January is well and truly upon us, and it is typically a month when we can find ourselves feeling a little more down than usual. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. With this in mind, took to social media to ask our community what they like to do when they need a little pick me up. Here’s the list of tips and tricks to help boost your mood:
By Elsa Tatam. Published 19 January 2024.
Quality time with friends - @whynot
Having friends can significantly contribute to your mental health and well-being in various ways. Here are some reasons why friends are good for your mental health:
- Increase your sense of belonging and purpose
- Boost your happiness and reduce your stress
- Improve your self-confidence and self-worth
- Help you cope with traumas, such as divorce, serious illness, job loss or the death of a loved one
- Encourage you to change or avoid unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as excessive drinking or lack of exercise
Friends also play a significant role in promoting your overall health. Adults with strong social connections have a reduced risk of many significant health problems, including depression and high blood pressure. In fact, studies have found that older adults who have meaningful relationships and social support are likely to live longer.
Put on your favourite song and have a dance - @oliver
Music has the potential to positively impact mood and contribute to feelings of happiness. Listening to music can evoke emotions, trigger memories, and create a sense of pleasure. In fact, playing music that you love can stimulate the release of endorphins- the body’s natural mood-enhancing chemicals.
For some people, listening to music can serve as a form of catharsis, allowing them to express and release their pent-up emotions. Whether it’s Taylor Swift or Slipknot, this emotional release can contribute to a sense of relief and happiness.
A few songs that we think would be an excellent start to your positivity playlist are:
- Walking on Sunshine (Katrina & The Waves)
- You Can Call Me Al (Paul Simon)
- Here Comes the Sun (The Beatles)
- Murder on the Dancefloor (Sophie Ellis-Bexter)
- Best Years of our Lives (Baha Men)
- Sun is Shining- Smoke Out Dubstep Remix (Bob Marley)
- Bejeweled (Taylor Swift)
Write down some things you’re grateful for - @stacey
Practising gratitude and writing down the things you're grateful for can have psychological and emotional benefits. Writing down what you're grateful for encourages you to focus on the positive aspects of your life. It shifts your perspective from what might be lacking to what you have, fostering a more optimistic outlook. By just writing down a few things you’re grateful for every day you can improve your mental health, with studies showing that this practice has resulted in decreased symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Make a to-do list and an action plan for the week - @muba
Creating a to-do list can be an excellent tool for managing stress, and as a result, boosting positivity overall. Writing down what you need to do creates a visual representation of your goals for the day or week, and this clarity can reduce ambiguity and create a roadmap for your activities. Another reason why creating a to-do list can put you in a better mood is that crossing items off your to-do list provides a sense of accomplishment and progress. This positive reinforcement can motivate you to continue working through your tasks and reduce feelings of stress. Breaking down larger tasks into smaller, more manageable steps on your to-do list can prevent a sense of overwhelm. It allows you to focus on one task at a time rather than feeling burdened by the enormity of a larger project.
A few other positivity boosters that our followers suggested were:
- Listen to music as loud as possible and start painting - @asha
- Watch motivational reels - @asma
- Smile, even if you don’t feel like it as it triggers positive hormones in your brain - @mugheeira
- Read a book that comforts you - @niharika
- Go out in the cold, and then get straight into a hot shower - @ella
- Phone a family member you haven’t seen in a while - @carmen
- Have your favourite hot drink - @naghoomi
- Listen to music or a podcast you enjoy and go for a long walk - @mia
- Spend time with people that make you feel better - @clarice
- Put on some karaoke and sing your heart out - @april
- Cook a healthy meal from scratch - @olivia
- Take your best mate out for a coffee - @rachel
- Write down some things you’re grateful for - @stacey
- Binge-watch your favourite sitcom - @august
- Get outside in the sunshine for a boost of Vitamin D - @tegan
If you’re one of our students and looking for more tips on boosting your positivity, remember you have access to our ULaw Wellbeing App, which provides a wide range of ideas and strategies to help you enhance your wellbeing and create healthy habits.
