If months of health concerns, impaired social lives and altered work styles have cast a shadow over your normal good cheer, you are not alone—and as the daylight shortens and the cold deepens, it can be hard not to fall into a funk. Here are 10 easy ways to help you feel calmer, kinder, stronger and more joyful in just a few minutes each day.
- Take 5-Minute Brain Breaks – At least five times during the day, turn off your brain for five minutes. Close your eyes. Look at trees. Walk without listening to a podcast. Having just five minutes without major input is the best way to reset your brain and make you feel refreshed.
- Drink Flavored Water – Drinking lots of water is good for everyone. But adding flavors, such as sliced oranges, lemons, or cucumber and mint can go a long way to improve your mood.
- Buy a Plant – Plants help to brighten up a room—and studies show that merely looking at a nearby plant can lower stress levels and improve mood.
- Create Something – There’s a reason adult coloring books are popular. A playful, focused pastime can help ease your mind and your mood. Buy and arrange some flowers, create a photo album, or try some knitting or embroidery.
- Play a Board Game – Grab a friend and play, because there’s nothing quite like a fit of laughter while playing Apples to Apples or Pictionary, or a good-natured game of Scrabble or Monopoly.
- Try a New Dish – Look up a recipe for a dish you’ve never cooked or eaten. Spanish paella? Indian curry? French crepes? A new focus in the kitchen may be just the thing you need to open your mind and lift your mood.
- Donate Food – An estimated 50 million people could face hunger this year, and giving is a feel-good activity. Gather shelf-stable foods and deliver them to your local food pantry.
