5 Ways to Lift Your Mood & Awaken Joyful Energy

Sadness and depression can have strong holds, can’t they? It’s not easy to squirm away from the gripping tugs….and trying can wear you out more.

If you’ve felt sad or depressed for long, you might even have forgotten what it feels like to be happy and find it impossible to muster up positive feelings.

When you’re drowning, you can’t just think positive thoughts about yourself; you can’t just think about what’s good in your life or who’s nice. And if you start clawing to save yourself, you can loose track of which way is up.

In order to resurface–in order to rise up from deep sadness or depression–you have to focus and make calm, strategic strides upward.

You CAN start to feel happier.

In this blog post I’ll describe five simple yet powerful, science based activities that can lift your mood. When it comes to overcoming sadness or depression, small changes in your daily life can have profound effects.

However, everybody is different, and sadness and depression do not have one-size-fits-all remedies.

I highly recommend that you print or save this post and go through each of the five activities, incorporating them one at a time–giving them all a fair try–to see which activities make a difference for YOU.

Or, you can read through them and choose one or two to give your full attention for a solid amount of time, maybe one week or one month.

What’s important is realizing that, just like your teeth won’t get brushed by thinking about how dull they are and how much they need to be cleaned, sadness and depression won’t go away by shaming yourself about being down or telling yourself to perk up.

You have to develop a habit of focusing on activities to increase happiness.

So, commit to incorporating one or some of these activities into your daily life. It’s best to try something for at least two weeks, but you might start to feel happier in just a few days.

1. Acknowledging Small Fortunes

This activity is similar to journaling activity #1 in “Journal Yourself Happy” but includes things that didn’t necessarily happen to you, plus an added expression of thankfulness. So, each day you name 1-3 things for which you are grateful.

If it’s hard to feel thankful right now, I get it. When you’re in the trenches and feel beaten down, there isn’t much motivation to try to see the bright side or express any gratitude….which is why I didn’t call this a “gratitude practice”.

However, research shows that shifting our attitude towards gratitude lifts our spirits, helps us shield ourselves from upsets, and increases our energy and hope for positive experiences.

Recalling even the smallest ways in which we are fortunate can help us retune with a sense of wonder, connect to others and our world around us, and increase our satisfaction with life.

This would be a great morning or evening ritual, maybe something you could combine with a journal activity. You could use some of those “Recording Positivity” ideas listed there for this activity as well.

Try to record something new each day. I have a gratitude mantra I repeat each morning that does include general things I am always thankful for, plus I recall new things.

If this is a struggle for you, I’m here to help!

Here are some small fortunes you can consider:

• something accessible to you that could be difficult for someone else to obtain, like fresh food, clean water, a starry night sky away from city lights, etc.
• an advantage you have, such as your position at work, being favored by someone, having a home out of hurricane alley (finally our boat is!)
• a convenience, such as a well-suited home office, nearby grocery store, eager babysitter, helpful mother-in-law, etc.
• a comfort, such as a cozy blanket, a fireplace, a hammock, your grandmother’s recipe for chicken casserole, etc.
• cooperation from a partner, coworker, neighbor, spouse, sibling, child, etc.
• friendliness expressed by your best bud, a sales clerk, a neighbor, the stranger who slid over so you had room to sit down, etc.
• something practical, like a kitchen gadget, a hidden key for when you lose yours, a pair of shoes that go with everything, etc.
• a supportive friend, spouse, parent, bra, etc.
• sympathy expressed by someone else, even that nice unknown lady who picked up the cereal box you dropped in the check out line while juggling groceries and toddlers.
• timeliness of something that thankfully fell into place, like rain before the yard dried up completely (or the boat tank)
• gifts, which could include objects, time, space, loving words, etc.
• accommodations made for you
• caring words or gestures from others
• contributions such as hand-me-down clothes from friends’ kids, chores completed by someone else, etc.
• improvements made in relationships, physical spaces in your home, your work atmosphere, etc.
• serendipitous experiences, such as good weather for an excursion, finding a missing earing, etc.
• services you have, even though you pay for them, such as electricity, car washes, etc.

What a fun challenge to record something in a different category every day for a month.

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Further reading on how gratitude affects our lives:

“Gratitude Works” website by Robert Emmons, a prominent researcher on how gratitude affects our lives

“…Gratitude as a Motivator…”, a report written by Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky, a professor at the University of California and author of The How of Happiness

2. Shaping Your Vision

Visualizing and writing about your best possible life can improve your mood. This is one of my favorite activities. I am a dreamer; I love to fantasize. I’m optimistic, but also realistic. I don’t fantasize about winning the lottery or living in a luxurious mansion in the Tuscan hills.

When I’m in a slump, it helps me to imagine and write about my best possible life now–a life in which I’m being successful in my coaching business, having satisfying experiences with my family, and enjoying things I like to do.

Here’s your guide to shape a vision for your life:

Imagine the best possible family life you could have. Would you love to live near your parents or near your grown children? What experiences would you like for your family on a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly basis? If you could do something just once, what would you love to do?

Think about close friends and how you would like to spend time with them. Think about how you could show them you care about them. What could you do to connect and have fun, even if you’re miles away from each other?

Think about your career or job, or the career or job you would love to have. In your current career or job, what would help you feel richly fulfilled? What would make your work environment more enjoyable? Are there any projects that have been bubbling up inside of you? What would help you love your career or job more?

If you’re longing for a new career or job, what would it be? Where would you work? With whom would you work, or would it be a solo endeavor? How would it be fulfilling? What strengths, skills, talents and ideas could you use to get started? What resources do you have to get started?

Consider your physical health. What is the best possible physical health you could experience? How would you feel? How would you look? What would you be able to do if you were energetic, strong and agile? How are you currently contributing to your good health? What would you like to do to improve your physical health? What foods are ideal for your healthiest self? How do you love to move your body? What else would be really good for your body?

Consider your emotional and mental health. How do you want to feel each day? How do you manage stress, anxiety or depression? What would you like to add to your daily routine that would help even more? Would mindfulness, meditation, journaling, or talking with a professional life coach be beneficial for you? Would you love to seek out new tools to build resiliency? Have you longed to begin a self-discovery journey?

Dream about your best possible romantic relationship. If you have a spouse or partner, how is your relationship fulfilling now? How could it be even more fulfilling? What would you love to explore with your spouse or partner?

If you don’t have a romantic partner in your life right now, what do you imagine your best match would be like? What do you long for in love?

Visualize the best possible lifestyle you could have. How would you describe a fulfilling life? What hobbies or other meaningful activities would you have? What would your days and weeks look like? How would you be involved in your community? How would you describe a fulfilling social life?

3. Identifying Your Strengths….and USING Them

Number a sheet of paper 1-25 and next to each number write down a strength you possess.

Come on! You can do it. That number isn’t too high. I guarantee you can think of 25 things that are great about you.

If not, you’ve been short-changing yourself, and it’s time to recognize your strengths.

Take some time with this. Enlist the help of one or two people who are close to you. Go through this list of strengths for some ideas as well.

If you surpass 25, even better!

If you don’t possess some of the strengths on that extensive list, don’t get discouraged or start listing flaws. No one can possess all of those qualities. We are all made differently, and that’s why we are called to help one another.

Now that you have identified your strengths, it’s important to use them every day. Using your strengths on a regular basis will help you feel that your life has meaning and purpose.

Here’s how you can track how often you’re using your strengths:

Draw 7 columns down a sheet of paper and label them with each day of the week. Every day put a tally mark, check mark, smiley face, or a star each time you use one of your strengths. Keep the list in a prominent place so you can keep up with this exercise.

Or you can print my Daily Strengths Tracker.

If you discover that you are not using very many of your strengths each day, then it’s time to consider making changes in your life so that you can.

4. Getting Active In Ways That Lift Your Spirits

When you’re depressed, do you tend to cut back on activities, even the ones you used to enjoy? This is common, but it leads to a downward spiral that can worsen our mood and put more focus on our burdens.

Commit to stopping this downward cycle by being a little more active each day. List seven activities that you know would lift your spirits, or that you believe might help you feel more positive, but you haven’t tried them yet.

Each day for one week try to do at least one of the activities. You don’t have to do all seven. I want you to have a variety to choose from, but it could be fun to challenge yourself to do something different each day.

After each activity, make a note about how your mood changed. Maybe scaling from 1-10 could be helpful to remember which activities helped the most to boost your mood.

If you commit to doing more enjoyable activities each day, you’ll likely make faster progress in overcoming your depression.

Here are seven activities that I enjoy and that never fail to lift my spirits:

• swimming, surfing, floating or wading in water
• slow dancing to soft reggae music by myself (it just has the perfect beat)
• completing a simple sewing repair, like replacing a button
• organizing a small space such as a drawer, table top or cosmetic bag
• walking somewhere where there are trees and critters to see
• slowly stretching every part of my body
• playing my ukulele

5. Bringing Spirituality Into Your Life

While formal religion can provide a sense of spirituality, many people seek to find meaning, connect with a higher power, and/or bring spirituality into their lives outside of religion.

Becoming more spiritual can help us deal with life’s challenges. Through spirituality we can develop a more positive outlook, become more goal oriented, feel more purposeful, find inner strength, feel more at peace living in accordance with deep values.

There are several spiritual practices that can enrich your life on a daily basis and help you through difficult times.

I’ve listed some common spiritual practices below.

• Spending time in nature – taking a walk in a park or by the beach, bird-watching, etc.
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Prayer
• Community service
• Journaling
• Reading books about spirituality, love, compassion, etc.
• Reading the Bible
• Daily affirmations, devotions, spiritual cards, rituals, etc.
• Spiritual dancing
• Yoga
• Breathing exercises
• Writing daily gratitudes
• Visualizing positive energy flowing in your body
• Mindful eating

Guidance to Help You Commit to a Spiritual Practice:

Choose one spiritual practice to commit to trying daily for one week. (Choose one activity from the list above or another practice you know of and would like to try.)

Then use the questions that follow to journal about your plan and help with your commitment.

NOTE: Unlike in #4 where I wrote that it could be fun to try a different uplifting activity each day, some of these activities meant to enhance your spirituality might be more effective if done daily for at least a week. You could try different ones or combine some over time. You do you.

1. Write out a plan for how you will carry out your chosen spiritual practice. When will you do it? What do you need to prepare or have in place each day?
2. Write down names of people you know who practice your chosen activity and that you could learn more about it from. Also consider if there is anyone who might have an interest in practicing with you.
3. If you chose an activity that you used to practice, write about how you found it helpful before.
4. Write about things that might get in the way of doing this practice on a regular basis and what you can do to ensure your success.
5. Devise a tracking method to hold yourself accountable and to review the strategies you try so you can track what’s really helpful. For example, you could try an activity daily for one week and give yourself a star for each day you follow through on the activity, and then give it an overall rating for helpfulness. Then as you try some other strategies, you can learn what is really effective for YOU.

I know you can lift your mood and awaken joyful energy with any of these strategies. What will you try today? What will you commit to trying for a week or more?

I’d love to know, and I’d love to help you out if you need more support or guidance. You can write to me here.

More Resources for Sadness or Depression:

Overcoming Depression: Your Good Start Guide

Journal Yourself Happy With These 5 Methods