5 Small Things you can do every day to boost mood

By Lucy Boulton & Tracy Breuning BSc Hons, mBANT, CNHC - Nutritional Advisor, Bio-Kult (www.bio-kult.com)

We can all have periods of low mood, in particular in periods of uncertainty such as the current social distancing situation. A low mood will often pass in a few days or weeks. If these feelings are continuous each day or persist over a period of time then it is best to talk to a healthcare professional to support you.

Below are 5 simple things you can do each day to boost low mood.

Laughing Yoga: Laughing yoga is about deep breathing exercises and playful laughter and has been shown to have positive health benefits especially in stress management. Laughing forms strong bonds with ourselves and others. There are lots of videos online or find a local group at www.laughterassociation.com/. Look out for events on Sunday, 3rd May World Laughter Day.

Random Acts of Kindness: Research has shown that doing things for others can stop us focusing on our own worries and boost our mood. Research has even shown benefits to toddlers from acts of altruism.1 It could just be a thank you or a smile. It may be planting seeds in a pot for a friend or neighbour that will bloom in a few weeks. There are lots of suggestions at www.randomactsofkindness.org/.

Stay Connected: Studies show that as humans we like to feel we belong to something. Positive social connection, be it by post, phone, online or over a garden fence can boost our love hormone oxytocin, which increases self-esteem and optimism as well as dopamine, which can boost our drive.

Support your gut health: Around 90% of our feel good neurotransmitter serotonin is manufactured in the gut. Support your gut flora diversity with prebiotic foods such as bananas, apples, oats, asparagus, onions, garlic and leeks.  Try your hand at making fermented foods which is a great way to introduce beneficial species of bacteria to the gut. To make a simple Sauerkraut you just need a kilner jar, a white cabbage and some salt. Sauerkraut has been shown to have good levels of the beneficial Lactobacillus bacteria. 

You could also consider introducing a multi-strain live bacteria supplement, Such as Bio-Kult Boosted, containing 14 different strains, to support you gut integrity and microflora.

Mood Foods: Eating sugary and carbohydrate rich foods can cause a surge in blood sugar and temporarily elevate serotonin levels,2 but on the downside those foods tend to be pro-inflammatory which has been linked to low mood and depression.

Serotonin is derived from the protein Tryptophan and some foods we can introduce into our diet which are high in tryptophan are chicken, turkey, fish, cheese, eggs and oats.

As well as high Tryptophan foods research has shown other foods which can support positive mental wellbeing including omega 3 and vitamin D Foods high in omega 3 include cold water fish, green vegetables, grass fed meat, flaxseeds, chia seeds and walnuts.

Good food sources of vitamin D include salmon, mackerel, some mushrooms and fortified foods such as some dairy foods, cereals and orange juice. Interestingly, our gut flora balance appears to have an effect on vitamin D levels, and supplementation with live bacteria, such as Bio-Kult S.Boulardii (RRP £14.99, www.bio-kult.com) which also contains vitamin D3, has been shown to help increase levels.3 Non-food sources of Vitamin D include natural sunlight and there is much research on supporting low mood with natural light therapy. Get out into the daylight if you can or if not make sure you sit by a window during the day.  

Former Career Nanny and now Childcare and Wellbeing specialist at The Lady, Lucy Boulton has over 12 years experience with children of all ages, is a certified yoga teacher and loves promoting a plant based lifestyle brought about from her nutrition studies in the USA. Lucy is delighted to be offering regular features alongside helping families find the perfect nanny through the services provided by The Lady.

If you or someone you know is searching for an experienced Nanny, contact Lucy today on lucy.boulton@lady.co.uk