What Is Mood Health? Here Are 5 Ways To Boost Yours

You wake up in the morning, do your usual routine, and settle into work — but how often do you stop and take a moment to identify how you really feel? If I’m being honest, the answer is, well, never. In today’s fast-paced world, we’re all guilty of living on autopilot sometimes, but checking in with your mood can be an easy way to assess how your day will go. Great mood? Great day — and vice versa. That’s why it’s more important than ever to take care of your mood health the way you would anything else in your life, be it your focus at work or your stretch routine before a run.

But hear this: Maintaining your mood health is not to be confused with 24/7 cheerfulness. Instead, it’s about finding balance no matter what’s happening externally, whether you hit that personal record or, on the other hand, find yourself feeling a little down in the dumps. As with your physical and mental health, cultivating your mood health is essential for getting the most out of life.

To start, acknowledge how you’re feeling right now and then use that to determine what you do next in order to take care of yourself; this could mean cracking open a relaxation-enhancing drink, closing your laptop for a few moments of peace, or taking a deep, cleansing breath. With that in mind, TZR partnered with Soulboost to bring you five science-backed ways to give your mood a helping hand, making your day (and your life) that much better.

1. Hit Refresh With A Functional Drink

Bring on the good vibes with a wellness drink that works overtime. (For the uninitiated, that’s a drink that actually does something good for your mind and body.) Soulboost is a mentally nourishing, delicious sparkling water beverage crafted with proven ingredients such as L-theanine and Panax Ginseng that can help you nudge your mood in the right direction when you need it most. There are two benefits to choose from: Lift offers a mental stamina bump so you can rise to any occasion, while Ease helps you chill and unwind. Plus, the fruity flavors taste really good, which is an uplifting advantage itself.

2. Be Intentional About Gratitude

The good news about practicing gratitude on a regular basis? It’s an expert-backed way to boost your mood all day, every day. In fact, research shows that being intentional about giving thanks can create a feel-good cycle: Consistent gratitude improves life satisfaction, which in turn improves gratitude — and so on and so forth. While traditional journaling is a tried-and-true method, even taking a few seconds to jot down the family and friends for whom you’re thankful can do the trick — an easy hack for when you’re short on time. Try it first thing in the morning or right before bed to get you in a better headspace.

3. Get Outside And Get Moving

Certain practices are known for increasing your happiness, and taking a quick walk around the block is one of easiest and most effective. For bonus points, book it to the park. A recent study actually found that walking through green space can provide a mood boost comparable to that of a national holiday, like Thanksgiving, while another study concluded that spending as little as 20 minutes in nature could both improve mood and reduce anxiety.

No park? No problem. Research has found that just watching nature shows can improve mood, so in a pinch, queue up your favorite documentary and let the good times roll.

4. Try Deep Breathing

Depending on the method you practice, breathwork can do things like restore your energy or bring on all the calm vibes. So, if your day isn’t going exactly as you’d expected — maybe you woke up on the wrong side of the bed, or spent your morning on hold with customer service — hitting pause to do some breathing exercises could be just what you need in order to elevate your mood and restore emotional stasis before you dive back into the hard stuff.

5. When In Doubt, Head To Bed

It seems simple enough: When you’re well-rested, you generally tend to be in a better mood. (The opposite is true, too, as anyone who’s ever pulled an all-nighter can attest to.) But the connection runs even deeper than that. A 2020 study found that replacing late-night couch time with more sleep (or some light physical activity, if you’re up for it) was associated with a better mood, not to mention less stress.

So if you’ve had a day, consider this your cue to just call it a night. You’ll feel better in the morning — the science says so.