Tackling Low Mood Symptoms

It's normal for each one of us to sometimes "wake up on the wrong side of the bed" and have low mood symptoms. Everything seems to get on top of us, and we have a bad day. They can leave us in an empty mood, where we believe we lack purpose in our lives. It is vital to tackle low mood symptoms, especially if they occur often. The reason being is that they can lead to serious mental illnesses such as depression. Here are some tips to help you when you are feeling low in mood.

Low mood symptoms vary from person to person. In general, low mood symptoms are classified as short term. These feelings can be problematic when they last for an extended period, or they happen frequently. When these emotions stay for a long time, they can become depressed. Low mood symptoms generally only last up to a couple of days, yet they are best resolved as quickly as possible. Some low mood symptoms may include:

• Sad
• Anxious
• Angry
• Frustrated
• Low self-esteem
• Low confidence
• Tiredness
• No energy
• Irritability
• Low motivation

When we are having low mood symptoms, we often feel like nothing is going our way. An excellent way to tackle low mood symptoms is to practise gratitude. Whether you are grateful for something as small as the sun rising each day or something more significant such as your career. It is irrelevant what you consider, as it all is important to you!

People who practise gratitude experience fewer low mood symptoms than those who do not. This is because they spend time focusing on positive emotions rather than dwelling on negative ones. Therefore, why not try gratitude journaling? Be specific in terms of what you write each day. Think about particular moments which made you feel good. Doing so will allow you to find the good parts of each day.

When we are having low mood symptoms, often our natural response is to isolate ourselves. Never mind socialising with friends, a trip to the local shop can be difficult when feeling low in mood. However, it is critical to combat the feeling of wanting to be alone. As uncomfortable as it is, you should socialise as much as you can. The reason for this is because being alone can lead to us feeling isolated.

Furthermore, feeling isolated dramatically increases the chances of falling into a depressive state. Therefore, try to make some effort with others, for example, make a phone call to a close friend or family member. Leaving your comfort zone in this way helps to feel better when experiencing low mood symptoms.

In addition, staying in touch will also help when you are feeling low in mood in the future. In other words, you need to stay connected with others to ensure they remain in your support network.

Alcohol is a depressant and, therefore, can make you feel down even when you were not feeling low in mood beforehand. For this reason, it is best to avoid alcohol when having low mood symptoms. Worst of all is that drinking alcohol can be very addictive. People often use it as a way of coping with low mood symptoms. However, this worsens their mental state and can cause many physical health problems as well. As a result, you become less motivated, and many parts of your life may suffer as a result. In short, alcohol doesn't solve any problems, so it is best to avoid it as much as you can.

There is no point in lying around feeling sorry for yourself. When experiencing low mood symptoms, the best thing you can do is get up and move. Exercise improves mood and increases energy. Therefore, get out and have some fresh air. In fact, why not incorporate this into your daily routine to prevent you from feeling low in mood.

Routines help us to structure our lives, so including positive habits will promote success and help with motivation. In addition, exercise will help you sleep better. Sleep is vital to fuel your body and mind for each day. Therefore, try to stick to a regular sleeping pattern, go to bed, and wake up at the same time each day. A pivotal tip to help fix your sleeping pattern is to avoid all technology an hour before going to bed. Doing so will allow your brain to realise it is time to slow down and sleep.

Our diet can significantly impact our mental health and wellbeing. The benefits of eating well are endless, for example:

• Increased energy levels
• Improved mood
• Better self-esteem and self-confidence
• Improved learning ability

Junk food will drain your energy and leave you feeling lazy and demotivated. It can be challenging to know precisely what foods are best to eat. However, you should make sure you focus on eating:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Low-fat dairy products
• Proteins, such as eggs, meat, and fish
• Healthy fats, such as nuts, dairy products, and oily fish
• Food rich in vitamins and minerals

Resilience is all about overcoming the setbacks we experience throughout our lives. As a result, we can bounce back quicker and get on with our lives rather than dwell on the negative things which have happened to us. Therefore, you should take steps to become a more resilient individual, such as:

• Learn from your mistakes. Do not consider your mistakes to be failures, rather see them as a learning curve. Your mistakes make you a stronger person, so use them to grow and develop to become the best possible version of yourself.
• Practise positive thinking. In other words, try to see the best in every situation. There is always a silver lining, so focus on that rather than thinking about the negatives. This way, you will learn to be a more positive person and therefore happier as a result.
• Set realistic goals for yourself. When you have goals, you won't have time to be feeling low in mood. However, you should ensure your goals are SMART. In other words, make them specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timed. This way, when you are experiencing low mood symptoms, remind yourself of your goals and get back on track to achieving them.
• Take time to relax. You will not be able to be your best self if you have too much on your plate. Therefore take some time to yourself to focus on yourself. Ensure you make time for your hobbies and interests. Why not practise some relaxation techniques, such as breathing exercises, meditation or mindfulness?

Nevertheless, if you have low mood symptoms very often or for prolonged periods, it is best to seek help. Therefore, if these tips don't work for you, speak to our Turn2Us Counselling Service that can provide counselling when you need it most. We are here to support you every step of the way.

If you are having suicidal thoughts or are self-harming please make an appointment today with your doctor or speak to emergency services.

Written by Amy Bamford