Five instant mood boosters

Posted in Mom Stuff
by besttech

Thanks to a chronic sinus infection and a nasty bout of PMS, I’ve been in a foul mood all week. The stacks of papers, excessive conference calls and carpools with my husband aren’t helping matters.

I’m sick of being mad. So, instead of focusing on my empty wallet and idiot co-workers today, I’m getting positive. You can boost your mood too with these five easy tips from Shine (http://shine.yahoo.com/):

1. Clean up. Even a few piles of paperwork can make a busy day feel even more frantic. Sort everything that needs your immediate attention into a file folder and find a home for everything else in drawers, baskets or the trash.

2. Tune in. Put on some mood-lifting music to help you beat the blues. Keep a CD or playlist of pop, jazz, nature sounds or other favorite music nearby to play when your spirit needs a lift.

3. Laugh. Studies show that laughter not only has a big impact on your mood, it also relaxes your body.

4. Focus on color. There’s plenty of research on how color affects your mood. Blue is said to be calming. Red, exciting. If turquoise reminds you of the most relaxing vacation of your life, get a coffee mug in that color as a focal point when you need a boost.

5. Eat, drink and be merry. Being hungry or thirsty can impact your concentration and mood. A healthy snack of granola, dried fruit or oatmeal will fuel your body longer than a big, hunk of chocolate (sorry). And drinking a big glass of water (instead of coffee…sigh) will also perk you up.

–By Janel Jacobs, OrlandoSentinel.com/momsatwork

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Find more advice for moms at http://orlandosentinel.com/momsatwork