad. When our best friend moves away, or we lose a job, or we receive a poor mark on a test, we all feel disappointment or hurt. We may be despondent, and it may even get us down for a few days.
Depression, on the other hand, lasts much longer. Plus, it’s so pervasive, that it can interfere with your daily life routines, and it can even adversely affect your relationships with family, friends, and acquaintances.
Where sadness is something we feel about one thing, depression is something we feel about everything. Where sadness is a normal emotional state, depression is an abnormal emotional state. Where sadness subsides relatively quickly, depression persists for long periods.
One of the most difficult challenges when dealing with depression is finding motivation and improving your mood, even just a bit. Health.com editors put together the following list of over 30 ways to boost your mood naturally:
- Don’t blame yourself
- Try to look on the bright side—seriously
- Get a good night’s sleep
- Let the sun shine in
- Swap out bulbs
- Play with a furry friend
- Make yourself smile
- Get artsy
- Exercise regularly
- Repaint your room
- Reach out and touch someone
- Sing a song (really)
- Don’t over schedule
- Change your weight-loss plan
- Take care of your health
- Eat a healthy diet
- Avoid drugs and alcohol
- Maintain a daily routine
- Talk about it
- Cognitive therapy
- Interpersonal therapy
- Online therapy
- Act happy
- Quit smoking
- Postpone major decisions
- Lose some weight
- Connect with others
If you want to read more about each technique and how it helps boost your mood, visit Health.com’s article 31 Ways to Boost Your Mood Naturally.