Anyone else feeling the need for extra mood-boosting tactics lately? As the days get shorter and we enter the winter months while STILL navigating a pandemic, it's normal to feel a dip in energy and increase in general discontent. We thought we'd share a few of our go-to mood boosters that we're deploying frequently.
- Volunteer to attend an event at a local shelter! If you’re not able to do that, watch videos or look at pictures of cute animals on Youtube and Google. Local to Utah? Check out NuzzlesCo! We were happy to do this research for you... ;)
- Plan a Harry Potter Marathon! We do this from Thanksgiving to Christmas and usually do 1 per weekend and then binge-watch a few over the holidays. Feeling creative? Try a few muggle-approved Harry Potter recipes to round out dinner and a movie. You can't help but smile when you have a glass of Butterbeer on a Dorai Coaster.
- Take some Vitamin D and get out in the sun for 30 minutes. We love a potent Vitamin D3 with high-quality value and no icky ingredients. A few of our favorites are Mary Ruth's D3 + B12 Gummies and Thorne Research D-1000.
- Go to a thrift or consignment store, hunting for hidden treasures is exhilarating. Here's a helpful video for anyone trying to get into the hobby.
- Do a 20 minute HIIT workout, jog, yoga flow, or power walk, just get your heart rate up. We love MadFit for her fun workouts and options for low impact (hello, achy knees!)
- Put on a good podcast and organize your closet, bedside table, bathroom, or pantry. We've been enjoying implementing the tips (and endless containers) from The Home Edit on Netflix.
- Feeling in a mid-day funk? Take a reset bath to start over. Fully commit by using Epsom salt and a few drops of essential oils. Just make sure to avoid any bath products with added fragrances. No bath would be complete without a minimal Dorai Bath Stone to greet your feet when you reset your day!
- Take time to make yourself a fancy drink. Not only is the practice of making a fancy drink therapeutic, but showing love to yourself is proven to boost your mood. Lately, we've been avoiding the caffeine jitters from coffee by drinking more matcha. Pairing it with oat milk is our favorite. Here's one of our favorite tutorials.
- In a cooking rut? Flip through a new fall cookbook. We (social media manager Chloe + founder Kelsey) are obsessed with the "Wonderfall Cookbook" by The Gutsy Health. It has so many cozy, warming recipes that taste so good your mood will instantly be lifted. Plus, we all know good gut health affects your happiness as well! If you want to learn more about gut health, the authors of the cookbook, Tristin and Juanique Roney have a wonderful podcast on gut health.
- FaceTime or call a friend. These months of isolation are adding up, and whether you're starting to see friends from a distance or not, you're sure to have moments of loneliness. Exit your social media apps and FaceTime or call a friend to hear each other's voices and reconnect beyond emojis.
- Light a candle and read a book for pleasure. We'd recommend winding down and taking a healthy escape from life with a good story and a good scent. Some of our favorite books this year have been:
-"Becoming" Michelle Obama
-"American Dirt" by Jeanine Cummins
-"Maybe You Should Talk to Someone" by Lori Gottlieb
-"Daisy Jones & the Six" by Taylor Jenkins Reid
-"Such a Fun Age" by Kiley Reid
-"Talking to Strangers" by Malcolm Gladwell
-"Uncanny Valley" by Anna Wiener
-"City of Girls" by Elizabeth Gilbert
- Do a quick 10 minute guided meditation. Yes, this can be hard, but so helpful, especially if you keep it up! We love the Calm App for meditation, but YouTube has plenty of free meditations. Guided meditation is a great place to start, but remember that there's no wrong way to meditate. Well, unless you're on Instagram ;) Here's a great place to start!
- Color in a coloring book or do your own sketch! You can find free coloring pages to print out, check out one of ours, or draw your own! Fully committed? Check out a bookstore or head online to purchase a coloring book.