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10 Natural Ways to Boost Your Mood

a senior male sits on a couch in his home and smiles

All of us wake up a bit blue or irritable on occasion, but unless you find that those low moods stretch on over several days or weeks (in which case, it’s time to seek professional help), there are a few simple fixes to try. The goal here is to cure your occasional blues without medication, and instead explore natural ways to boost your mood? We’ve answered the question, “What are natural remedies to boost your mood?” with 10 easy solutions you can start today for a happier, more energetic tomorrow.

Try These Natural Mood Boosters and Find Your Smile.

  1. Get OutsideAccording to numerous studies, exposure to nature is a great natural mood booster. Fresh air and sunshine can enhance your psychological well-being, lower blood pressure, and slow down your heart rate. Even spending just 20 minutes outside can instantly boost mood and energy levels. Sunshine also supplies vitamin D, critical to fending off depression and cognitive impairment.
  2. Move That Body—You’ve got a storehouse of feel-good brain chemicals waiting to be released! All it takes is getting that heart rate up with 30–60 minutes most days of the week. A brisk walk is great. Adding balance exercises and some resistance work with light weights is even better. Getting active also reduces the production of the stress hormone, cortisol—too much of it coursing through your body can contribute to weight gain, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis, among other maladies.
  3. Find Your Calm—Yoga is one of the most effective natural ways to boost your mood. These days, there are in-person and online classes geared for older adults that gently address the pain, joint stress, imbalance, osteoarthritis, and other physical limitations that occur in later years. Plus, yoga helps reduce blood pressure and anxiety thanks to the mindful breathing and self-calming aspects of the routines. Best of all, you can do yoga on your own, anytime.
  4. Discover Brain Games—If you have a computer, tablet, or smartphone, you’re always just a click away from a brain-boosting game app. Or you can go old school and test your brain skills with crossword puzzles, word puzzles, and number games. Just do it! Brain exercises lessen your risk of dementia and keep your reasoning, memory, cognition, and processing skills sharp. Try to fit in at least 30 minutes a day of brain work.
  5. Find a Pet Friend—When it comes to natural ways to boost your mood, bringing a furry friend into your life is a wonderful option. There are so many health benefits associated with pet ownership, we could write a whole article on it. The bottom line is, caring for something other than yourself improves your well-being. Having a pet companion can help with depression and loneliness, and provide fun reasons to get up off the couch.
  6. Volunteer Your Time—Few things are more satisfying than giving of yourself and being committed to something bigger than yourself. You’re still capable of changing someone else’s life (or your community) through volunteering and activism. It’s good for your spirit and your health to stay involved.
  7. Balance That Diet—Eating healthy is recommended at any age, but for older adults, it could be the key to living longer. A balanced diet that includes whole grains, fruits and veggies, lean proteins, and healthy fats has been proven to promote brain health, and may fend off depression and reduce dementia risk. When it comes to super mood-boosting foods, research has found that eating three ounces of fish increases mood-elevating chemicals like dopamine within 30 minutes! Dark chocolate is also a good mood-boosting food when eaten in moderation. It contains small amounts of phenylethylamine, a mood-regulating chemical that also naturally occurs in the brain.
  8. Be More SocialIt’s a fact that older adults who continue to socialize and maintain a support network of family and friends enjoy greater mental, emotional, and physical well-being. For the health of it, schedule those lunches and coffee talks. Or keep in touch via social media and video chatting apps.
  9. Get Technical—Speaking of apps, nothing stimulates your brain like learning today’s technology well enough to perform computer searches, use Skype and Zoom, and keep up on current events online. You may be older, but you’ve still got what it takes to be tech-savvy. Your brain will thank you for trying.
  10. Aim for Sound Sleep—We impress it on our children and grandkids, but a good night’s sleep is just as critical for seniors. Sound sleep is one of the best natural ways to boost your mood, but it takes a full seven to nine hours of it to truly be beneficial. Since seniors are often prone to sleep disturbances and insomnia, it’s helpful to know some techniques for falling asleep and staying asleep without medication.

World’s Best Natural Mood Booster—Living at The Atrium at Navesink Harbor.

Our philosophy at The Atrium at Navesink Harbor is to help our residents lead healthy, fulfilling lifestyles. What makes this possible is that The Atrium is a Life Plan Community, a place where you can not only live life to the fullest but also enjoy knowing a continuum of care and additional living options will be available should your health needs ever change. If you’d like to learn more about our lifestyle, just fill out the request form, and one of our sales counselors will be in touch shortly. We look forward to speaking with you!

Need information? Right this way.

outdoor area at The Atrium at Navesink Harbor

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