In this crazy time, it’s all too easy to become irritable and depressed. Many of us are still locked down, others are working but afraid for their lives. As the world around us slowly re-opens, we are venturing out, still full of fear and judgement of each other.

People are not sleeping well, not exercising enough, and eating far too many carbohydrates – comfort baking is at an all time high. It is well known that a combination of these factors is likely to lead to depressed mood. Just what we need when we are with our loved ones much more than we have ever been before. Alternatively, loneliness can be crushing for people living alone.

So what to do?

A great solution is to spend time each day writing down 10 things that you are grateful for, ideally in the morning to set the tone for your day. It is really not possible to be angry, resentful or scared at the exact same time that you are truly being grateful.

Your gratitude list can be very simple – I have written that I’m grateful for sunshine after a cloudy time, for rain after a dry period, for the shoes I use to run with, for my ability to run, for the clean water that comes out of my tap and the refrigerator that makes that water nice and cold, for drinking after that sweaty run.

I am willing to bet that you will find your mood lifted and improved after spending a few minutes writing down simple gratitudes. If you can go out into the sunshine afterwards, that may help as well. The most under-utilised antidepressant of all is exercise – if you can go for a walk, you should definitely feel better afterwards.

What other ways do you have to cheer yourself up and improve your day? Let me know!