More Positive Ways To Help Lift Your Mood

I’ve learned many mood boosting strategies over the years to cope when feeling low.  No, I’ve not discovered the perfect formula to lead you to a happy place.  They are just self-taught, commonsense approaches that usually work for me.  I’ve previously discussed some of my techniques.  So let’s look at more positive ways to help lift your mood when you need a pickup.

One strategy I use is to try and be kind to others.  I know that may not be easy when you are feeling down but give it a try.  It can be as simple as checking on an elderly neighbour to see if they are ok and need anything.  You could take it further and offer to help vulnerable children, the homeless, or any other kind of charitable organisation.  Giving to others and feeling their gratitude can be enormously satisfying and it may help find a different perspective on your own troubles.

You could also collect any litter in your neighbourhood and recycle as much as possible at home.  Think about ways you could save energy too.  There are government grants to help improve energy efficiency when installing such things as solar panels, heat pumps and insulation.  Knowing that you are doing your bit to help protect the planet can give you a positive feeling.

I used the green theme when looking for new online games to play.  This brings me to another strategy to help lift your mood.  Find a hobby or activity you enjoy that you can immerse yourself in to help stop you from ruminating negative thoughts.  For me, my go-to activity is often gaming.  In particular, simple retro-style games that I can dip in and out of without having to dedicate hours too to achieve anything.

The first game I recently discovered is Wind and Solar.  It’s a very simple game in which the aim is to produce as much energy as possible in 1 minute and 30 seconds.  To achieve this you have to manage a solar panel and a wind turbine to take advantage of the best weather conditions.

Using the mouse, the solar panel is dragged left and right to avoid the clouds.  Whereas the turbine has to be pulled up and down to catch the strongest winds.  The amount of energy you’re producing is shown in megawatts as well as in a ‘houses’ graphic.  It sounds easy but the weather conditions are constantly changing and you’re continually having to adjust both item’s positions to maximise your energy production.

Twin the Bin is set at a recycling centre.  You choose a girl or boy to capture household waste into the appropriate recycling box by using the left and right keys to position yourself correctly.  There are four boxes in total, used for collecting paper, glass, plastic and organic waste that falls from the conveyor belt above.  For each correct item collected, you score 20 points but if you collect the wrong item you lose 10.  You have 3 minutes in all and after about 45 seconds the recycling boxes are changed to collect a different material.

Again, it all sounds straightforward but when several items are falling at once you have to be quick to react and not make mistakes if you’re going to amass a good score.

These particular titles were among many featured in the games section of a mortgage calculator site.

Games like these provide a cognitive workout and draw attention away from troubling thoughts.  It also helps to reaffirm my commitment to positive causes and that gives an added feel-good bonus.

So next time you find yourself feeling low try not to linger in the moment.  Do something that helps to take your mind off any sad or worrying thoughts and onto something more productive and if that involves a kind act for another person then you will both benefit.