Five Things You Can Do to Help Elevate Your Mood

Did you know that depression is nearly twice as common in women as in men? Women have a 21 percent lifetime occurrence of depression compared with 12.7 percent in men. According to the National Institutes of Health, many depressive symptoms can be masked by stages and events of a woman’s life such as childbirth, loss, stress, attention deficit disorder, oral contraceptives, or even climbing the corporate ladder. You could be one of the fifteen percent of women who suffer from depression. Depression, like other mental illnesses, is a treatable medical illness.

Grab hold of your mood. Purpose-driven, mindful moves can help change your mood. Changing your body chemistry can help to change your brain chemistry and visa versa. Hormones, or lack thereof, could be the culprit affecting your mood. Movement is one of the best ways to alter your body chemistry.

Here are five mindful moves you can do to make positive changes in your mood.

* Elevate your heart rate. 30 minutes of non-stop cardio activity does your body and your mood a lot of good. Research has proven that 30 minute daily walks quickly relieve patients of depressive symptoms, faster than any drug. I concur with Dr. Mercola’s recommendations: weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, jogging, running, or elliptical training are better than cycling and swimming to boost your mood.
* Get your daily dose of sunshine. One of the best things you can do is elevate your mood is to boost your serotonin level is to get 10 minutes of sunshine every day. Can’t get in the sun? Use broad spectrum lighting in your office and home that simulates sunlight.
* Reach for the stars. Whether you are seated or standing, spread your fingers so wide you feel as though they are shooting lightening bolts. Then reach up to the stars as far as you possibly can. Now, reach 2 inches higher. Pledge from this moment forward you will always reach beyond your peak. As Confucius said, “Shoot for the moon even if you miss you will land among the stars.”
* Sunbathing stretch. Sit on the edge of your chair, holding onto the back of the chair as you lift and open your chest. This heart opening move can help change your mood and help you discover compassion for yourself and others. Which beach do you wish to visit today? Aruba? Jamaica? Bondi? Laguna? Close your eyes and visualize your favorite beach place for 1-2 minutes. Take some deep breathes and soak up the positive mood elevating energy!
* Smile. It doesn’t cost you a dime. When you smile at other people, do they smile back or do they look away? If more people spread a little face love with a smile, the world would be a happier place. The simple task of smiling helps to elevate your mood and the mood of everyone that sees your smile. Just as the song indicates, “when you’re smiling, when you’re smiling, the whole world smiles with you.”

What are your favorite mindful moves to help boost your mood? Please share your comments on www.BloggingwithLynne.com. If you’d like to view this video, please log onto http://www.LynneBricks.com/LynneFitTips/index.html

You Go Girl! Lynne Brick, BSN

Last week’s question: Which woman is historically known as “The Moses of her People”? Harriet Tubman

This week’s question: Who is the “number one” woman of history on the internet?

Corny Joke: Why do fluorescent lights always hum? Because they don’t know the words.

Sources:

www.LynneBricks.com

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-numbers-count-mental-disorders-in-america/index.shtml

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/psychiatry/specialty_areas/moods/patient_information/clinic_women.html

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2001/03/31/depression-part-two.aspx

http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/depression-women