1. Write down the experience that is making you unhappy like
something you have already overcome. The truth is: This, too, shall pass away.
2. Read a good story.
3. Watch a good movie.
4. Write down everything you are thankful for. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how lifted you’ll feel when you are done.
5. Call people on your phone and tell them how much your life has been enriched by making their acquaintance. Call only people you believe have made a difference in your life and say it with conviction. You’ll feel a lot better about yourself when you are done.
6. Ask yourself questions like: Is this the worst it can be? If not, then you have a lot to be thankful for. If it is, then it can’t get any worse. Asking the right questions helps you put things in perspective.
7. Watch pictures of people in worse situations. It helps you realize how small your troubles are.
8. Visit a hospital and see people in worse situations. It helps you realize how much you’ve been blessed if you are healthy.
9. Go for a music show.
10. Pamper yourself. Give yourself a treat.
11. Visit any spot that is loaded with happy memories. Reliving them will make you feel better.
12. Watch pictures that remind you of happy moments.
13. Play with little Kids. They are pure and have no worries. They’ll pass on their sweet spirit to you.
14. Learn something new.
15. Focus on solving another person’s problem. When you give yourself for another person’s cause, you lose your worries albeit for that moment.
16. Look for someone you can bless with something you already have no matter how little. This will draw your attention to things you might have overlooked that others are actually craving for. What you overlook is what someone else is praying for.
17. Write a joke. This helps you remove your focus from whatever it was that dampened your mood.
18. Celebrate the achievements of someone else.
19. Think of something special to give your spouse. Just the mere feeling of how they’ll respond will easily cheer you up.
20. Write about the happiest moment of your life. This helps you evoke a wonderful feeling.
21. Take some time to rest if you are overworked. Fatigue can make you grumpy.
22. Do an outdoor exercise.
23. Show love to people around you. What you give comes back to you.
24. Greet everyone you meet with a happy smile. You can’t make others smile for long enough without becoming happier.
25. Laugh aloud repeatedly. It may look fake at first but if you do it long enough and with conviction, you will switch into a good mood instantly.
26. Try to forget unhappy moments or events. Dwelling on the negative creates a negative mood.
27. Forgive everyone who has offended you. Holding grudges poisons your soul. Releasing those who have wronged you makes you feel good and frees you to enjoy life.
28. Get into the midst of very happy people. Moods are contagious.
29. Lend a helping hand to someone around you. It could be the elderly, friends or strangers. Helping others gives you a sense of accomplishment.
30. Compare yourself with those who are worse off. Don’t compare yourself with those who are better off. This will help you see the things you have and NOT focus on things you still don’t have.
31. Cut off from friends who make unreasonable demands from you. Doing this will give you a sense of freedom since you don’t have to strive to meet their unrealistic standards again.
32. Set a very simple short term goal and make sure you achieve it. It could be as simple as vacuuming your floors. Reward yourself once you are done. Nothing improves moods like success.
33. Do positive affirmations. That is, say positive things to yourself. Say them aloud. If you say them well enough and with enough conviction, you’ll elevate your mood.
34. Get close to nature. If you have a beach around you, go there and just watch how the blue sky “meets” the sea. You’ll be lifted by the elements around you. It’s simply awesome.
35. Play a game you love. It could be a computer game or one that involves other people.
36. Gaze at an aquarium. It’s been proven by researchers that watching an aquarium has therapeutic effects. It will improve your mood.
37. Wear a yellow shirt or blouse. Studies in colors have shown that the yellow has a lifting effect.
38. Look at beautiful flowers. Studies at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital show that looking at flowers, first thing in the morning, helps make people happier and more energetic.
39. Drink milk since it contains whey protein. Whey protein helps reduce your body’s physical response to stress.
40. Get a better view. Look for a place where you can have a good outdoor view. In a research, patients who stayed in rooms with attractive and pleasant outdoor views were reported to have recovered faster. If it won’t take too much, go to a place where you can have a view of the hills and natural landscape.
41. Take a whiff of scents/odors that trigger a pleasant memory. You will instantly feel better if you can take a whiff of a specific odor or scent that evokes a pleasant memory: It could be of a loved one or a special occasion.
42. Dance for joy. You can’t dance for long if you take yourself too seriously. Just do it and you will see your mood improve. Remember that dancing helps you achieve increased energy levels and reduces stress too.
43. Breath in deeply and slowly. Exhale slowly too. It helps relax you.
44. Chew gum. A study showed that gum-chewers remembered better than non-chewers. This was because chewing gum helped release more oxygen to their brains which in turn increased concentration and overall mood.
45. Deal with the clutter. There are people who easily get depressed or stressed out if they are surrounded by clutter.
46. Stroke a Pet. Playing with animals helps reduce stress and, by extension, blood pressure levels. So even if you don’t have a pet, try to visit a pet store. It could help lighten your mood
47. Get into a quiet environment. Noise can put your body in a false state of alert. This, in turn, makes your body release hormones that actually increase your stress level.
48. Change your physiology. Your posture affects your moods. Try walking around like a king, someone in total control, a very happy person, etc. Do it for long enough and you’ll notice a mood change for the better.
49. Surround yourself in bright light. While the ideal option is spending quality time outdoors, you can achieve a similar effect in a brightly lit home. When light enters the eye, it stimulates the brain to produce serotonin which triggers a series of chemical changes that eventually improves mood.
50. Pray about what it troubling you and you’ll feel a lot better.