How to boost your mood in one minute!

By Dr Jemma Regan

This is a quick, fun activity I sometimes use with my clients to begin a session and open a channel for deeper exploration. Just write down all the things you enjoy. We often hear the word ‘gratitude’ and the phrase ‘count your blessings’. For some people, this way of thinking is considered too ‘new age-y’. Yet, if you asked any child to list things they like, they would have no problem. In fact, it would probably be difficult to stop them! So, why as adults do we often see the world with a negative lens? Essentially, counting our blessings is simply the adult equivalent. I dare you to start the clock for 60 seconds and write down your favourite things, whatever comes to mind. Here are mine….ok clock is ticking:

Walking

Running

Outdoors

Exploring the world and it's inhabitants

Nature

Music

Chatting endlessly

Listening to top 40 charts

Cartoons

Sincerity

Smiles

Kissing

Writing

Driving alone

Dancing

Laughing at silly things

My new nephew

Looking down over the clouds in an aeroplane

Discovering new places and people

Looking back at memories in photographs

Learning guitar

Balancing seriousness and silliness

Cooking

Eating

Tea and biscuits

Playing Tetris and the Sims

Times up…! I bet there are loads more you could have thought of, but ran out of time! On the surface, this is a simply a quick, fun activity.

If you have more time, you can explore your list more deeply. Looking at your list, you may realise many of these are simple pleasures. Some of them may be ways to feel happy without other people around or without lots of money, time or effort. The list may help you to access inner coping skills.

On a deeper level, it also raises the suggestion that if we perceive our time as limited, we are prompted to access happier memories/thoughts and behaviours. I bet if you were told you had ten minutes for this activity, you would have thought about it more, asked ‘does this make me happy?’

Think of this in the wider context of life. Sometimes the perception that we have unlimited time leads to contempt and complacency in how we perceive life. Recognition of our own mortality may allow greater joy and happiness in the present. Isn’t that something to be grateful for?