12 Different Approaches to Mood Boosting

Heather Callaghan

Were you surprised to see that 70% of Americans are on prescription drugs? A majority of them are anti-depressants which have dangerous and sometimes deadly results. Anyone who has ever visited SSRIstories.com knows what I'm talking about.

Well-meaning doctors don't often look beyond physical symptoms or even have time to inquire about your life or mindset. Anti-depressants, promoted by pharma reps, are sent home at the first sign of trouble - unhappiness. But aren't there many other ways to address mood issues? Actually yes, and this is only a sampling. It doesn't go into specific supplements, obvious benefits of a wholesome diet, or the hundreds of different works on spirituality, happiness, positivity, emotions, or the mind which may or may not help. This is to offer some modalities for quick relief.

The following modalities are dear to me - a list that narrows the scope a bit to techniques. I don't put all my eggs in any one, but I especially love the first five for addressing multiple issues. Look at them with fun and curiosity - take what you like a leave the rest. This is to show people that there are other options for when you're feeling low.

Truth and Peace: How To Be A Peaceful, Happy, Truth Seeking Activist

by Mark Daniels
Global Political Awakening

The people who are involved in some way with social and political activism must find a way to maintain a sense of peace and serenity in the midst of some rather troubling information and facts.  While seeking to expose government and corporate corruption, modern day eugenics and population control strategies, the global conspiracy to enslave the masses, and much, much more; activists, writers, journalists, artists and others must also take the time to "take care of oneself" physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  A balanced life is essential to maintaining the energy and strength necessary to push forward against the ever increasingly oppressive organizations and institutions whose members seek to protect and maintain their power and control.   As Zbigniew Brzezinski recently stated "There is a new and unique development in human history that is taking place around the world; it is unprecedented in reach and volume, and it is also the greatest threat to all global power structures: the ‘global political awakening.’ 


How To Be Happy


"Positive psychology is a movement in social psychology which attempts to change the way that we think about humans," explains positive psychology expert Shawn Achor. "Instead of focusing merely on the average, which is what we normally do in traditional psychology—we would find out what the average person is like, or how the average person responds—instead, what we look at are people who are up above the curve for some given dimension. Maybe that means that they are extremely energetic, that they are very happy, they’re very productive.  And our goal is to find out why that is."

In his Big Think interview, Achor, the author of "The Happiness Advantage," tells us that, unlike regular psychology, which focuses on the average or below average, he studies people who are in some way exceptional, with the hopes of applying that knowledge to the greater population. 

We can actually reprogram our brains to be happier, says Achor. "The brain is like a single processor in a computer." Someone who is chronically negative or pessimistic is merely scanning first for the stresses and the hassles of life. And because the brain has finite resources, it cannot also scan for the positive elements. As a result, that person continuously reinforces his own negativity, causing himself to feel unhappy. The key to positive psychology is training the mind to divert its resources in a different way, finding ways to be optimistic and reasons to be grateful. After a period of about 21 days, the pattern of positive thinking can be retrained permanently in the brain, something Achor calls the Tetris Effect. And he tells us five ways that we can be happier by harnessing this Tetris Effect. 

And you can not only change your own outlook but also influence that of the people around you, something that has always been known but never fully understood. It has to do with something called "mirror neurons" in your brain. "These mirror neurons are the reason why a yawn spreads at board meetings," Achor explains. "Your brian, when you see something in your visual field, raises the likelihood of your experiencing that as well." The same goes for positivity—as well as negativity—which is why leaders can have such a profound effect in business.  "You can have one person in the room that is very expressive of their negativity and stress and it can spread to the entire team," Achor says. He also gives several other pieces of advice about leveraging the happiness advantage in the business world. 

Ultimately, Achor wants people to understand that happiness should not be kept on our cognitive horizons; it is not something that will magically appear after reaching a certain level in a company or a school. "Happiness is a work ethic," Achor says. "It's something that requires our brains to train just like an athlete has to train.  

Training oneself to be happier is an essential ingredient in one's overall level of peace and serenity.  For a more in depth analysis, you can read Shawn's book, The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work.  Additionally, we may find solace in a spiritual discipline which can allow us to escape from the tireless efforts of fighting for peace and justice for all.

Of course, exercise and nutrition are basic building blocks for increased physical and mental energy which contribute greatly to one's overall level of happiness.

We must constantly guard against the tendency to allow our well-intentioned activism to direct and control our lives to the exclusion of personal peace and serenity.

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