Feel Better Fast: The 5 Things That Shift Your Mood Instantly

The Overwhelming Need for a Mood Shift [0:00]

• Mel Robbins addresses the widespread feelings of anxiety, irritation, tiredness, and being "flat" shared by over half a million people.
• She explains that the episode will offer five simple, science-backed strategies to feel better instantly.

  "Over half a million people responded. Let me just read you some of the words that kept coming up over and over and over again. Anxious, irritated, tired, stuck, flat."

Strategy 1: The 10-Minute Walk for a "Neurochemical Bubble Bath" [3:20]

• Feeling tired, flat, or sluggish is a common ailment.
• Neuroscientist Dr. Wendy Suzuki explains that moving your body, even for just 10 minutes, releases a flood of neurochemicals like dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline.
• This "neurochemical bubble bath" can improve mood, focus, and energy levels.

  "Every single time you move your body, you are releasing literally a flood of neurochemicals in your brain."

The Science Behind the Walk [4:55]

• The neurochemicals released, including dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline, make you feel good.
• Growth factors from exercise also contribute to brain health, particularly in the hippocampus.
• This natural release of neurochemicals is akin to taking prescribed drugs for anxiety or depression.

  "Dopamine, serotonin, noradrenaline, endorphins, growth factors."

Enhanced Focus and Energy from Movement [6:50]

• Exercise, even a 10-minute walk, improves focus by affecting the prefrontal cortex.
• Regular exercise can increase baseline levels of focus and attention.
• The increased energy experienced after exercise is likely due to the flood of dopamine and serotonin.

  "Improved focus is the most common positive effect that has been reported from studies of exercise on the brain."

Mel's Personal Experience with the 10-Minute Walk [9:00]

• Mel shares her own experience of feeling sluggish and burnt out, and how a 10-minute walk transformed her mood and energy.
• She emphasizes that even when the thought of walking feels overwhelming, the benefits are immediate and significant.

  "I'm going to walk back into work feeling like a completely different person. The research works."

Strategy 2: The Cold Shower Jolt [12:50]

• Feeling "stuck in a fog" or "in such a funk" is the second common feeling addressed.
• Dr. Suzuki suggests ending your shower with a cold blast to instantly wake up your nervous system and clear mental "gunk."
• This "hot, cold contrast shower" provides a natural adrenaline boost.

  "What I love to do to supercharge that adrenaline boost every morning is hot, cold contrast showers."

The Adrenaline Rush from Cold Water [14:00]

• The initial shock of cold water triggers an adrenaline release that can last for hours.
• This natural boost combats feelings of being stuck and helps you feel more energized and ready for the day.
• It's a powerful tool for shifting your body state and mood, especially during challenging times.

  "If I forget, I go back into the shower. I do. I do go back into the shower to get it."

Mel's Cold Shower Routine [15:30]

• Mel describes her personal practice of turning her shower to cold for about 20 seconds.
• She finds that even this short duration is enough to completely shift her mood and body state.
• She bets that this simple tool will work for anyone feeling crappy, flat, or drained.

  "Those 20 seconds are good enough to completely 100% shift the state of my body and my mood."

Strategy 3: Nature's Attention Restoration Therapy [19:00]

• Feeling "brain fried" is characterized by an inability to connect thoughts, forgetfulness, and irritability.
• This occurs when the brain takes in too much information for too long, depleting attention.
• Dr. Adam Alter explains that spending time in natural environments can replenish this depleted attention.

  "The thing about nature is that apart from actually being asleep, being in a natural environment is replenishing."

The Power of Nature and Attention Restoration [20:00]

• Natural environments offer "soft fascination" that restores attention, unlike the demanding focus required by screens and work.
• Studies show that even a view of nature can significantly improve recovery time from surgery.
• The sound of running water or the sight of greenery can have profound effects on well-being.

  "There's actually a whole body of research called attention restoration therapy, that focuses on exactly this idea that being in natural environments is one of the best forms of medicine we have."

Practical Ways to Connect with Nature [22:30]

• Make time to simply sit and absorb a natural environment, even for five minutes.
• If a large natural space isn't accessible, even indoor plants or the sound of a small fountain can help.
• Paying attention to natural sounds like birds, wind, or children laughing can provide a much-needed mental break.

  "Find a little patch of natural environment. And by the way, if you're in an apartment in a big urban environment and you don't have that option, even little trees, little plants that you have in the apartment, the sound of a little fountain that you have with running water, that stands in for that experience too."

Strategy 4: Becoming Your Own Cheerleader [26:00]

• Many people are tired of being too serious, holding everything together, and being hard on themselves.
• Comedian Chelsea Handler shares her journey of becoming her own best friend and cheerleader.
• This involves actively reminding yourself of your intrinsic value and celebrating your accomplishments.

  "I became for myself what I've tried to be for every important person in my life. My own best friend, my own cheerleader, my own listener, my mother, my sister."

Self-Compassion and Playfulness [28:00]

• Stop waiting for external validation and start hyping yourself up.
• Remind yourself that not everything is that deep and allow yourself to have fun.
• Engaging in "shenanigans" and not taking life too seriously can combat feelings of heaviness.

  "You need to remind yourself that you've got to get into some more shenanigans and trouble."

Shifting Out of a Bad Mood [29:30]

• When in a bad mood, avoid making the entire world about your negativity.
• Look up, ask for help, or help someone else to quickly shift your focus outward.
• Performing small acts of kindness can immediately improve your own mood.

  "The fastest way out of your own head is to put some love into the world around you."

Strategy 5: The "Ideal Day" Visualization [32:00]

• Feeling "heavy" due to fear, uncertainty, or sadness about the future is the fifth common feeling.
• Dr. Martha Beck, a renowned life coach, offers the "ideal day" exercise to envision a future that makes you come alive.
• This exercise helps shift focus from anxiety about the present to the possibilities of the future.

  "Without a destination in mind, it's really hard to step up to the starting line."

Envisioning Your Perfect Future [33:30]

• The exercise involves using your senses to imagine an ordinary day in your perfect life in the future.
• Focus on what you hear, smell, see, and feel, rather than overthinking or questioning how it will happen.
• This activates the right hemisphere of the brain, fostering creativity and reducing anxiety.

  "Your life is absolutely what it was meant to be. Every expression of your greatest joy and your greatest fulfillment."

The Power of Imagination Over Anxiety [37:00]

• Anxiety stems from the left hemisphere of the brain, which focuses on problems and fear.
• Engaging the senses and imagination activates the right hemisphere, promoting joy and a sense of meaning.
• By shifting your mental picture, you can change how you feel in the present moment.

  "Anxiety shuts down creativity, but creativity shuts down anxiety."

Embracing a Better Feeling Life [40:00]

• Mel concludes by reiterating that life is hard, but feeling better doesn't have to be.
• These five simple tools can help you tap into a stronger, clearer, and more energized version of yourself.
• She expresses belief in the listener's ability to create a better life by implementing these strategies.

  "And there is no doubt in my mind that if you do these simple things to make yourself feel better in your day-to-day life, your life will in fact get better."