10 Expert Tips To Feel Better Now

Feeling down? Stressed? Unmotivated? Here are ten ways to reevaluate and refresh your state of mind.

1. Take a step back

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Make a conscious decision to notice and acknowledge the many things you have to be grateful for in your life. This becomes a practice that re-trains your body and brain to look at and experience life through a more optimistic lens, which in turn, positively and profoundly impacts your physical and mental wellbeing.

- Lisa Ferentz, LCSW-C, president and founder of the Institute for Advanced Psychotherapy Training and Education.

2. Contextualize

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If you get caught up in what you are doing, mentally pull back to gain a wider perspective on the situation. How does this alter the rest of my life? What is the “big picture?”

- Richard W. Sears, PsyD, PhD, MBA, author of Building Competence in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy

3. Check your priorities

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From time-to-time ask yourself, “Is what I am doing really all that important?” You may be surprised to discover how often the answer is “no.” Take some time to think about what is really most important in your life and muster the courage to disengage when you can from the things that take away from what you value most.

- Richard W. Sears, PsyD, PhD, MBA, author of Building Competence in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy

4. Come to your senses

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If you are stuck in your head, worrying and thinking too much, bring yourself back into the physical world for a moment. Feel the physical sensations in your body, smell the air, gaze out the window, listen to some music, taste a cup of tea. Then, continue your day with a calm, fresh outlook.

- Richard W. Sears, PsyD, PhD, MBA, author of Building Competence in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy

5. Take a breath

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This one simple act of attention turns out to be a game-changer that prepares us to shift out of our survival default mode of stress and trauma into the conscious override mode of security and abundance. Breathing mindfully while slowing and deepening our breath cycle not only helps stimulate the calming portions of our nervous system, but also enhances self-awareness and activates the newest part of our brain that supports attention, empathy, and resilience. Being aware of your breathing prepares you to face life's joys and challenges in a richer, more proactive way.

- Joe Loizzo, MD, PhD, psychotherapist, founder of the Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science, and author of Sustainable Happiness

6. Smile like you mean it

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Gestures of body language - such as posture and facial expression - have a direct and potent effect on our mood, awareness, and neurochemistry. Being mindful of how we're inhabiting our body at any time and consciously remembering to choose more open, fluid, and joyful gestures is a very powerful way to shift our mindset and brain state from their reactive default to their proactive best. Smiling in self-compassion and gratitude can promote a deep, visceral calm while evoking feelings of care and love. You’ll be left with a sense of meaning and purpose that promotes optimal health and sustainable happiness.

- Joe Loizzo, MD, PhD, psychotherapist, founder of the Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science, and author of Sustainable Happiness

7. Move your body every day

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Just 30 minutes a day of brisk walking not only increases physical health, but it also stimulates mental clarity and calm, and promotes feelings of joy and vitality. Regular exercise has shown anti-depressant effects by reducing central nervous system inflammation and increasing hippocampal neurogenesis. So no matter how busy you are or how resistant to exercise, say “yes” every day to getting outside and moving your body toward greater health and well-being.

- Lisa Dale Miller, LMFT, LPCC, SEP, private practice psychotherapist and author of Effortless Mindfulness

8. Don't judge

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We constantly compare ourselves to others or compulsively weigh what’s happening right here and now against the past or an ideal future. This can create unnecessary stress. When you catch yourself making those kinds of judgments, stop and reflect. Are you being unreasonably harsh on yourself, or creating a standard that is too high?

- Richard W. Sears, PsyD, PhD, MBA, author of Building Competence in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy

9. Use blunders as opportunities to forgive yourself

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Life can throw you a lot of curveballs. You make inadvertent mistakes in your interactions with other people, or sometimes make poor choices that don't serve your best interests. When you stumble, the most important thing to do is respond with self-compassion and non-judgmental kindness, rather than beating yourself up or piling on the shame. This goes a long way towards restoring self-worth and allows you to turn mistakes into opportunities for personal growth.

- Lisa Ferentz, LCSW-C, president and founder of the Institute for Advanced Psychotherapy Training and Education

10. Recognise what you can and cannot control

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Life is not always easy. The reality is that sooner or later we will all face challenges we have no control over - for example losing our job, losing loved ones, or personal illness, aging and death. So what can we do? We can learn to mindfully acknowledge our experience with kindness and develop the courage to face our pain. We can take responsibility for what we can choose: how we deal with those challenges.

Although you might not feel like it, try treating yourself to a lovely smile and a kind wish every morning. And, of course, carry on wishing kindness to those around you. We’re all together in this imperfect life.

- Frits Koster is a vipassana meditation teacher and certified mindfulness teacher and healthcare professional