15 Easy Mood Boosters Backed by Science for an Instant Emotional Lift

Ever sniffed your empty perfume bottle and it instantly brought back old memories?

Smells have this remarkable ability to evoke such vivid memories and emotions more effectively than cherished pictures or nostalgic songs. 

A 2016 study published in MDPI found that odors evoking positive autobiographical memories can boost positive emotions and reduce negative mood states, concluding that odor-evoked memory is closely linked to our psychological well-being.

Researchers also found that odor-evoked memories can trigger other energizing emotions, such as self-confidence, motivation, and vigor.

Chocolate's reputation as a comfort food is no marketing cliché; indulging in chocolate has been shown to boost the mood almost immediately, thanks to its incredible mood-altering properties (per Portage Path Behavioral Health).

Consuming dark chocolate in particular stimulates the brain to release “feel-good” chemicals like endorphins, the body's natural painkillers and mood boosters.

Eating chocolate also triggers our brain to release serotonin, known as the “happiness hormone.” 

More reasons to grab some chocolate even when you’re not sad: improved brain health, lower LDL “bad” cholesterol, lower blood pressure, reduced risk of heart diseases, and even protection against sun damage and healthier, more glowing skin (per Healthline).

People have always turned to music to regulate their mood and validate their emotions, and rightly so.

Putting on your favorite music has been shown to release dopamine (the “happy hormone”), which contributes to feelings of pleasure in the brain (per BBC).

Need some mood-boosting recommendations? A 2011 study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience found that people released dopamine when they got the chills while listening to certain classical tunes:

▶️ Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy,
▶️ New World Symphony - Movement 4 by Antonín Dvořák,
▶️ First Breath After Coma by Explosions in the Sky (per ABC News).

Brain teaser games distract your mind from negative thoughts in the most fun way possible.

A 2022 study in PMC found that those who played the puzzle game experienced improvements in both attention and mental health, along with decreased stress. 

You can play this classic game both digitally and physically with friends, though the latter might be your best bet for a lively, mood-boosting gaming session. 

Sometimes the classics work the best, and steamy showers always feel good when you’re under stress or feeling down.

Immersing yourself in hot water has been found to decrease stress, pain, and fatigue, and to improve both emotional and mental health (per Healthline). 

Nonetheless, you need to approach these soothing showers with caution, as they can dry your skin, cause irritation, and even increase your blood pressure.

Taking our blessings for granted and only complaining about the negative makes us feel worse instead of solving the actual problem.

In an eye-opening study titled Counting Blessings vs. Burdens by researchers Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough, those who focused on negative thoughts reported a significant emotional slump.

Meanwhile, those who acknowledged the blessings in their lives had an overall better mood, as discussed by David R Hamilton, PhD. 

“In a 2-week version of the study (with once-a-day journaling), the results were the same: gratitude lifted people up. Complaining dragged people down,” concluded David R Hamilton, pointing out, “It’s not about denial.

It’s about perspective. When you feel better, you cope better. And gratitude helps get you there.”

You can raise your dopamine levels by raising others’ dopamine levels, according to the findings of a six-week study involving around 500 participants (per Nutrition Health Review).

Those who performed small acts of kindness, whether directed toward the planet or toward other people, reported feeling happier and experiencing improved mood.

Surprisingly, those who treated themselves rather than doing so for others did not feel any better emotionally. 

Mood-enhancing acts of kindness included simple tasks like picking up litter, treating a friend to a cup of coffee, and helping a family member cook dinner.

Your closet might be worsening your depression. If your color palette only contains black and shades of gray, you may want to switch things up and start wearing more vibrant, eye-popping colors. 

According to color therapy expert Constance Hart, green is a “bridge color” that “helps create a balance between self and others” (per Vogue).

Pink is the “color of love and kindness,” while yellow is a “joy ray, a vibration of being happy and joyful, and stimulates mental clarity, giving you the ‘I can do anything and be myself’ attitude.”

Meanwhile, bold red is much like burgundy in its ability to manipulate mood and behavior, acting as a strong “energizer,” explained Hart.

Finally, the color orange “helps being social and it brings you out of being in your shell. It is the best color for helping you adapt to change.”

You can shake off your bad mood with increasingly popular exercises called somatic shaking.

“Somatic exercises strengthen the conscious connection between the brain and body, which helps release tension and restore natural balance,” explained Loren Hogue, co-founder of the NEUROFIT app (per Vogue). 

No fancy gym wear or equipment? No problem. “Simple practices like gently tapping the body, shaking the body, or butterfly movements are extremely effective,” Loren said, adding that 95% of the NEUROFIT community reported feeling “immediate” relief after only 5 minutes of basic exercises.

If you can’t lift yourself up, lift others up. Not only is giving someone a compliment a free act of kindness, but it has also been shown to improve your own mood (per Case Western Reserve University).

More reasons to extend compliments to those around you: it makes you feel more grateful, boosts your stress resilience and physical health, builds more connections, and spreads positivity in your day and others’. 

You’ve probably heard that crying makes you feel better, but what’s the science behind this confusing fact?

According to a 2014 study, heartfelt crying has a direct, mood-enhancing effect on the brain, activating the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which relaxes the body after experiencing overwhelming stress or danger (per Medical News Today).

A good cry can also cause the release of not just one, but two feel-good hormones, oxytocin and endorphins, quickly reducing pain and depression and promoting pleasure and well-being.

Moreover, shedding a few tears may boost your mood by releasing stress hormones and other toxins from your body.

For those feeling down and unmotivated, striking the so-called “superhero” pose might slightly improve their mood, which involves standing with feet apart, placing hands on hips, and expanding the chest. 

The power stance idea has roots in the early 2010s, as explained by Professor Ian Robertson of Trinity College Dublin and author of How Confidence Works, “A few studies seemed to show if you expanded your body position, it would change your psychological state.

Other studies showed that it could alter testosterone levels, boosting motivation” (per The Guardian).

According to Robertson, this fake posture can work since our emotional circuits and physical expression circuits are closely integrated.

“There’s a reason that ‘holding your head high’ has long been emphasized in military training and finishing schools,” he noted. 

As nonsensical as it seems, hugging yourself can actually do more than you think for your emotional well-being.

A firm, self-soothing hug makes you feel safer, more secure, and happier by lowering your cortisol levels (per Healthline).

Moreover, a 2011 study found that giving yourself a warm hug could relieve physical pain by confusing the brain about its source.

So whenever you feel sad about not having anyone to hug you, remember that you can (and you should) do it yourself! 

Reflecting on your unique core values and positive traits can instantly cheer you up, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

“Even brief, low-cost self-affirmation exercises can yield significant psychological benefits in terms of enhancing personal and social well-being,” explained study author Minhong (Maggie) Wang, PhD, of The University of Hong Kong. “More importantly, these benefits are both immediate and long-lasting.”
Examples of mood-lifting self-affirmations include:

It doesn’t matter if your smile is real or fake; you’re likely to feel happier in both cases, according to the findings of a 2022 study published in Nature Human Behavior.

Lead author of the international study, Dr. Nicholas Coles, a research scientist at Stanford University, explained to Medical News Today the potential science behind it: 

“A classic view is that facial feedback activates a biologically innate ‘switch’ (e.g., in the brain) that causes the full-body emotional response. However, this idea is controversial.”

The less controversial view, as he pointed out, is “that sensorimotor feedback from the face is simply a cue that our brains use to understand how we are feeling.

Sensorimotor feedback from a smile is a cue that tells us we are feeling good, and sensorimotor feedback from a scowl is a cue that tells us we are feeling bad.”