How to Stay in a Good Mood

Cultivating Happier Habits

Don't take love for granted. If you're lucky enough to have a special someone, then you should make your time together meaningful. Don't stop doing the things you love with the person you love, making time to say "I love you", or just spending time with your special someone. Being around your loved one and having positive interactions with him or her has been proven to make people happier, so don't shrug off this obvious mood-lifter if you have the chance to use it. If you do have a partner, then having regular sex, at least a few times a week, has proven to help people stay in a good mood, too! You may think that, just because your worries are work or school related, that your loved one won't be able to make you feel better about it. That's where you're wrong!

Get regular exercise. This will release endorphins that will improve your mood. Regular exercise is one of the most important habits that you want to cultivate. On average, you should get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day, but you don't have to do the same boring old thing every day. You can go running three times a week and walk the other four; you can do yoga four times a week and give yourself an off day or two. Just make sure to be as active as you can every day, whether this means taking the stairs instead of the elevator or walking instead of driving.

Spend time with your friends. Hanging out with friends will keep you feeling energized, excited about being alive, and like you're really spending time with the people who care about you. Of course, if you're always hanging out with friends when you have a free moment, you may actually feel a bit overwhelmed and like you have no time to decompress. Make sure you do make time to see friends at least once or twice a week, if you can. The next time your friends beg you to come out when you're feeling too lazy or sorry for yourself, come out! You'll feel better right away. Of course, if you're not feeling it, you don't have to hang out with your friends. But if you make spending time with friends a bigger priority, then this habit will lead to a better mood, long term. And hey, if you spend time with friends who tend to be happy and love laughter, then they'll make you feel happier, too. If you're hanging out with a bunch of Debbie Downers, then you won't be on your way to a better mood.

Get enough sleep. Make sure to sleep for at least 7-8 hours a day and to go to bed and wake up around the same time every night to get into a healthy routine. One of the easiest ways to stay in a good mood is to be well-rested. Waking up feeling full of energy will make you feel much more ready to face the day and much more excited about everything ahead of you -- and more capable of dealing with it. Make sure that sleep is a priority over watching late-night TV or doing other tasks you can save until the morning.

Think positive thoughts before bed and after you wake up. Read a good book or watch a feel-good movie and then journal before you go to bed. Have a positive conversation with your loved one before you drift off. Whatever you do, don't do anything too stressful, like writing a paper or upsetting, like watching crimes on the nightly news, before you drift off, or you'll be more likely to have bad dreams and restless sleep and to wake up cranky. When you get up, read a good book or the sports section of the paper. Also, give yourself a few minutes of peace before you turn on your phone or computer; this will help you feel like you're present in the moment before you really start your day. Try decreasing the amount of negative news you consume overall. Don't tune out major events, but don't constantly consume negative news, either. Negative information tends to be more memorable, and it can impact how you feel throughout your day. Try decreasing the amount of social media you use, too. Too much time on social media can make you compare your life to others. Since social media often shows the best parts of other people's lives, consuming too much can make you feel unnecessarily bad about your own life.

Have a healthy eating schedule. If you want to stay in a good mood, then you have to make sure to eat three healthy and diverse meals every day. Start off with a healthy breakfast, which can have lean proteins like turkey and healthy veggies like spinach, and don't skip this meal no matter what. Have light snacks throughout the day, like yogurt or fruit, to keep you energized, and avoid overeating or going more than three hours without eating at least a little something. Your energy levels affect your mood, and it's important to have regular and healthy meals to feel up to speed.

Hydrate. You may start to feel less happy because you're getting lethargic as a result of not drinking enough. Drinking a glass of water will instantly wake up your mind and body. Make sure to drink whenever you feel thirsty. Your body will let you know whenever you're feeling a little dehydrated.

Make time for your passion. Whether you're working on your novel or love sculpting, make sure to give yourself enough time to pursue your passion throughout the week, even if it feels like you have a million other things going on. At the end of the day, doing what you really love will make you feel better than doing what you really need to do, and if you want to be a happy person who is able to stay in a good mood, then you've got to make time for what you really love.

Volunteer. Giving your time on a regular basis will definitely make you stay in a good mood more often. You'll feel good about helping people, whether you're helping adults learn to read, cleaning up a local park, or volunteering at a soup kitchen. Helping people and making other people happier on the regular will actually make you happier, too.

Meditate. Take just 10 minutes out of your day to find a comfortable seat in a quiet room, focus on your breath, and feel each of your body parts relaxing, one at a time. Focus only on your breath rising in and out of your body and let the rest of your thoughts melt away. Making a habit of meditating every morning, evening, or whatever you feel like it has been proven to help people stay in a good mood. There are a number of smartphone apps available to help guide and time your meditations. These can be especially helpful if you're new to meditating. If meditation isn't your thing, you can also try yoga, which can also help you focus, unwind, and live a happier life.

Make a plan for the future. Though you may not be in a good mood just because you didn't get enough sleep or for another reason that can be addressed pretty easily, you may not be able to stay in a good mood because you don't feel a sense of accomplishment or fulfillment. Setting a goal, even a small goal, can help increase your self-esteem. If you think there are major reasons you struggle to stay happy, such as a dead-end job or a difficult relationship, try setting a goal to make a major change. Then, break your larger goal into smaller actions and focus on one action at a time. Every time you complete one, you will feel a little better and be a little closer to your goal.

Don't let the little things get to you. A lot of people lose their good moods because they get upset about things like losing their umbrellas, having a bad interaction with a mean coworker, or being stuck in traffic. Sure, these little things are annoying on your own, but you have to learn to remind yourself that in the long run, none of these things will really matter to you. Focus on the happiness of the bigger picture and learn to say, "Well, that wasn't great, but it's not going to ruin my mood!" It takes practice to be all zen and not let the outside world get to you. If you need time, take time to understand what happened, see how you can learn from it, and then move right on.

Lifting Your Mood in the Moment

Listen to some uplifting music. This may sound too obvious to work, but really, spending just a few minutes a day turning on your favorite music when you feel yourself getting cranky can make a big difference. Whether your definition of uplifting music is Rod Stewart or Pit Bull, blast your jams -- or use your headphones -- and see how much better you feel afterwards. If you sing along or even spontaneously burst into dance, you'll feel happier even faster!

Write down your thoughts. Whether you have a journal or a blog, making a habit of writing down your thoughts at least a few times a week can help you stay in a better mood. Journaling allows you some quiet time and lets you reflect on the things that happened to you so you don't feel overwhelmed by them later. It helps you focus on what is important to you and allows you to forget about your phone, your Facebook, or any other distractions in your life while you focus on the things that really matter to you.

Do something you've been putting off. Maybe you've felt your mood ebbing a bit because you've been putting off apologizing to that friend, calling that wedding coordinator, cleaning your room, writing that memo, or just doing something that has been nagging away at you for a few days. Though you may be dreading it, once you do it, you'll feel happier! You'll be surprised by the difference this makes in your mood.

Change up your routine. Doing the same things or being in the same environment every day can lead to things in your life feeling stagnant. Making even small changes to your routine, such as trying a new route to work or rearranging your furniture, can help lift your mood and add new mental stimulation in your life.

Spend time with your pet. If you're at home and feel a bad mood coming on, or if you just want to develop positive habits, spending some quality time with your pet will instantly elevate your mood. Just spending a few minutes cuddling with and petting your loved one can definitely cheer you up. And if you don't have a pet but know someone who does, hang out with your friend and his or her cuddly critter.

Be present. Living in the moment on a daily basis can really help you stay in a good mood. Instead of worrying about that thing you said to your friend two weeks ago or stressing out over that project that's due in three months, focus on whatever you're doing and give your energy and attention to it. When you're with your friends, give them all of your attention. If you're reading a book, put your phone away. If you're walking, notice the houses around you instead of fretting. Living in the moment like this will make a big impact on your mood.

Do a random act of kindness. Doing good things for other people will make you feel good. Whether you're picking up lunch for a sick friend, doing extra chores for your mom, or helping your neighbor water her lawn, just taking the time to care about helping someone else will help you get outside your own head, and actually will make you feel happier.

Take a walk. If you're suddenly feeling yourself get grumpy or sad, step outside for a walk. Just walking for twenty minutes will elevate your mood, give you fresh air, let you spend some time in the sunlight, and make you feel more energized for whatever task lies ahead. Don't think that you're too busy for a walk -- anyone has time for just a few minutes of outdoor walking, and it's guaranteed to make you feel happier and more productive. One of the reasons you may not be staying in a good mood is just because you've been cooped up working all day. Physical activity has been shown to directly impact your mood, so get up and get moving.

Take a break. Yeah, you've been typing for work for 4 hours straight and suddenly feel like you can't breathe and your soul is getting crushed. This is perfectly natural. Now, do something about it by taking a break, whether this means chatting up a co-worker, calling your mom, taking a walk outside to get coffee, or doing ten minutes of yoga. Just stop doing what you've been doing, and when you return to your task, you'll be feeling more alert and more ready to get back to your work.

Socialize (with anyone). Though talking to your friends when you're feeling low is a great option, they won't always be around. But socializing with just anyone, whether you take a few minutes to ask your coworker about his weekend or you chat with the barista at your favorite coffee shop, will elevate your mood, too. Just getting out there and talking to people will make you feel less lonely and isolated, and will keep you from being down in the dumps. You should make this part of your daily routine, especially if the work you do doesn't allow you to socialize too much.

Make a gratitude list. If you feel your good mood fading, take out a piece of paper and spend 5-10 minutes writing down all of the things you're grateful for. This can be anything from your health to the amazing ice cream shop across the street. Keep writing, no matter how small or silly you think the thing you're grateful for is. Once you finish your list, read it over -- see if you can keep yourself from smiling! It'll be impossible.

Touch your toes. Just stand up and bend down to touch your toes for a few seconds -- you don't have to actually reach them. This action wakes up the hips, where a lot of people store their tension, especially if they've been sitting for a while, and will make you feel happier. Once you get down there, slowly roll up, one vertebrae at a time, and you'll feel your outlook getting better.

Take a trip down memory lane. If you need a mood boost, pull out an old album or even scroll through your earliest Facebook photos. This will make you smile or even laugh as you think about old times, and will keep you from fretting or getting sad. Along with this, you should display your photos prominently, whether they are on your fridge or on your desk, because seeing them regularly and thinking of all of your great memories is guaranteed to make you feel happier, and to stay happy on a regular basis.

Mark an upcoming event on your calendar. Is there a concert you're really looking forward to in three weeks? Is your sister visiting you next month? Is your best friend getting married at the end of the summer? Placing events that you're really looking forward to on your calendar will make you think happier thoughts about what lies ahead, and will keep you more happy about the present, too.

Thank someone. Take the time to thank people for what they have done for you, no matter how small the act will seem. This will make them feel better, and will make you feel happier in the process. You can even write "thank you" cards to show your appreciation for all of the things people have done for you. Taking the time to do this will make you a more grateful person and will make you happy on a daily basis.