Introduction: How to Improve Your Mood and Reduce Stress

About: Ivan Dimitrijevic is a seasoned blogger and SEO consultant with years of experience. His skill sets include Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and blogging on a wide variety of topics. He is a …

After being at work with the majority of your time, stuck behind the desk, you are bound to experience some changes in your mood. Even minor difficulties just seem like an unnecessary addition to your stress pile, and you start to feel weak and unable to cope with the pressure. Due to the stress we experience, depression, back pain, constant, fatigue etc. may appear. In order to battle some of these conditions, you can incorporate a few minor changes in your lifestyle that will certainly improve your mental state. By following these suggestions, you are going to make a step by step recovery and reinvigorate yourself, with more ability to cope with additional stressful situations.

Step 1: Sitting Is Your Enemy

You may not be aware, but sitting can cause a lot of problems, especially because it contributes to stress accumulation. When we sit for a long period of time, our metabolism slows down, thus causing us to take step towards obesity. As we gain weight, we feel more insecure, more depressed, and more stressed in general, plus, due to the lack circulation our brain, cells do not get enough oxygen which is connected to the mood as well. So to reduce this effect caused by excessive sitting, you should stand up and stretch every once in a while, and drink more water if possible – it is a good reason to take a walk and you will have to go to the bathroom more often thus it is an additional activity. Try typing and standing as well, do anything you can to fight laziness.

Step 2: Physical Activity

You should muster every ounce of willpower not to skip the weekly work out, in other words, try to make it to the gym at least three times a week for an hour and a half long training. This way, you will get enough activity, stay fit, be tired enough to fall asleep faster, thus regulating the healthy sleeping cycle, prevent muscles atrophy, and ultimately feel better about yourself. The problem is first two or three months, since our laziness and sitting position are an addictive kind of lifestyle thus this may seem as sort of a rehab.

Step 3: Have a Good Rest

If you are to have enough energy and stay healthy, then you must also regulate your sleeping cycle. As mentioned, physical exhaustion can greatly contribute to this cause, but it also depends on your bed. Make sure you have a top quality mattress that will give you enough comfort, and try sleeping on goose feather pillows for additional feeling of relaxation. When you feel fully rested, you are going to be in a better mental state, as well as have more energy for all the daily activities.

Step 4: Healthier Diet

Fast food, junk food and fizzy drinks are all bad for the metabolism, although we are quite resilient, our body has its limits. If you are already a sugar junkie, you do not need to abandon this kind of food completely, all you need to do is set a regime for yourself to increase the intake of healthier food. Just like sitting, fast food affects your weight and your mood, not to mention how you do not gain enough energy from it. We are all fully aware of the side-effects, but we must at least try to alter our life step by step, as long as we receive a positive feedback from our body, it will motivate us to carry on.

Step 5: Take Some Time for Yourself

Finally, a great weapon for fighting against this state of being is unwinding and relaxing. You need to treat yourself with a massage by a professional, or a day at the spa, do something you like, watch a movie, read a book, whatever it is you consider your favourite hobbies. This is how you become more positive and unburden your mind from all the stressful thoughts. Whenever you feel overwhelmed and under a lot of pressure, try to meditate and calm yourself. Situation is never as dire as it first appears, you need to keep that in mind, and find an efficient way to win the fight.