Get some fresh air

It sounds simple but most of us don’t get enough fresh air. Modern air-conditioned offices, public transport and pollution can all affect your mood. Taking a break to go outside will open your airways and supply more oxygen to your brain. Even opening a window in your office or turning off the air-conditioning in your car in favour of an open window or sunroof will help energise your mind.

Drink more water

Drinking plenty of water has numerous health benefits including:

• Helps to convert food into energy
• Helps your body absorb nutrients
• Makes your skin look younger and reduces dark rings around the eyes
• Assists in the removal of waste and toxins from the body

Exercise

Doing a little exercise every day will release ‘happy chemicals’. Dopamine is released into the brain which stimulates the feeling of happiness. Exercise also reduces stress and increases energy levels. Research suggests than just seven minutes of exercise per day is enough to alter your mood. Daily exercise is proven to help for sufferers of depression.

Call a friend

Give someone a call who you haven’t spoken to in a while. Have a real conversation rather than an email or text. Taking time to connect with someone will give you a lasting boost for the day. It may even brighten up some else’s day too!

Set yourself a realistic goal every day

Giving yourself something to achieve each day will help in two ways. The feeling of accomplishing a goal will give you a psychological boost and will give you the chance to get some small tasks done. Simple things like tidying your desk at work or bagging up those unwanted clothes for charity are good goals which are easy to accomplish even if you have a busy schedule. If you suffer from anxiety, seeing a list of goals being ticked off daily can be a great comfort.

Get some photos printed

With digital cameras, phones and social media memories can often be lost. Sitting forgotten on an old phone or dusty memory card. Take some time out to go through all those old photos. Copy your best memories to a zip drive and take them to your local supermarket or print shop. Get yourself a cheap photo album and over a glass or wine enjoy creating an album once again.

Give without expectations

Do something generous. Maybe buy a stranger a coffee. Stop for a chat with someone in need or give up your seat on the bus. But here is the catch. Don’t expect anything in return. Don’t post about it on Facebook expecting ‘likes’. Or feel you are entitled to some ‘karma’ in return. The reward comes in the pleasure of giving.

Focus on the breath

We have more modern technology than ever to help assist our busy lives, and yet a significant proportion of the adult population say they feel stressed on a daily basis. Take ten minutes a day to focus on deep, stomach breathing without being disturbed by everyday worries. Just ten minutes of mindful meditation a day has been proven to bring calmness and reduce stress levels.

Spend time with loved one

Taking time out to be with friends and family is crucial to maintaining wellbeing. We are social creatures and quality, social interaction is essential not just on mental health but has also been proven to have an impact on physical health too. Make time for a loved one today.

Read a book

24 hour media, the internet and devices such as smartphones mean that our concentration levels have decreased, we are now accustomed to digesting information quickly in small chunks. But nothing is better for relaxation and happiness than getting lost in a book, preferably in hard copy rather than electronic. Try and make 15 minutes a day for reading for pleasure.