Mood-Boosting Hacks for Sustaining Happiness

It’s that time of year when the clouds roll in and the rain and snow begins. So here’s some tips on how to hack your happiness and improve mood during those winter blues…and all year long!

There are two major components of happiness:

HEDONIA – things that create a quick spike in pleasure or enjoyment (sex, good conversation, an impulse buy, a really savory meal).

EUDAIMONIA – comes from meaning and purpose, (personal growth, self-acceptance, life goals, and deep friendships).

Hedonia and eudaimonia feed into each other and add up to your overall happiness. Essentially, you want both in the right amount. Hedonia is easy to come by and short-lived and too much of it can lead to addiction. Conversely, eudaimonia takes a lot of work, and chasing your dreams without taking a minute to enjoy yourself can burn you out. Sustainable happiness comes from the BALANCE of pleasure and purpose. 

So how do you balance both in your life to optimally impact your happiness and mood? 

GET OUTSIDE: Especially in the morning and evening (rain, snow, or shine). This can help align proper circadian rhythm and ultimately proper cortisol and melatonin secretion at night.

EXERCISE: Studies show aerobic exercise makes you happier and more creative. Even if you don’t want to break a sweat, walking has been shown to relieve symptoms in depressed people. Studies shows that regular physical activity, including weight lifting, reduces the probability of developing depression while also relieving stress and anxiety. 

BELONG: Find a community to belong to. Humans are the most social creatures on the planet, so it’s no surprise that the strength of our connection with others plays a tremendous role in how happy we are. In the hierarchy of needs, a sense of belonging has been shown to be just as important as all other basic needs (food, water, shelter, etc.). When you connect with others on a deeper level, oxytocin increases, resulting in enhanced trust, kindness, empathy, gratitude, and a cascade of other emotions, all of which contribute to your overall happiness. Human touch, in particular, sparks mega oxytocin release, making it one of the fastest ways to bond with people. So give more hugs or take that acro-yoga class! And pick your friends wisely. A 20-year-long study of 4700 people found that how happy you are depends on the happiness of the people you interact with most. Find good friends, connect with them, and build a network based on love and gratitude. 

BE GENEROUS: Spending money on others seems to be universally satisfying. Studies in the US and Uganda – two vastly different cultures – found that in both cases, spending extra money on a friend is more satisfying than spending it on yourself. A brain-imaging study from 2007 revealed that generosity in the form of gift-giving also lights up the reward center of your brain. If you want to turn generosity into a habit, set aside a percentage of your paycheck to spend on other people. It doesn’t have to be much – 5% is a good number. What’s important is getting in the habit of spreading the love. 

BUY EXPERIENCES, NOT THINGS: Spend your hard-earned cash on experiences. Join a class. Book a trip. Take a friend out to dinner. View money as a tool to fuel your passions instead of a way to accumulate things. You’ll get more out of it that way.

PLAY: It’s amazing that I have to remind my patients time and again that it’s not all about the work and responsibility grind. It’s so easy to get caught up in our adult lives that we forget to enjoy ourselves. Work and other obligations can pile up quickly, and they’re important, but if we don’t balance them they can dominate our lives to the point of burn out. Take a hint from your childhood self and find a way to play every day. And having fun makes you about 12% more productive at work. 

LAUGH: This may truly be the best medicine of all. Researchers from Wayne State University showed that laughter decreases stress hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine, while also activating the brain’s reward system. Another study found that humor was at least as effective as exercise for improving mood and reducing anxiety.

RELAX/REST: It’s as important as working, and one feeds into the other. 

GRATITUDE: This is one of the strongest predictors of happiness. In a 2003 study, participants wrote down things for which they were grateful at the end of every day, things that annoyed them, or neutral things. After two weeks, the grateful participants were happier, more positive, more socially courageous, more likely to help others, and more emotionally open. They even slept better. It seems so simple, but gratitude is immensely powerful. Take a minute before bed to think about the good things in your life and the positive moments in your day.

INFRARED SAUNA: There’s a reason Finland is one of the most healthy countries in the world. For 5 million people, they have 1 million saunas! Infrared sauna elicits deeper tissue penetration than typical sauna, increasing good things like nitric oxide, circulation, TBARS (thiobartiburic acid reactive substances), which reduce oxidative stress. IR sauna also increases myocardial perfusion (i.e. supports cardiovascular health), and increases detoxification of unwanted metabolites. Add 8 minutes of sauna with a 2 minute cold shower (i.e. contrast hydrotherapy), 10 minutes of rest, repeat and you have just supported your mitochondrial function and immune health in a big way! There’s so much data around using IR sauna for mood. Wim Hoff anyone? 

FACE YOUR FEARS: Fear is a constant of the human experience. Before there is courage, there is fear. We're afraid of what other people think. We're afraid of losing our lives. We’re afraid of public speaking! Between the stimulus and the response we choose our condition. Using courage to overcome fear can actually impact mood in a positive way, by supporting rewiring of past traumas. Often if we push through our fears, there’s something on the other side of it and we realize that the more we expose ourselves to it, the less scary it is each time.

DANCE: I often ask my patients “what gives you joy in life?” It’s important to have a space to share joy, and dance can be one of them. Dance was actually the original healing modality that existed on the planet. Harvard came out with a longitudinal study where their big revelation at the end of the study was that the key to a happy and healthy life was meaningful relationships, and dance can be a great avenue for that.

PSYCHEDELICS: I’ll just leave this here. There is mounting evidence of their use in anxiety and depression. Stay tuned for a future post on this topic! 

MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION: Meditation has long been recognized as an effective way to improve symptoms of stress and anxiety by reducing cortisol levels. Clinical trials show that even brief meditation sessions can enhance mood and improve the ability to process emotions.

BOOST YOUR MOOD WITH SUPPLEMENTS: 

5 HTP: is what your body naturally makes from the amino acid tryptophan. From there, 5-HTP is converted into serotonin (a neurotransmitter responsible for boosting mood and emotional well- being) and melatonin (to support deep sleep).

L-THEANINE: is an amino acid that has been found to effectively relieve stress, enhance relaxation, promote optimal sleep, reduce anxiety, and lower blood pressure. Additionally, it has been found to modulate brain function, including brain waves. Several studies have found that L-theanine produces alpha waves without causing drowsiness. Alpha waves are neural oscillations that pulse at a frequency of 8-12 hertz. This is a state of mind that aids in mental coordination, mind-body integration, and a sense of calm. A lack of change to theta waves means that L-theanine doesn’t make you drowsy. 

VITAMIN D3: works less like a vitamin and more like a hormone, and is one of the most important supplements you can take (get your Vit D3 marker done and know your numbers). It acts on over a thousand genes and helps balance your hormones. Many people are deficient, particularly in the winter, and low vitamin D correlates with depression. Supplementing with it improves mood. Additionally, studies show levels above 55 can significantly reduce your risk of COVID-19! 

ASHWAGANDHA (Withania somnifera): is an adaptogenic herb historically used in Ayurvedic medicine to enhance well-being, support restful sleep, and reduce anxiety. In one double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 60 people with a history of chronic stress, those taking ashwagandha experienced a significant drop in stress and cortisol levels compared to those taking a placebo. One study found that people taking ashwagandha experienced a 56.5% reduction in their anxiety compared to just 30.5% in those undergoing psychotherapy. Another study showed a 44% decrease in perceived stress in those taking ashwagandha compared to just 5.5% in those taking a placebo.

PASSIONFLOWER (Passiflora incarnata): has been used for centuries because of its calming and sedative properties. Modern studies support the use of passionflower for addressing anxiety and insomnia. A randomized, placebo-controlled study published in the journal Anesthesia and Analgesia found that patients who took passionflower 90 minutes before surgery experienced less anxiety than those taking a placebo. During another clinical trial, Australian scientists evaluated the effects of passionflower tea on a group of 41 volunteers suffering from insomnia. At the end of the study, those sipping the passionflower tea experienced significantly better sleep quality than those in the placebo group. 

RHODIOLA (Rhodiola rosea): numerous clinical studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of rhodiola in reducing fatigue, while improving mood, attention, and cognitive function, particularly during times of stress. One recent clinical trial found that a daily dose of rhodiola reduced anxiety, irritability, tension, and a lack of joy in participants experiencing burnout. In an earlier study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research, 101 volunteers with chronic stress were given supplemental rhodiola twice per day for four weeks. All the subjects experienced an improvement in symptoms of stress in as little as three days following rhodiola intake. Another study examined the effectiveness of SHR-5, a standardized rhodiola extract, in alleviating mild to moderate depression when compared to a placebo. Results of the study concluded that 340 or 680 mg of SHR-5 per day over six weeks was effective in reducing symptoms of depression, emotional instability, insomnia, and somatization. 

SAFFRON (Crocus sativus): may improve symptoms of anxiety and mild to moderate depression by increasing dopamine levels, preserving the amino acid gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), and reducing cortisol. A meta-analysis of eight clinical trials found that saffron outperformed placebos and worked as effectively as the prescription drug fluoxetine to treat depression. Another meta-analysis of 23 studies reported that saffron was more effective than a placebo in treating symptoms of both anxiety and depression. The researchers noted that saffron also improved the effectiveness of antidepressant medications. 

PROBIOTICS: Studies show you need to love your gut bacteria to support your mood. So much research in recent years points to a strong link between what’s going on in your gut and various mood and behavioral disorders including depression. Gut dysbiosis (imbalance of the microbiome) sends signals to the brain via the central nervous system (CEN), triggering changes in your mood. A recent study found that transferring the fecal bacteria of depressed people to rats led to depressed behavior in the rats. Another study divided 40 healthy women into two groups based on their gut bacteria composition (this after analyzing the women’s stools). The women with a prevalence of one type of bacteria reported feeling less anxious, stressed, and irritable after looking at negative images compared to the other group, whose guts were dominated by a different kind of bacteria. Scans also showed differences in the women’s brains — those who said they felt less stressed showed lower brain volume in areas like the hippocampus than the other group.

At the end of the day, happiness isn’t something we find, it’s something we create for ourselves, and we have to keep fostering it. These are just some of the tools in the tool bag that you can incorporate, in any amount, to help support your mood journey all year long. 

References

http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/11427764

http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/31/3/240.full.pdf

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2465130/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1693420/pdf/15347534.pdf

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.04504.x/abstract

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v435/n7042/full/nature03701.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/690806

https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/psp-104-4-635.pdf

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17569866

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7156248

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23065655

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4319252/

Adijbade, M., Julia, C., Allès, B., Touvier, M., Lemogne, C., Srour, B., Hercberg, S., Galan, P., Assmann, K.E., & Kesse-Guyot, E. (2019). Prospective association between ultra-processed food consumption and incident depressive symptoms in the French NutriNet-Santé cohort. BMC Medicine, 17, 78.

Albert, P.R. (2015). Why is depression more prevalent in women? Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, 40(4), 219-221.

Apaydin, E.A., Maher, A.R., Shanman, R., Booth, M.S., Miles, J.N.V., Sorbero, M.E., & Helpel, S. (2016). A systematic review of St. John’s wort for major depressive disorder. Systematic Reviews, 5(1), 148.

Basso, J.C., McHale, A., Ende, V., Oberlin, D.J., & Suzuki, W.A. (2019). Brief, daily meditation enhances attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation in non-experienced meditators. Behavioural Brain Research, 356, 208-220.

Darbinyan. V., Aslanyan, G., Amroyan, E., Gabrielyan, E., Malmström, C., & Panossian, A. (2007). Clinical trial of Rhodiola rosea L. extract SHR-5 in the treatment of mild to moderate depression. Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, 61(5), 343-348.

Duncan, M.J. & Clarke, N.D. (2014). The effect of acute Rhodiola rosea ingestion on exercise heart rate, substrate utilisation, mood state, and perceptions of exertion, arousal, and pleasure/displeasure in active men. Journal of Sports Medicine, 2014, 563043.

Edwards, D., Heufelder, A., & Zimmermann, A. (2012). Therapeutic effects and safety of Rhodiola rosea extract WS 1375 in subjects with life-stress symptoms—results of an open-label study. Phytotherapy Research, 26(8), 1220-1225.

Francis, H.M., Stevenson, R.J., Chambers, J.R., Gupta, D., Newey, B., & Lim, C.K. (2019). A brief diet intervention can reduce symptoms of depression in young adults — A randomized controlled trial. PLoS ONE, 14(10), e0222768.

Fresán, U., Bes-Rastrollo, M., Segovia-Siapco, G., Sanchez-Villegas, A., Lahortigua, F., de la Rosa, P.A., & Martínez-Gonzalez, M.A. (2019). Does the MIND diet decrease depression risk? A comparison with Mediterranean diet in the SUN cohort. European Journal of Nutrition, 58, 1271-1282.

Gastpar, M., Singer, A., & Zeller, K. (2005). Efficacy and tolerability of hypericum extract STW3 in long-term treatment with a once-daily dosage in comparison with sertraline. Pharmacopsychiatry, 38(2), 78-86.

Gender and stress. American Psychological Association. (2012). Retrieved from: https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2010/gender-stress

Giacobbi, P., Hausenblas, H., & Frye, N. (2005). A naturalistic assessment of the relationship between personality, daily life events, leisure-time exercise, and mood. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 6(1), 67-81.

Giles, G.E., Mahoney, C.R., & Kanarek R.B. (2013). Omega-3 fatty acids influence mood in healthy and depressed individuals. Nutrition Reviews, 71(11), 727-741.

Global mental health: five key insights which emerge from the data. (2018). Retrieved from: https://ourworldindata.org/global-mental-health#note-4

Godos, J., Castellano, S., Ray, S., Grosso, G., & Galvano, F. (2018). Dietary polyphenol intake and depression: Results from the Mediterranean Healthy Eating, Lifestyle and Aging (MEAL) Study. Molecules, 23(5), 999.

Gómez-Donoso, C., Sánchez-Villegas, A., Martínez-González, M.A., Gea, A., de Deus Mendoça, R., Lahortiga-Ramos, F., & Bes-Rastrollo, M. (2020). Ultra-processed food consumption and the incidence of depression in a Mediterranean cohort: the SUN Project. European Journal of Nutrition, 59(3), 1093-1103.

Gordon, B.R., McDowell, C.P., & Hallgren, M. (2018). Association of efficacy of resistance exercise training with depressive symptoms: meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis of randomized clinical trials. JAMA Psychiatry, 75(6), 566-576.

Haskell-Ramsay, C.F., Jackson, P.A., Forster, J.S., Dodd, F.L., Bowerbank, S.L., & Kennedy, D.O. (2018). The acute effects of caffeinated black coffee on cognition and mood in healthy young and older adults. Nutrients, 10(10), 1386.

How much physical activity do adults need? Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/index.htm

Kaplan, B.J., Crawford, S.G., Field, C.J., & Simpson, J.S. (2007). Vitamins, minerals, and mood. Psychological Bulletin, 133(5), 747-760.

Kasper, S. & Dienel, A. (2017). Multicenter, open-label, exploratory clinical trial with Rhodiola rosea extract in patients suffering from burnout symptoms. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 13, 889-898.

Khaksarian, M., Behzadifar, M., Behzadifar, M., Alipour, M., Jahanpanah, F., Re, T.S., Firezuoli, F., Zerbetto, R., & Bragazzi, N.L. (2019). The efficacy of Crocus sativus (Saffron) versus placebo and Fluoxetine in treating depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 12, 297–305.

Khan, S. & Khan, R.A. (2017). Chronic stress leads to anxiety and depression. Annals of Psychiatry and Mental Health, 5(1), 1091.

Kimura, K., Ozeki M., Juneja, L.R., & Ohira, H. (2007). L-theanine reduces psychological and physiological stress responses. Biological Psychology, 74(1), 39-45.

Knüppel, A., Shipley, M.J., Llewellyn, C.H., & Brunner, E.J. (2017). Sugar intake from sweet food and beverages, common mental disorder and depression: prospective findings from the Whitehall II study. Scientific Reports, 7, 6287.

Lachance, L. & Ramsey, D. (2015). Food, mood, and brain health: implications for the modern clinician. Missouri Medicine, 112(2), 111-115.

Lopresti, A.L., Smith, S.J., Malvi, H., & Kodgule, R. (2019). An investigation into the stress-relieving and pharmacological actions of an ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Medicine (Baltimore), 98(37), e17186.

McLean, C.P., Asnaani, A., Litz, B.T., & Hofmann, S.G. (2011). Gender differences in anxiety disorders: prevalence, course of illness, comorbidity, and burden of illness. Journal of Psychiatry Research, 45(8), 1027-1035.

McMillan, L., Owen, L., Kras, M., & Scholey, A. (2011). Appetite, 56(1), 143-147.

Marx, W., Lane, M., Rocks, T., Ruusunen, A., Loughman, A., Lopreti, A., Marshall, S., Berk, M., Jacka, F., and Dean, O.M. (2019). Effect of saffron supplementation on symptoms of depression and anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrition Reviews, nuz023.

Movafegh, A., Alizadeh, R., Hajimohamadi, F., Esfehani, F., & Nejatfar, M. (2008). Preoperative oral Passiflora incarnata reduces anxiety in ambulatory surgery patients: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Anesthesia and Analgesia. 106(6), 1728-1732.

Murphy, M. & Mercer, J.G. (2013). Diet-regulated anxiety. International Journal of Endocrinology, 2013, 701967.

Nabb, S.L. & Benton, D. (2006). The effect of the interaction between glucose tolerance and breakfasts varying in carbohydrates and fibre on mood and cognition. Nutritional Neuroscience, 9(3), 161-168.

National Institute of Mental Health. (2018). Depression. http://www.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml

Ngan A & Conduit R. (2011). A double-blind, placebo-controlled investigation of the effects of Passiflora incarnate (passionflower) herbal tea on subjective sleep quality. Phytotherapy Research, 25(8):1153-1159.

Osher, Y. & Blemaker, R.H. (2009). Omega-3 fatty acids in depression: a review of three studies. CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics, 15(2), 1218-133.

Parker, G., Parker, I., & Brotchie, H. (2006). Mood state effects of chocolate. Journal of Affective Disorders, 92(2-3), 149-159.

Peluso, M. & Guerra de Andrade, L. (2005). Physical activity and mental health: the association between exercise and mood. Clinics, 60(1), 1807-5932.

Pratte, M.A., Nanavati, K.B., Young, V., & Morley, C.P. (2014). An alternative treatment for anxiety: a systematic review of human trial results reported for the Ayurvedic herb ashwagandha (Withania somnifera). Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 20(12), 901-908.

Rathod, R., Kalee, A., & Joshi, S. (2016). Novel insights into the effect of vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids on brain function. Journal of Biomedical Science, 23, 17.

Revadigar, N. & Gupta, V. (2020). Substance induced mood disorders. NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555887/

Savage, B.M., Lujan, H.L., Rhipparthi, R.R., & DiCarlo, S.E. (2017). Humor, laughter, learning, and health! A brief review. Advanced Physiological Education, 41, 341-347.

Scholey, A. & Owen, L. (2013). Effects of chocolate on cognitive function and mood: a systematic review. Nutrition Reviews, 71(10), 665-681.

Smyth, J.M., Johnson, J.A., Auer, B.J., Lehman, E., Talmo, G., & Sciamanna, C.N. (2018). Online positive affect journaling in th improvement of mental distress and well-being in general medical patients with elevated anxiety symptoms: a preliminary randomized controlled trial. JMIR Mental Health, 5(4), e11290.

Stathopoulou, G., Powers, M., Berry, A., Smits, J., & Otto, M. (2006). Exercise interventions for mental health: a quantitative and qualitative review. Clinical Psychology Science & Practice, 13, 179-193.

Szabo, A. (2003). The acute effects of humor and exercise on mood and anxiety. Journal of Leisure Research, 35(2), 152-162.

Szegedi, A., Kohnen, R., Dienel, A., & Kieser, M. (2005). Acute treatment of moderate to severe depression with hypericum extract WS 5570 (St. John’s wort): randomised controlled double blind non-inferiority trial versus paroxetine. BMJ, 330(7490), 503.

Turakitwanakan, W., Mekseepralard, C., & Busarakumtragul, P. (2013). Effects of mindfulness meditation on serum cortisol of medical students. Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand, 96(Supp 1), S90-S95.

Ullrich, P.M. & Lutgendorf, S.K. (2002). Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 24(3), 244-250.

White, D.J., de Klerk, S., Woods, W., Gondalia, S., Noonan, C., & Scholey, A.B. (2016). Anti-stress, behavioural and magnetoenchalography effects of an l-theanine-based nutrient drink: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. Nutrients, 8, 53.

Wu, R., Liu, L., Zhu, H., Su, W., Cao, Z., Zhong, S., Liu, X., & Jiang, C. (2019). Brief mindfulness meditation improves emotion processing. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 13, 1074.

Yang, Y., Kim, U., & Je, Y. (2018). Fish consumption and risk of depression: Epidemiological evidence from prospective studies. Asia Pacific Psychiatry. 10(4), e12335.

Young, S.N. (2007). How to increase serotonin in the human brain without drugs. Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, 32(6), 394-399.