Natural Moodlifters

Well, I've had some incredibly good days recently.  I spent my last weekend in Italy in Florence goofing off with my Florentine friends, drinking and experiencing general hilarity. I've wandered around Rome and celebrated with coworkers and had the most amusing conversations with my roomies.  So I've been on a natural high recently. That being said, I'm going back to the states shortly and for a little while at least, I'm going to be short of good mood. It's hard to leave a place I love so much again.  I'm going home and it will be great, but I need to remember that when I'm facing the sadness of departure.
So I did a little research on natural mood lifters so maybe my mood will be more upper and downer while thinking about leaving. I'll share for anyone who might need some natural happy.

1. Eat often and eat light. Eating lightly and frequently means that you avoid the plummeting of your mood: aka the HANGRY state. Try to eat three to six small meals a day plus healthy snacks.
2. Cut back refined carbohydrates like soda, candy, cookies, and white flour. They might give you an immediate rush of happy feelings but will ultimately make you crash, and crash quickly.
3. Eat a small amount of lean protein with meals and snacks. Protein makes you feel alert and productive for hours. Being alert and productive general helps keep the sad vibes away
4. Eat omega-3 fats.  These foods lift moods and can actually help deal with depression. Omega-3 fats can be found in oily fish like salmon, canola and olive oils, as well as flax seeds and walnuts.
5. Add B-12 and folate (folic acid) to your diet. These nutrients help produce a neurotransmitter called serotonin which brings happiness with it. Try eating shellfish, fortified cereal, oatmeal, wheat germ, and vegetables because they are filled with these nutrients.
6. Exercise. Whether you go running outside, go lifting at the gym, go walk the dog, play a sport, moving will boost your mood and energy level!
7. Stick to a regular sleep schedule—even on the weekends.   This ones tricky for me, as I never accomplish it. But it's important to try and consistently get the sleep you need. 6 to 8 hours a day... and it's easier to do when you stick to a schedule. 
8. Go outside. Breathe the fresh air. Get out of the air conditioning. Get out of the office, or your bedroom and go outside.  The fresh air and sunlight will do you worlds of good.
9. Listen to music that you love. Sing along to your favorite music. Music can do a lot to make you forget your problems and concerns. Listen to anything that makes you feel good.
10. Indulge your senses. Sights, smells, sounds, tastes and tactile sensations can help to change your mood. Light a scented candle, bake cake or cookies (goodness knows i bake cookies and cakes a lot), back eggplant parmigiana (also a wonderful smell to fill the air) or soak in a scented bubble bath while listening to soothing music. Fill your senses with wonder. Distract yourself with the good things in life.
11. Do something that makes you happy. Take a break from work or stressful situations and do what you love to do. Read, cook some delicious food, watch something fun, go for a hike, play with the dog. That small break may very well help you be more productive when you come back to work. It'll help with concentration and efficiency. It's what I'm doing now instead of packing since packing was stressing me out.
12. Play with a furry friend. Just petting your dog or cat can lower blood pressure and can bring calmness, happiness and well-being to your entire being. This is one of the many reasons that I miss my puppy who's in NJ. I'll have him to cuddle with when I'm back...
13. Volunteer. There is nothing like the act of giving to those in need to make you feel appreciative of the life you lead. I've done it in the past and I would love to start up again when I'm back. 
14. Fake it till you make it. Researchers have found that the simple act of smiling seems to make the happiness centers in the brain turn on. So keep smiling and in time your mood will match your facial expression. I find this incredibly true!! I always try to smile through the sad. Smiling usually reminds me of the good and the reasons why I should be smiling.
15. Write in a journal (or a blog!!). I write about food because it's a great and productive distraction for me. I write fiction in notebooks, or complaints and rants.  I write because it's a way to give my brain space to be and say whatever it wants.  I find writing is a great way to distance emotion while giving voice to it. 

I found an article on sparkpeople years ago, that's very similar to this and it's advice that I've always found useful in the hardest moments I've gone through.  

Today, I walked 8 miles through the forum and Coliseum and then all the way home. I took a nap and I

cooked a good protein filled meal (pesto pork and pesto tortellini). Soo here's to tomorrow being a good day too.