Quick Fixes for a Melancholy Mood

Wake up in a rotten mood? Or did melancholy descend upon you during the day?

Having a down mood from time to time is entirely normal. After all, you probably won’t feel deliriously happy with life all the time. However, when you have the blues, it can be difficult to shake it off. The good news is you have plenty of choices of things you can do to lift that melancholy mood.

Here are some ideas to discover your own mood-enhancing tips:

1. Call a friend. Although you might not be in a frame of mind to speak to someone, the fact is that a melancholic mindset offers perfect time to reach out to another person. Get hold of your sister, your best friend, or even your dad to hear about how they’re doing. A simple chat will revive you emotionally. Go ahead and pick up the phone. To continue to stew in misery will only make it last longer.

2. Talk about your feelings. It’s okay to tell someone you’re feeling down and out. Communicating will help you nail down why you might be feeling the way you feel. Getting it off your chest will help your spirits rise. Sharing a burden will make your spirits rise.

3. Ask yourself, “Why do I feel this way?” Once you determine the trigger for your blue mood, you might be able to do something about it. Approach solutions with an open mind. However, if you can’t figure out the source of your melancholy, that’s okay, too. Don’t get too hung up on something you’re unable to come to a conclusion about. Sometimes things need to marinate for a bit until a solution can emerge.

4. Notice what makes you feel better. Maybe when you’re reading a book written by your favorite author, your mood improves. Perhaps just after you arise in the morning you meditate for 10 minutes and when you’re finished, you feel more satisfied and calm. Partake in some activities that you already know, from past experience, are likely to help.

5. Consider taking a walk. When you’re feeling down, going for a walk might be just the ticket to “getting back on your feet.” If you can just get yourself moving (even if you don’t really feel like it), your body can release endorphins, the “feel good” hormones, thus, lifting your mood. Fresh air clears the mind.

6. Eat right. Make it a point to have a couple of fruits, 4 or 5 vegetables, and some protein from eggs, cheese, fish, meat, or poultry each day. We can probably all do better in this area!

7. Write it down. What are you really feeling? Label it. Why are you feeling this way? Describe it. How long have you felt these funky feelings? Jot it down. What can you do to feel better? Develop a plan and put it on paper. Journaling is a powerful exercise with tremendous benefits!

8. Give yourself a time limit. With a time limit on how long you’re allowing yourself to be in this mood, you might work harder to figure out the nagging issue and tap into your personal power to feel better. Tell yourself, “I will spend one-hour worrying about this, then I will move on with my life.” I call it timed fretting.

9. Call a professional. If you reach your time limit and still find yourself feeling melancholy, or if a deep depression lasts for more than a few weeks, consider calling a counselor, social worker, or life coach to help you get unstuck. Just making the decision to get help will take some emotional pressure off right away.

Even though you can’t always prevent developing a melancholy mood, you can apply some quick strategies to get your emotions moving in a more positive direction. Try these tips and discover your power to lift your spirits!

What do you do when you’re feeling blue? Are there certain things that instantly lift your spirits? What are things you might want to try when you’re feeling down?