7 ways to boost your mood and elevate your depression

Everybody feels sad, down, or upset at some point in their lives, it is completely natural. But feeling severely sad for long periods of time is known as depression. Depression happens when a person has feelings of severe despondency and dejection.

There are many ways to cope and deal with your depression. The best thing to do if you are concerned about your mental health is to go to your doctor and seek medical advice. Your doctor might assign you to a counsellor so you can talk about your feelings and/or your doctor might prescribe you medication. Alternatively, you could look into herbal remedies and how these can help you. By checking out websites like Kava Guides, you can learn more about natural remedies, in this case, Kava, and their benefits on mental health.

If you have already been to the doctors and are looking for a little motivation or a helping hand in how to deal with your depression then have a look at our 7 ways you can effectively boost your mood and elevate your depression.

Boost your mood

Did you know that 1 in 5 Australians aged between 16-85 experience a mental illness in any year? The most common mental illnesses are depression, anxiety, and substance use disorder.

Experiencing a mental illness is something that you don’t need to feel ashamed about or feel like you are alone. You also don’t need to feel helpless, as there are a number of things you can do to try and boost your mood and elevate your depression.

1. Eat well

According to Megan Jones, from Supplementnation, “Eating a well-balanced diet which is high in nutrients such as essential fats, proteins, minerals, and vitamins is crucial for your mental health.”

Mrs Jones goes onto say, “Many people don’t get enough minerals and vitamins from their diet alone, so it can be useful to take additional supplements. For example, vitamin D is a key nutrient for your nervous and immune system, and low levels of vitamin D have been linked to depression.”

2. Sing along to your favourite song

Sometimes all you need to do to try and elevate your mood is by doing something fun and silly. For example, you might want to sing along to your favourite song. Listening to happy and upbeat music can help to improve your mood, so stick on some cheesy pop.

3. Dance around the room

Dancing around your room is also a great silly and fun thing you can do to try and elevate your mood. You don’t need to have all the moves, you just need to temporarily distract yourself from feeling down and dancing is a perfect way to do that.

4. Read your favourite book

Indulging in ‘you time’ is another way in which you can boost your mood. If you have a favourite book, you could sit down and have a read. Alternatively, you might enjoy drawing, painting, writing, or playing games. When you are feeling down make sure you have ‘you time’.

5. Go for a walk

Exercising and getting out of the house are great ways to boost your mood. Many researchers have found that regular exercise can help to elevate your mood and help to prevent depression.

6. Spend time with friends or family

One fantastic way you can improve your mood is by spending time with your friends and family. You could talk to them about how you are feeling or you could just enjoy their company and do your favourite things with them.

7. Get a good night’s sleep

Getting enough sleep each night is critical to your mental health. So make sure you are getting between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night. To improve the quality of sleep, ensure you close off your devices an hour before bed and relax yourself by reading or meditating before bed.