10 Free Mood Boosts to Lift Your Spirits! - by Meli G

Many millions of people are currently struggling with mental health issues, especially in the U.S. Some people are thriving, no doubt, but overall there’s an exorbitant need for healthy mood boosts that are freely available to us all.

And not just temporary mood boosts that hijack and then crash our dopamine - or that drain our motivation - or that evoke shame. There’s a plethora of those being sold to us every day.

We know some of the most common addictions, which can be manageable for some in moderation: drugs, alcohol, gambling, porn, shopping, overeating, online games & video games, excessive social media use, and doom scrolling.

Nearly everyone has addictive inclinations. So there’s absolutely no shame, blame, or condemnation. For most of human history, people haven’t had to face such an onslaught of temptations. Frankly it’s amazing that even some people are doing well, considering the proliferation of distracting and sometimes destructive traps.

Many people are also uncertain about their economic future, fueled in part by the exponential growth of AI, which is compounding uncertainty about many people’s job/career/financial prospects.

Other stress-inducing factors include inflation, high gas prices, unaffordable housing, chronic disease, bankruptcies, and crippling debt. According to HUD (Dept. of Housing and Urban Development), nearly 750,000 Americans experienced homelessness in 2025.

Even with all this uncertainty, I’ve been trying to adopt an “abundance mindset” - and I do believe God and the Universe are amazingly abundant and generous - but it’s also hard to ignore the lived realities of so many wonderful people who are struggling to get by, much less get ahead. It’s been my experience for most of my life.

Additionally throughout my lifetime, I formed multiple unhealthy addictions to cope with a combo of stress, unresolved emotions, and unhealed trauma. I can’t blame myself. It’s human nature. It’s what I knew at the time. I tried blaming myself to fix these maladaptations. But we can’t “hate ourselves happy.”

Ultimately it was a combination of myriad negative consequences and a whole lot of God’s grace (& help from lots of people & periods of AA) that helped me overcome my addictions. Sometimes my life had to completely fall apart to catalyze such changes.

It’s definitely a process. And cutting out addictions can feel destabilizing without something to fill the “void” left behind.

Even if a habit or substance or behavior is harmful, the habit is generally fulfilling a need or providing temporary relief. Sometimes a habit is continued simply to avoid withdrawal, but withdrawal symptoms can be agonizing, including withdrawal from a host of substances, behaviors, and even medications. In fact, withdrawing from some antipsychotic medications or benzodiazepines can be worse than stopping heroin.

Thankfully there are other activities that help us cope with our mental health.

Talk therapy can certainly be helpful. But loads of people don’t have health insurance or even the means to pay for online therapy. Many people who are homeless don’t even have phones, much less access to apps like BetterHelp. People who are incarcerated also have limited access to such tools and resources.

Social connection is also beneficial, as we know. But this can be difficult for some people with severe mental health conditions, who have paranoia. This was me at a few points in my life while enduring manic psychosis (check out my article "The Overlapping Realms of Spirituality and Mental Health"). Some people also live in abusive home situations and feel quite isolated, or may find it nearly impossible to trust anyone. Thus it’s also helpful to learn activities we can do by ourselves as we heal.

Because the need is so immense for free mental health tools these days, I’ve created a list of 10 free ways to boost our moods. Of course there are many more, and I encourage readers to seek out as many options as possible. Different activities will resonate with different people.

Let’s get to it then! 🙂

1. Deep breathing: This tip may be obvious to some, but a reminder couldn’t hurt :) Breathing exercises have been proven to lessen anxiety by reducing the “fight or flight” response. Deep breathing can also stimulate the vagus nerve (which connects the brain to major organs), lower blood pressure, and improve heart rate. It can improve sleep. Help with concentration. Lower stress hormones like cortisol.

Breathwork can even induce altered states of consciousness via holotropic breathwork, which can facilitate trauma healing. There’s a long list of benefits for something that’s free!

2. Affirmations and Mantras: Some people argue these don’t work, but I believe that’s only the case if they’re wildly unrealistic and therefore cause cognitive dissonance. But affirmations helped me enormously after my manic episode and hospitalization. So much shame can accompany severe mental illness, but I was determined to feel better - for myself and my family.

I started repeating affirmations like “I love myself. I trust myself. I am safe.” Sometimes I would repeat each one multiple times: “I love myself. I love myself. I love myself.” I would do this multiple times a day. I was feeling better within days. I hardly do them anymore because they made such a difference to my mood and spirit.

Positive affirmations can help replace looping negative thoughts. The average person has 60,000 thoughts a day, most of which are repetitive and negative. Mindful awareness can catch these thoughts and replace them. It’s not about avoiding feelings (I discuss this below), but about re-writing our inner-dialogue to be much friendlier and loving and compassionate to ourselves - which ripples out to all those around us.

3. Getting outside in nature & into the sun: Watching birds. Or lizards or whatever creatures are around you. This can be hard in cities, undoubtedly. It can also prove difficult or impossible for people who are in jails/prisons/hospitals/rehabs/psych wards etc. I’ve been in jails and psych wards, which made me appreciate the outdoors more than ever. I also lived in NYC for 10yrs, which made it tricky to find greenery sometimes (esp in Bushwick, Brooklyn). But even looking at the sky and clouds has helped me.

Getting sunlight itself (again difficult in some places) is also incredibly healing and energizing. We can take precautions during peak hours, but the sun helps our immune system, lowers blood pressure, and it helps our bodies release serotonin. It’s also been proven to help skin issues like acne, psoriasis, and eczema (I battled with eczema for many years). It can also help improve circadian rhythms and sleep. Sweating out toxins is another benefit. I live in Florida these days, and this is a good way to re-frame the hot summers: that sweating is beneficial and some people even pay to go to saunas for the same effect ;)

4. Movement, Exercise & Stretching: these tips are pretty obvious too, but really can’t be over-stated. Even a 5-minute mini-workout helps me feel better. Exercise releases endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, and endocannabinoids. It reduces cortisol (a big contributor to belly fat). Improves sleep. And focus. The list goes on.

There are also movements we can do while sitting down and laying down. I realize so many people have mobility issues, including paralysis or injuries. Or people who are bed-ridden. Although much to my surprise, studies in neuroscience have proven that even visualizing the act of exercising has benefits.

Fascial exercises, in particular, were a game changer for me. Fascia is the connective tissue that runs through our entire bodies. It serves so many functions. Psych meds like antipsychotic medications can drastically impact movement (partly because of its effect on dopamine), so healing my fascia and loosening my constricted muscles were a must for me after experiencing debilitating drug side effects.

One fascial exercise is just hopping. So simple; I love it. I do other fascial movements, but the hopping alone has absolutely boosted my mood. And made me feel calmer. Fascial movements and myofascial massages (which we can do on ourselves for free) facilitate healing on a deep somatic level. I highly recommend the YouTube channels “Eligned” and “Human Garage” for workouts and info. Tai Chi and Qigong also work on the fascia.

5. Humming and singing: These activities stimulate the vagus nerve. They also release endorphins (natural painkiller & mood booster), along with oxytocin (the love and bonding hormone) and it reduces cortisol. Are we noticing a theme with the same neurotransmitters and hormones on this list? :) Circulation to the brain is also enhanced, while simultaneously improving HRT - heart rate variability. It helps open the throat chakra to boot!

6. Emotional validation and release: I believe it’s vital for us to “feel to heal.” Some people also believe that suppressed emotions are one of the biggest contributors to disease aka “dis-ease.” I wholeheartedly agree.

What’s been helpful for me is a combo of emotional validation AND positive affirmations. Thus whenever an emotion is arising - or I’m feeling off or irritated etc - I’ll give myself a few minutes to explore my feelings. I can’t always pinpoint what I’m feeling, but usually I can. Then I’ll name/validate/love/accept whatever emotion is arising - even if it’s “negative” like anger or jealousy. All feelings are welcome. And the more we love/accept all of our human feelings, the happier we can become. When I can recognize my feelings and give myself space to feel, it’s so helpful. Crying can be very cathartic and healing too. After giving myself space to feel, the emotions usually flow through me and are released after that.

It’s been said that emotions are “energy in motion.” Emotions are an incredible aspect of the human experience (they help us make decisions, create art, beauty, and to love others etc etc). But they’re meant to be felt and to continue flowing through us. When emotions are continually denied, rejected, hated, repressed, and the like - they don’t go away. They remain unresolved and often stuck in our minds and bodies. Lots of books have been written on this subject in recent years.

When I learned how to feel my feelings, it was immensely therapeutic. There are actually executive coaches who are paid big bucks to help CEOs to feel their emotions and to release trapped emotions from their mind/body/spirit. It’s truly a thing of magic!

7. Media Diet: Ever heard the quote,” What you consume, consumes you?” There’s also, “What you focus on, grows. If you focus on the problem, the problem grows. If you focus on the solution, the solution grows.”

Our thoughts have so much power. And many of the thoughts come from our childhood, of course, but can also be influenced by all the shows, commercials, songs, movies, and news stories that we've consumed. Our unconscious minds are like super computers. They record everything. This may seem daunting - the effect that media has on our psyches - but once we’re aware, we can begin ingesting information/entertainment/music that’s much more beneficial to our moods, thoughts, behaviors, and actions. You can notice effects instantly.

Our minds also struggle to determine what’s really happening as we’re absorbing information.

Consider this quote by author and scientist Dr. David Hamilton:

“It is completely normal for your mind and body to have trouble distinguishing between fiction and reality when watching a movie. Because your brain processes emotional and sensory simulation the same way as real-life events, it triggers authentic physical and emotional responses.”

That’s why watching or hearing entertainment (in the news, video games, movies etc) that features violence or invokes fear - can spike your cortisol, adrenaline, and other stress hormones. This can also increase aggressive thoughts and can de-sensitize someone to violence.

A study published by the National Institutes of Health states, “Prolonged engagement with violent images independently predicts higher scores on measures of anxiety, depression, and somatic stress symptoms.”

I realize this may be a tough pill to swallow for many. Sometimes entertainment is one of our only outlets, only to later find out how detrimental it can be. The good news is there is lot of entertainment online that’s much healthier. Music too, especially music with binaural beats and healing frequencies (whole topic unto itself).

Unfortunately a lot of music, especially popular music, is rife with repetitive, negative, and looping choruses and lyrics. Again, thoughts are very powerful. When we get lyrics stuck in our head that are negative, it has an effect (another topic unto itself).

I don’t mean to be a buzz kill here. I’m a huge lover of music, movies, and global politics. But for my own mental health, I had to begin filtering all the media/info that comes into my consciousness. I didn’t cut everything out. I just cut back on a lot of violent imagery, as one example. And it’s not that hard to do after some time, because it’s had a marked impact on my mood. I absolutely feel better now that I ingest consciously-curated content.

8. Prayer: For those who don’t believe in God, you can pray to the Universe or mother nature. Or the human collective. But just the act of thinking positive thoughts about someone or something has a positive energetic effect.

Prayer has been so meaningful to me. And if I’m going through something difficult, I pray for the millions of people who’ve probably been through the same thing as me. I’ve had times in my life when I felt so alone. But praying helped me feel connected. I never feel truly alone anymore. Every day I call upon God, Jesus, Mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, my spirit guides, my guardian angels and the archangels, and my higher self. I feel so supported :) I also love and appreciate spiritual figures and teachings from many paths across the globe, especially paths like non-dualism.

Research in the fields of quantum physics, quantum entanglement, morphic resonance - and even telepathy - have revealed just how interconnected we all are. And there are people out there who are praying for all of us. I pray for all of humanity every day. There are so many people in the world who care about each and every one of us.

9. Meaning, Purpose, and Service: After my hospitalization in the Fall of 2025, I felt horrible about myself and my life. I had lost so much after my manic episode. I hurt my family and the people around me. I was publicly humiliated. Honestly I’m so grateful just to be alive (thank God for my family and others who supported me). But I had to rebuild myself somehow. I started researching psychosis to help myself to heal. I also wanted to help others who’d also endured mental health crises (& their families & loved ones). That’s when I decided to start this blog. It’s been so therapeutic. And if my blog helps even one person to feel more uplifted and empowered, then it's worth it.

Our cracks are where the light comes in. Our biggest challenges, humiliations, and mistakes can be alchemized to help and inspire others. People who’ve been in prison can be some of the most inspiring guides, including those who were unjustly convicted, yet somehow found a way to find happiness after spending years or decades in solitary confinement.

Other people who’ve inspired me are people in wheelchairs, who are out and about - and greeting people with huge smiles. Or parents who’ve lost a child - and now help other parents through their grieving process.

The stories of inspiration are endless. So are the possibilities to overcome and transform ourselves for the better!

One other thing that helped me was picking up litter in my neighborhood. I don’t have a car, so I walk a lot. And I decided to make the most of it. Picking up litter is so rewarding to me. And it doesn’t involve signing up to volunteer anywhere (although volunteerism is amazing!) But it was such a simple thing for me to do while I was healing from psychosis. Soon after, neighbors started honking and thanking me for cleaning up the neighborhood, which was so lovely :)

10. Broadcasting Love: And to wrap up the list - love. This is my favorite one of all.

Love is the healing elixir of life. To put love into practice, I started saying in my mind, “I love you” every time I saw a picture of a loved one. I started telling the trees and the birds that I love them. I started loving my body and saying loving mantras to parts of my body, including my organs. It might sound funny, but this really helped! On my long walks in my neighborhood, I would pray for “love and blessings” for all the cars and people that crossed my path. I would pray for love and blessings for everyone in the grocery store. For the planes flying overhead. And so on.

I believe what we put out - we get back. But even if the love wasn’t reflected back to me (which it absolutely was :), I would still do it. People deserve love, especially with all the stress and trauma that so many of us have endured.

Thus sending out love has definitely boosted my mood. And I hope that if you give this one a try, that it will boost your mood too!

Thank you for reading and love & blessings to you & us all! :)

Photos in order of appearance: Sam Photography, Cotton Bro, Sara Er, Mart Production, Timur Weber, Ron Lach, Polina Kovaleva, Fotios Photos, Chris F, Aviz, Aviz, Olly, Nikita Kotrelev (2 media photos), Love to Smile, Alina Skazka, Vinicius Quaresma and Chris F