Why mood-manage?

Ever noticed how getting things done puts you in a good mood? 😉

Solve a problem – you get a mood boost. Something takes less time than you thought – literally you “squeezed” a few free minutes out of the universe – instant joy.

And what do you do off the back of that mood boost?

When you’re in a good mood very few things seem impossible and even those are just problems waiting to be solved. You feel you CAN do anything. And then you go and do it in less time than it normally takes you, right?

Why?

It’s those little chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin and endorphines running through your brain. Yup, we’re talking brain chemistry here.

I’m no neuroscientist, but effectively our brainchem changes when our mood does and vice versa.

You’ve heard of Amy Cuddy’s Power Posing and how the poses we take change our confidence levels and our body chemistry.

That’s what I mean. We CAN change how we feel.

Where do you get* those happy hormones/neurotransmitters** and what do they do:

• serotonin – associated with happiness, focus and calmness. NB! Can also be a sad hormone – a lack of sunlight may lead to lower serotonin levels, which is linked to feelings of depression. Too high serotonin levels may cause muscle spasms. WHAT TO DO: go outside, get that sunlight (or UV lamp for seasonal afflictions). If you’re NOT calm aka stressed out aka likely to have high serotonin levels, try massage or adjusting your diet (eat more tryptophan-containing foods);
• dopamine – associated with rewards and motivation; too much or too little dopamine in some parts of the brain are linked to depression, schizophrenia, psychosis & Parkinson’s. Too much dopamine is linked to aggression and poor impulse control. Dopamine imbalances are also related to ADHD and addiction. So, balance is important here. WHAT TO DO: Do things that make you feel relaxed – yoga, meditation, playing with your pet.
• oxytocin** – induces anti-stress-like effects such as reduction of blood pressure and cortisol (stress hormone) levels and it also increases pain thresholds. WHAT TO DO: give and receive affection – hug someone (for at least 20sec) or send someone a thank you text.
• endorphins – reduce feelings of pain, promote calmness and serenity, and relieve anxiety and depression. High endorphin levels can boost dopamine production (that’s why you get that relaxed feeling after strenuous exercise). WHAT TO DO: Do things that give you pleasure. Eating and savouring. Go to the gym or for a run. Endorphins are not called a “runner’s high” for nothing.

*Yes, there are also vitamin supplements, but we won’t go into those today.

**Not just hormones but neurotransmitters*** that allow our neurons to communicate better.

***Besides these 3 there are also GABA, ACH, adrenaline (which is also an endorphin), glutamate and histamine, but we won’t go into those either.

Bear in mind that the levels of those nice chemicals we need in our brain are INDIVIDUAL.

What this means is running may work for someone but others prefer yin yoga to calm the nervous system down – their levels of serotonin and dopamine may simply be different.

Sounds complicated?

Want SIMPLER hints & tips to MANAGE your MOOD?

? Feeling run down by your job and/or life?

Find or create something to look forward to. E.g. book a trip, call a long-lost friend and agree to meet up.

? Noticing only the bad things everywhere and in everyone? Hello, negative bias.

Find 1 good thing that’s come out of the bad. Better yet, find 3 as with negativity it’s the 3:1 ratio that helps.

? Can’t get out of a dead-end routine and miss that flow from your ideal deal when you were on vacay?

Start your day differently. Start it with something that boosts your mood. Go running. Read a book for 15min. Drink a cuppa on your porch/terrace. Something you need to do for you, not for others.

Then off that good mood go and move mountains.

Q: So, why is it important to mood manage?

A: So you could make time for the things you love.

#moodboosters #moodmanagement #timemanagement #selfmanagement #howtotipsandtricks