3 Simple Habits to Boost Your Mood Every Day

It’s difficult to find mental health advice that’s accessible to everyone, or even why tried and true habits benefit us. We often hear that adequate sleep, exercise, and a healthy diet will improve our physical well-being, mood, and overall quality of life, but what constitutes as enough sleep, exercise, or food? In this blog post, we’ll answer all of those questions and more.

Like food and water, sleep is an essential function that allows our bodies and minds to recharge. With enough healthy sleep, you’ll stave off many diseases, reduce your waistline and be able to concentrate and process memories. Adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night, not 6 to 8 as many pop-health magazines suggest, to gain all of the mentioned and following benefits.

There are four stages of sleep: Stage 1, 2, and 3 NREM and REM. Stage 3 NREM helps you feel refreshed in the morning and this stage increases as you age, meaning you won’t have to sleep as long as you did as a child or adult. To get enough sleep, set up a nighttime routine.

You can also place lavender on the side of your bed, as it’s known to induce calmness. Consult a Chicago flower delivery service online to receive fresh lavender with same-day shipping.

Exercise is integral for mood regulation, as it releases endorphins in our bodies. While working out feels awful at first, you’ll start to get excited to start moving after you stick to a routine. Many often fail to stick to an exercise routine, likely because they try to run 5K on the first day. Create a routine that builds up to that point, or walk or bike for 30-minutes to earn these benefits.

Pick an activity you like. Get a friend involved who will keep you motivated and dedicate specific times to exercise. Try a virtual workout class or a fitness app to keep you accountable.

“Eat a healthy diet” isn’t great advice because no one actually tells you what a healthy diet is. The World Health Organization, the most reputable source of nutrition, has the answers, which won’t include fad diet advice that could lead to dangerous health conditions.

What you eat impacts your health more than anything else you do or don’t do. 80% of the immune system is contained in the gastrointestinal system, meaning chronic diseases are often formed somewhere in this area. While changing your diet is the most difficult habit to change, you will improve your mood significantly just from swapping out chips with frozen strawberries.