If you’re feeling blue, you’re not alone. An estimated 15 million Americans are living with depression. Brain imaging shows that depression is associated with an overactive limbic system, the area of the brain involved with mood control. Finding ways to calm this system is key to fighting gloomy moods. Here are six ways to boost your mood naturally.
1. Get off the couch
Exercise can be as effective as prescription medicine in treating depression. One study compared the benefits of exercise to the prescription antidepressant Zoloft. After 12 weeks, exercise proved just as effective as Zoloft in curbing depression. After 10 months, exercise surpassed the effects of the drug.
Physical exercise stimulates neurotransmitter activity, specifically norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. Plus, exercise can activate the same pathways in the brain as morphine, and increases the release of endorphins, natural feel-good neurotransmitters. That makes exercise the closest thing to a happiness pill you will ever find.
2. Kill the ANTs
Being unhappy isn’t just a mood disorder, it’s also a “thinking disorder.” ANTs (automatic negative thoughts) could be a big part of what is stealing your happiness. Negative thinking sours your mood and slows your thinking process. A study conducted at the Amen Clinics showed that negative thinking dramatically decreases activity in the temporal lobes (involved with mood stability and memory) and the cerebellum (involved with thought processing speed).
To boost your mood, kill the ANTs. When you feel sad, mad, nervous, obsessive, or just out of control, write down the thoughts that are going through your mind. The act of writing them down will help you take control over your mood.
3. Make connections
Being connected to other people helps heal the brain and makes you feel better. Love is as powerful as drugs, and usually a lot more fun.
The National Institutes of Health compared three approaches: antidepressant medication, cognitive therapy, and interpersonal psychotherapy (enhancing relationship skills). Researchers found the treatments equally effective in treating depression.
4. Let the sun shine
Studies have detected an association between low levels of vitamin D and depression. In one trial from Norway, subjects with vitamin D levels below 40 reported significantly more depressive symptoms than those with serum levels above 40. After supplementation with vitamin D for one year, there was a significant decrease in symptoms.
Experts estimate that more than half of the people in the world have insufficient levels of vitamin D. I recommend that everyone, depressed or not, get their vitamin D levels checked. If your levels are low, you should get 15 to 20 minutes of sunshine a day, and take a supplement as needed.
5. Eat your spinach
Foods that are rich in folates — such as spinach, broccoli, lentils, and avocados — may help fight depression. In one study, men with the highest levels of folates were 50 percent less likely to suffer mood disorder. Other research has found the corollary to be true — that depressed people tend to have low folate levels. Loading up on folate-rich foods is one way to
fight back. Taking folic acid supplements, the synthetic form of the nutrient, is another strategy.
6. Focus on healthy fat
Recent research has revealed that diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids may help promote emotional balance and positive mood in later years. A growing body of scientific evidence indicates that fish oil helps ease symptoms. One 20-year study involving 3,317 men and women found that people with the highest consumption of omega-3 fatty acids were less likely to have symptoms of depression.
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