We all do it. Even though we may have it all, women still seem to struggle with feeling down in the dumps. Just yesterday I was driving down the road on the way to buy groceries for dinner. I had my healthy family at home, money to purchase my meal, good friends on their way to spend the evening, but somehow I found myself feeling overwhelmed and unhappy. There was no particular reason for me to feel that way, just an overall feeling of melancholy. Here is how I turned that frown upside down:)
Breath. Many of us are shallow breathers. Throughout most of the day we are only using 1/3 of our lung capacity. When you breath deeply, you bathe your cells in oxygen rich blood. When your cells are healthy, you body is more balanced. A low oxygen level also affects your brain's ability to function, which affects memory, concentration, and even mood. I like to take slow deep breaths to combat anxiety or mood swings, and fast short breaths to re-energize when I am tired.
Food. Nutrition is so important for your mood. When we are depleted, we are not only starving our stomach, but our brain and entire body. Chemically and physiologically, our body needs nutrients to supply essential keys to health. A balanced diet is a huge piece of the puzzle, however, soil depletion has changed the nutritional content of the food we eat. An apple a day today would not supply the same nutritional value as an apple 40 years ago. It is important to supplement your diet with vitamins. Not just any vitamin will do, I take vitamins that replicate the way minerals are bound in plant fibers. This way my body recognizes that they are food, so I actually absorb them. http://www.melaleuca.com/oligoresearch
Exercise. When we exercise our brain produces feel good chemicals. We generally don't feel motivated to work out when we are feeling down, but simply taking a walk and raising your heart rate can do so much to make you feel better.
There are plenty of ways to turn the dial on your smile meter. Here are a few of my favorites:
Positivity. I focused on what is good, what is going right in my life. When you remind yourself of all the reasons you have to be happy, you are actually forcing your brain to forge new paths. We have neural pathways in our brain, roads that connect our neurons. When we are predisposed to being negative, those negative pathways are well traveled. Think of a path through the woods where many travelers have passed. It is much easier to travel on a well worn path than to forge a new one with machete in hand. It's the same for your brain. If you "train" your brain to travel down the positive thought trail instead, that path will become easier and easier to use. https://socialanxietyinstitute.org/social-anxiety-chemical-imbalances-brain-neural-pathways
Breath. Many of us are shallow breathers. Throughout most of the day we are only using 1/3 of our lung capacity. When you breath deeply, you bathe your cells in oxygen rich blood. When your cells are healthy, you body is more balanced. A low oxygen level also affects your brain's ability to function, which affects memory, concentration, and even mood. I like to take slow deep breaths to combat anxiety or mood swings, and fast short breaths to re-energize when I am tired.
Food. Nutrition is so important for your mood. When we are depleted, we are not only starving our stomach, but our brain and entire body. Chemically and physiologically, our body needs nutrients to supply essential keys to health. A balanced diet is a huge piece of the puzzle, however, soil depletion has changed the nutritional content of the food we eat. An apple a day today would not supply the same nutritional value as an apple 40 years ago. It is important to supplement your diet with vitamins. Not just any vitamin will do, I take vitamins that replicate the way minerals are bound in plant fibers. This way my body recognizes that they are food, so I actually absorb them. http://www.melaleuca.com/oligoresearchExercise. When we exercise our brain produces feel good chemicals. We generally don't feel motivated to work out when we are feeling down, but simply taking a walk and raising your heart rate can do so much to make you feel better.
There are plenty of ways to turn the dial on your smile meter. Here are a few of my favorites:
- aromatherapy
- volunteer/help someone
- call a friend
- play with my cats
- play a game with my kids
- HUGS!
- Craniosacral or massage treatment
- take a bath
- go for a walk
- dance
- go on a date with the hubs
