These 4 Micro Habits Will Instantly Lift Your Mood

There are days when I feel like I can take on the world. I’m in great spirits and my energy is overflowing. But on other days, no matter how disciplined I am, I can’t pull myself up by my bootstraps, and I struggle with motivation.

Being a writer and editor, I spend quite a bit of time in front of my desk. With that said, I need to put myself in the right frame of mind to tackle my work when I have to. For me, I usually dedicate my morning time to writing, so it’s crucial that I stay productive.

So on days when I’m not on top of my game, I’m looking for ways to hack my brain and feel better instantly.

Here are four micro habits that help me add a little pep to my step.

Moving Around

Even if you’ve had a good breakfast and slept well the night before, your brain may still not comply with your wishes. When you’re in low spirits, it can lower your motivation and impact your productivity. So to elevate my mood, I stand up and start moving around, sip my morning cup of coffee, and take care of light chores around the house. This does two things for me:

• Increases my blood flow
• Helps me to get tedious chores out of the way

Simple things like sweeping or mopping a kitchen floor or tidying up a room help prepare my brain for the work ahead. I find that after I’m done I feel better and can tackle my work with ease.

If you feel your mood is down when you wake up, think of chores you can do that require your attention. Pick those that will get you moving and your blood pumping. It could be anything, from moving things around your house, taking trash to the curb, or completing any other chore you need to get done around the house.

Listening to Music

For centuries, researchers have pondered the therapeutic benefits of music on our brains. One study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology found that listening to upbeat music can improve mood and boost happiness in as little as two weeks.

Music is a powerful motivational force in my life. It doesn’t only work when I want to relax — it also works wonders when I want to get my day rolling. I have two kids at home and sometimes performing repetitive chores every day can get boring. So thanks to music, I can hack my brain and tackle them in a breeze.

Often, when I do tedious mummy chores I put music on my speaker to lift my spirits and it works wonders. I choose music with happy and upbeat sounds to elevate my mood, so I find songs on YouTube with cool dance beats. Loud and upbeat music is my friend so I show no mercy to my speaker and crank up the volume.

Within a few minutes, I feel my mood change from dull to happy and I have increased motivation. In the end, not only do I feel more energized, I’ve taken care of the tasks that I wouldn’t otherwise have tackled without motivation.

Sipping On a Cup of Coffee

Coffee is known to have a positive effect on the brain. According to research, coffee not only has the power to increase mental and physical stamina but also helps to increase serotonin in your brain.

One study found that drinking one cup of coffee every 4 hours can sustain a good mood throughout the day. Moderation is the key, so don’t drink more than five cups a day.

Being an avid coffee fan, not only do I drink it to sustain my mental clarity and focus but also use it to give me a quick pick me up. Caffeine always comes to my rescue when I’m fighting a war with my chores and have to push myself to do something. A robust cup of coffee does the trick. It instantly lifts my spirits and boosts my motivation to finish whatever task I’m working on. Once I get my motivation back, I can then focus on more mindful activities such as writing.

Watching a Guided Imagery Video

There is plenty of evidence from research on how meditation can help decrease psychological stress and increase wellbeing. Watching short 5-minute videos with guided imagery can have a powerful effect on the mind and can lift your mood instantly.

According to research published in Frontiers in Psychology, participants who watched short videos that walked them through guided mental exercises helped them lift their moods and feel calmer. The videos consist of a series of guided meditations. They walk you through mental exercises, similar to those in face-to-face therapy sessions.

For example, one walks you through a viscerosensory exercise where you focus on your breathing and heartbeat. Another one is based on imagery where you shift your thoughts between emotionally positive, negative, and neutral situations (your loved one, your job, or a major stressful event).

According to Emily Fletcher, founder of Ziva Meditation and author of Stress Less, Accomplish More: Meditation for Extraordinary Performance, you only need a few minutes of meditation a day to achieve substantial results. In some ways, it can be more beneficial than sleep.

Fletcher states, “When you give your body the rest that it needs, it knows how to heal itself.” She says your brain is like a computer and every stressful event you have in your life leaves an open window on your browser. Meditation can help you close down those windows and bring you back to your natural state.

Here is a link to a quick 5-minute meditation video that you can watch at any time during the day.

The Bottom Line

Our motivation to work depends so much on how we feel. You may not always be in the right frame of mind to tackle the day, but you can boost your mood instantly with these micro habits. These small changes incorporated into your daily routine will help improve your mood and increase your motivation. They’ve worked for me, and I hope they’ll work for you too.