MoHow Posted by Dr. MO There are times when all of us feel down. Sometimes we feel overwhelmed, somedays we are sad, other times we might doubt ourselves and feel like giving up. When we feel this way a kind of heaviness, greyness and hopelessness can result.

These feelings can last if we don’t recognize their detrimental impact early and do some things to move us up and out of the doldrums. Here are five steps for you to take to break the hold of feeling low and to get yourself going again:

1. Write It Down. Sometimes we feel down because we are overwhelmed with all the things we have to do that we haven’t gotten around to doing. So all the “stuff” that’s in our head overwhelms us. Start by picking up a piece of paper and a pen, (Or using your MoPad if you are a www.maintainmomentum.com member) and make a list of the most pressing things you have to do. It may be work stuff, stuff around the house that’s bothering you, or a combination of these and more. Simply making a list can be a big relief….you’re getting things under control. You can see, right in front of you, what you need to do, and that alone can pick up your mood.

2. Get Going. If you’ve made a list, and you still feel overwhelmed, get started on the first thing you need to do. If it’s a big task, break it down and begin to do the small pieces, something just to get you started. Once you get started, once you get into action, you’ll feel better. Once you start doing something, you’ve created momentum, and that feels much better than lying around feeling sorry for yourself

3. Exercise. I know, you might not be in the mood for exercise. But just do it! Taking a walk, going for a run, going to the gym, whatever it is you do for exercise — get out and do it now! You don’t need to do a real hard workout, but the simple act of exercise can lift your mood immediately. Just do it!

4. Get out of the house and do something. Just getting out will change your mood. Staying home all the time can really get you down, and you may not realize this until you go out and do something.

5. Play some energizing music. I like Bob Marley, Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, or an uplifting Beatles tune, you have own brand of feel-good music. Whatever you chose, crank it up, and let yourself move to the beat. It may just be what the doctor ordered.