10 ways to cheer yourself up!

Cheer up!

emotional wellbeing,healthy living Woman jumping in a star shape high into the air outside Put a spring in your step all year round with these 10 happy helpers

Wake up and shake up

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Exercising first thing will speed up your metabolism, burn fat and make you feel quietly smug for the rest of the day! Forget hours in the gym, even a 10-minute jog on the spot or a skip-and-stretch session twice a day – just enough to leave you slightly puffed – is all it takes to lift your spirits.

Fabulous fish

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During research into depression, scientists found that mothers who ate very little fish during pregnancy had double the risk of developing postpartum depression compared to those who ate fish regularly. Further research has shown that fish oil containing omega-3 fatty acids can act as a natural antidepressant by increasing levels of serotonin – the chemical in our brain, which naturally lifts our mood. Try eating oily fish like tuna and mackerel a couple of times a week.

Zingy shower

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Turn your everyday wash into a power shower with the right products and body revitalising techniques. Get the temperature just right – too hot and you\'ll feel drained, too cold and you\'ll feel uncomfortable. Make sure your skin is totally saturated before gently rubbing a body brush in circular movements from toes upwards to slough away dead cells and perk up your skin. 

Get down to get up!

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Download your favourite funky beats and pop them on the CD when you\'re in a blue mood. If you use public transport to get to work, turn on your MP3 player and zone out of the rat race, or if your children are playing up, get down with your \'happy CD\' and dance around, wallowing in the looks of joy (or disgust) on their faces! Bonus: dance for 20 minutes and you\'ll burn 120 calories.

Fashion fillip

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There\'s an obvious link between colour and mood, so wearing all black can bring you down when the weather is gloomy. \'10 Years Younger\' super-stylist Nicky Hambleton-Jones recommends adding a splash of colour with your accessories – a simple colourful handbag or scarf can make you feel happier. And if you\'re not sure what colours suit you, try standing in front of a well-lit mirror and holding different colours up to your face to see what brightens up your skin tone.

Girly gossips

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Janet Grantham, 26, from Newcastle, so enjoyed hosting a coffee morning for the Macmillan cancer care charity\'s World\'s Biggest Coffee Morning in September that she has been doing it every month since. \'We decide in advance who to raise money for – often it\'s an organisation within our community – and give as much or as little as we can while enjoying coffee, each others\' company and the added bonus of giving to a worthy cause.\'

Movie madness

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You might feel that your blue mood will never lift, but a funny DVD and a box of Maltesers (well, chocolate is a well-known mood booster) will soon have a smile on your face. Our office round-up showed Monty Python\'s \'Life of Brian\' and \'There\'s Something About Mary\' to be laugh-out-loud winners.

Nutrition nous

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Nutritionist Fiona Hunter suggests a healthy breakfast is vital for setting up a good mood for the day and, to back this up, research from University of Cardiff shows that people who ate breakfast were less likely to describe themselves as depressed or stressed. During the day a healthy carbohydrate-rich snack such as oatcakes, mid morning and mid afternoon, will encourage the brain to produce the feelgood hormone serotonin.

Erotic energisers

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Make yourself and your partner happy and stoke up your body heat with a sensuous massage by the fire. Set the scene with soft candlelight and stroke his body with deliciously scented oil like Body Shop Sensual Ylang Ylang Massage Oil, (£6.50 for 100ml). Concentrate on releasing tension in his neck, shoulders, arms and hands but make sure you steer clear of his sensitive bits or you might not get your turn!

Think yourself happy!

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Those who meditate regularly will tell you that you can create happiness from within and it\'s well worth trying. So, take five to 10 minutes, cross your legs and rest your hands in your lap, on top of each other palm upwards. With your eyes closed, breathe in deeply and exhale slowly. Feel yourself totally relax and concentrate on filling your body with positive energy with each breath.

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