Habits that affect your mood without realising
Habits that affect our mood are often ingrained into our daily lives, making them difficult to break or even recognise. Some of them we have power over, such as the time spent on our phones or the people we spend time with, and some we have no power over, such as the weather. In order to uplift ourselves in times of sadness, low mood or anxiousness, we can try to recognise some of the key factors that may trigger negative mood responses.
Weather
Ever heard of SAD syndrome? Yep! It’s a real thing. SAD syndrome is a type of depression related to seasonal changes. Often, we feel sad when the weather is miserable or grey, and happier when the sun is shining and we can feel the warmth on our skin. Whilst we cannot change the weather, unless we are fortunate enough to take holidays overseas whenever we feel down or in need of some sun, we can try some daily habits to support the absence of warm, happier weather. Our Kurami Nutritionist recommends taking a vitamin D supplement in the winter months to support your mood and to help the body carry out all the functions that it needs vitamin D for. As vitamin D is also considered a hormone, insufficient intakes can have serious effects on physical and mental health. In the mornings, if you find it difficult to wake up without natural light, there are plenty of wake up lamps that allow you to wake up in a more natural way in keeping with your body’s rhythms.
Lack of movement
When we exercise, we release endorphins that make us feel good, whether that be a run, a yoga session or getting our daily steps in. Staying stagnant for too long can leave us feeling sluggish and un-unergised, and it is advised we exercise for at least 30 minutes daily in order to support good cardiovascular health. Getting the blood pumping around our body is a great way to start the day and leaves us feeling satisfied and a sense of achievement.
Sleep
Poor sleep has the ability to impact our eating habits, motivation, energy, mindset and so much more. Whilst we might wake up feeling refreshed after 6 hours of sleep, and push it off as being fine that we need more than 3 coffees throughout the day, a regular habit of less than 7-9 hours sleep can be damaging to our mood, making us irritable and exhausted. Try to limit your screen time, choose a relaxing playlist, create a comfy sleeping environment and enjoy a warm bath or shower before bed.
Social Media
Body positivity, body negativity, online pressure and comparisons. The world of social media can be a daunting one! Mindless scrolling can send us into an abyss of negative thoughts, particularly when done first thing in the morning or last thing at night. If you are on social media and find yourself feeling ‘meh’ after a scroll, try to recognise the types of posts and accounts that make you feel this way, remove them and focus on more inspiring content. Online culture can be damaging, and so it is important that we try to eliminate the digital media that affects our mood in a negative way.
Do you think you have any of these habits engrained into your daily life? if you do, it's okay! Now is the time to recognise and monitor them to ensure we are being our most authentic and happiest selves. To find out more information, head over to our instagram where every week we discuss a variety of topics that you want to know more about.
