10 ways to Jump-Start a Good Mood

Here’s a host of easy tricks that reduce stress and boost bliss – and don’t cause much time or money!

Chew on Chocolate There’s a reason why biting into a candy bar feels heavenly – chocolate sends feel good chemicals throughout your body.
Tune in, Chill out A study published that listening to slow-tempo music like classic or easy-listening songs reduce heart and respiratory rates.
Breathe deeply Recent research suggest that talking long, deep breathes for just 10 minutes a day can lower blood pressure. By breathing deeply, the body gets the oxygen it needs to function at optimum levels – plus the technique is free and portable!
Schedule a short Nap In research participants who nap for ten minutes in the afternoon experience a bigger boost in mood and cognitive function than groups who nap 5 – 20 or 30 minutes.
Get into the Glow Sunlight triggers the body to produce vitamin D. For most people, just 10-20 minutes will do. Lack of vitamin D has been linked to depression in some studies.
Stop and Smell the Herbs In a study the smell of lavender relieves feelings of tension after anxiety-provoking tasks. Get your favourite bath soap or candle in a lavender scent.
Bond with Bowzer Research found that a few minutes of playing with four legged friends’ raises levels of good-mood-inducing brain chemicals serotonin and oxytocin.
Shop Around Study shows that shopping releases the joy-inducing chemicals dopamine in the brain. Even browsing activates the pleasure center in the brain.
Hit the Pavement A recent study published that a 30 minute walk can bring on feelings of well-being.
Where a Rainbow Want a burst of peep? Sleep into something red and yellow. Research has shown that such “hot” colors trigger a chemical reaction in the body that mimics a mini adrenalin rush.

Testing the Five-Second Rule

You know the joke: If you pick up dropped food within five seconds, you can still eat it. Turns out, it’s not a joke – and you may have more time than you think. In an experiment at Connecticut College, a group of microbiology students left both wet food (apple slices) and dry (hard candies) on the floor of a cafeteria for intervals ranging from five seconds to five minutes. When they tested their samples for bacteria growth, they found it took 30 seconds for germs to appear on the apples and up to 5 minutes for the candies to become germy. Of course, you have to use good sense too. If the floor is dirty or pets walk in it, even a nanosecond could be risky.