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Let’s face it, we all get into a “mood” every now and then, right? I’ll admit I certainly do. While many of us can reach for unhealthy ways to deal with our moods, today I want to to share a few natural, healthy ways to outsmart a bad mood that I bet you haven’t thought of!

We probably all have our “go-to” things we do to try to lift a bad mood. Maybe you go shopping for a little “retail therapy” or pour yourself a glass of wine. Perhaps you grab a cookie or turn on the TV for a distraction from your feelings. While these old tactics may provide a temporary fix from what’s bothering us, they’re ~~probably~~ not habits that will benefit us in the long run.

While I don’t consider myself a moody person, it’s certainly only being human to get into a funk occasionally. It’s perfectly normal. But to keep a mood from turning into a regular temperament, I believe we should do what we can to break out of this negative energy ASAP! I’ve come up with some all natural and wellness enhancing ways you can outsmart a bad mood. Let’s see what they are!

10 Natural Ways to Outsmart a Bad Mood

1. Smell a Nostalgic Smell –

Essential oils are fine, but to really shift your mood, take in a whiff of play-doh, freshly baked cinnamon rolls, crayons or the gardenias your grandmother used to grow when you were a kid. Find whatever nostalgic scent that brings up positive memories and makes you happy. Works like a charm!

2. Sit Up Straight, Breathe Deeply and Smile

Our posture has a lot to do with how we feel. You feel a certain way because of the way you act as well. If you’re hunched over and have a sad look on your face you’re going to feel down. So sit up straight, take a deep breath and smile! You may not be feeling it at first, but it’s guaranteed to shift your bad mood.

3. Try a Vitamin B Boost

Being deficient in Vitamin B12 has certainly been linked to our moods and maybe even depression. It turns out that vitamin B12 is absolutely essential for maintaining healthy brain function and promoting positive moods. You could try a Vitamin B supplement or if you’re really gung-ho a B12 shot! To make sure you get enough B12 in your diet on a regular basis be sure to include plenty of seafood, beef, chicken, dairy, or fortified cereals.

4. Eat Dark Chocolate or Cacao Powder

This probably won’t be a hard-sell for most of you, but a eating a square or two of dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa) can definitely boost a bad mood. Dark chocolate boosts the production of feel-good chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins bind with opiate receptors in the brain leading to feelings of euphoria, like the kind joggers get from “runner’s high.” I personally eat at least a little bit of dark chocolate every day. I can vouch for the good vibes when I eat it. Who’s with me?

5. Set a Timer, Give Yourself 5-10 Minutes to Vent

Sometimes you just need to get it all out! Set a timer for 5-15 minutes and let loose with whats bothering you. Write it down, talk to a close, unbiased friend or just talk out loud to yourself (don’t feel weird, I do it all the time..LOL) Sometimes just giving your thoughts some airtime can put things into a whole new perspective. Also, giving yourself a time limit keeps you from carrying on with it for too long. Get it out and move on!

6. Sit in the Sun for 15 Minutes

A sunny day may do more than just boost your mood — it may increase levels of a natural antidepressant in the brain. A new study shows that the brain produces more of the mood-lifting chemical serotonin on sunny days than on darker days. Most of us already know that spending time in the sun makes us feel better even if we don’t really understand the science. If you’re in a “mood”, I suggest you get your buns outside!

7. Spend $5-10 on Someone

You may think that buying yourself something will improve your bad mood, but studies have shown that people who spend money on others feel way better than people who spend money on themselves. You don’t have to break the bank on this. Buying someone a small bundle of flowers or treating them to a coffee will instantly make YOU feel better by being generous and thoughtful.

8. Play like a Kid

Jump on a trampoline, swing on a swing set, play hopscotch. We all know physical activity usually gets our blood flowing and our mood elevated. If we can make it fun, we’re pretty much guaranteed to banish a bad mood stat! I mean, think about it. Young kids are constantly running around playing and they always seem to be smiling and laughing. Maybe we should lighten up and play a little too!

9. Figure Out The Message

If you find yourself in a bad mood, always try to dig a little deeper to see what this mood is trying to tell you. There’s always a message behind every emotion. When we can try to understand that our moods are just messengers it can create some “space” around it. This gives us some room to get honest and clear about what’s really going on. It’s not always the obvious. Allow your emotions to be there, process them, and then release it. I’ve heard it said that we don’t let go of thoughts or emotions, they let go of us. When these feelings have served their purpose, they tend to go away naturally. Embrace the mood!

10. Watch Laughing Baby Videos on YouTube

I dare you to try watching a baby laughing on YouTube and not start laughing too. It can’t be done! If you’ve tried everything and nothing seems to be shaking your grumpy mood, get on YouTube and search for laughing or happy babies. You will find tons of them and I swear within 1 minute you’ll be laughing so hard and that bad mood will be a thing of the past. Works. Every. Time.

Getting yourself out of a bad mood can be 1 part science and 2 parts art form. I believe having natural and healthy tools in your self help tool belt is always a good idea. These have been my 10 Natural Ways to Outsmart a Bad Mood! Now I want to hear what YOU do…please let us know in the comments if you have a good idea to share.

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