Everybody feels down sometimes. Nobody likes staying in a bad mood, and we end up trying to find ways to make ourselves feel better. We can do this in ways that are good or bad for us, so here are some self-care acts that might help improve your mood, which can work for people who struggle with their mental health, like anxiety or depression, or people who are just feeling down.

Doing things you enjoy

Whether it be art, singing, dancing, or anything else you enjoy, focusing on activities that feed your inner child can help you feel better. Doing what you love can lower your heart rate and overall lower your stress. Just doing activities you like and are interested in can improve your mental health.

Eating well

Eating one of your favorite meals, or just a meal that makes your body feel good, can help improve your mood. This isn’t just good for your emotional health but also good for your physical health. Eating proteins (from foods like fish, beef, and chicken) has been linked to higher levels of dopamine and norepinephrine, which are brain chemicals that play a role in your mood, motivation, and concentration. Eating a good meal can also help you perform better in your job or school.

While there are foods that help you emotionally and mentally, you should also avoid foods that can have the opposite effect. These are flour-based foods such as bread, crackers, and baked goods. Sodas, sugary juices, and other sugar snacks can also have this effect.

Spending time with the people you love

Spending time with loved ones is also a good way to feel better. Just being around people that make you feel good improves your mood. You can do fun activities that you both enjoy, or just hang out and be in their presence to make you feel better. Spending time with others helps decrease feelings of loneliness or isolation and reduce depressive symptoms, anxiety, and stress. Other benefits include better sleep, lower risk of disease, and healthier habits, as engaging in more activities with those you love you can encourage behaviors such as trying exercise classes together.

Treating yourself

Taking yourself out to do fun things or taking care of your body can also make you feel better. Taking yourself out to your favorite restaurant, going on a car ride, applying a skincare routine, or taking a nap can help improve your mood. Treating yourself improves both your physical and mental health. It can help lower your stress, lower your risk of illness, and increase your energy. Self-care looks different for everyone, so find what you need and what works best for you.

Some other things you can do to feel better are, watching one of your favorite movies or shows, completing a task, and cleaning your personal space. The feeling of accomplishment after completing a task might make you feel better. Cleaning your personal space will make the atmosphere feel much lighter. Having a clean space is also good for your mental health. Some common things that people also do are, spending time in nature like going for a walk, exercising, and meditating.

Taking a break from technology

Staying away from your phone and focusing on yourself can help you feel better. Most of the time everyone is glued to their cellphones and overly concerned with their online problems that they don’t realize there’s a whole world out there, waiting to be enjoyed. Just going outside, and breathing the fresh air, can help. Being on social media too much can be bad for your mental health, so it is crucial to be aware of that and choose to focus more on yourself instead of others.