By Vaughn Gray

1. Get Up and Move

Everyone knows that when they sit around all day their metabolism slows down and they burn fewer calories, and that this leads to weight gain. But inactivity also undermines mood. A slow metabolism translates into feelings of fatigue and lethargy. In addition, when metabolism slows down due to inactivity, it creates negative changes in brain chemistry as well. Just a little bit of movement can reverse these changes, lifting metabolism and brain chemistry, and helping you feel more alert, engaged, and positive. Take 5 to 10 minutes every few hours throughout the day to walk briskly or go up and down some stairs.

2. Get Some Sun and Fresh Air

Getting up and moving around anywhere is a great way to pick up your day. Doing it outside is even better. Human beings are simply not meant to spend their days indoors. When we’re cooped up in an office all day, our mood and energy levels invariably deteriorate. Getting outside even for a little while can really pick you up.

3. Practice Healthy Breathing

Poor breathing technique is a huge contributor to stress and fatigue. We’re meant to take each breath deep into the lower lungs (so called “belly breathing”) where our bodies are best equipped to take in oxygen. Because we sit at desks all day, many of us unconsciously lapse into shallow chest breathing. This subtly starves our bodies of oxygen. Lower levels of oxygen lead to higher levelsof stress and worsened mood. Check out our Breathing Tutorial to learn more.

4. Set Up a “Massage Exchange”

In chimpanzee tribes, much of the day is spent exchanging grooming favors. One chimp will pet and groom another for a while, and later they’ll switch. We could take a page from this. Grooming relaxes chimps and helps them go about their day. We humans may not need to be groomed (well, some of us anyway) but massage can accomplish the same things for us. A little shoulder rub helps to ease tension and causes feel good chemicals to be released in both body and brain. So find someone at work or school to trade back rubs with.

5. Turn Off the Television

A lot of us turn to TV for relaxation and entertainment. But the fact of the matter is that almost all TV falls well short of a walk in the park, listening to music, or good conversation when it comes to really helping us chill out and enjoy ourselves. This is especially true if what we watch on TV is full of violence and heavy drama. Programmers fill the networks with this stuff because it is captivating and brings in ratings. But all of the negativity we are exposed to through the news and violent shows subtly affects our mood and the way we view the world. Try taking a break from TV for a week, or at least take a break from the news and violent shows and stick to light comedy. See if your mood and outlook improve.