Welcome to my blog page of 2023. Throughout the year we'll focus on emotional issues that affect most of us from time to time - and see how counselling therapy can help.
Most of us experience low mood from time to time and we anticipate that difficult circumstances can make us feel down for a while. Any type of loss or injury can cause upset, or sadness; we may experience low mood because we are unhappy with our environment or bored with our day-to-day routine. We do not all respond in the same ways to such challenges but low mood is generally expected to last a few days or from two to three weeks.*
Indicators of low mood Include:
anger and frustration
avoiding others
boredom
feeling hopeless
irritability
lack of motivation or purpose
loss of appetite or eating considerably more than usual
low confidence or self-esteem
over or under-activity
reduced focus
reduced libido
sadness
struggling to fall asleep/sleeping more than usual
worry or panic
It is sometimes possible to alter low mood, when you know the cause. You may be able to find practical ways to make changes to your lifestyle that will alter your mood for the better. Small changes to your diet, sleep and exercise habits or your workload, can make a difference. You can speak with your GP about possible changes you could make and you can find other ideas online.
Ways to lift your mood:
acknowledge your achievements
be in natural light
breathwork practices
do something you like
express gratitude
get active
listen to music
pay someone a compliment
take time for yourself or be with others
talk to someone
try something new
warm up/cool down
It's also helpful to consider a change in mindset. Low mood can feel oppressive or all-encompassing, so it's easy to forget that you have the potential for joy, even a moment of it. However, changing one small thing or focusing on something positive, even for a few minutes each day, can help to improve your mood.
There may be more significant issues, such as your choice of career, course of study, where you live or any relationship, that could benefit from a re-think or overhaul right now. Ask yourself what changes you would need to make to improve your life. Be practical: consider your happiness alongside your responsibilities.
It may be that your struggle feels too big to handle alone. You may be experiencing several difficulties. Perhaps you cannot identify what's causing your low mood. This is where counselling can help. A counsellor can assist you in identifying and understanding your feelings, and support you as you take steps towards a more fulfilling life.
*Low mood lasting more than three weeks, or that is reoccurring, is often diagnosed as depression. You could speak with your GP if you have experienced low mood for some time. A GP may recommend counselling or medication, or both as treatment for depression.
Click here to watch an NHS video on Self-help for low mood and depression
For information on counselling, follow these links to these past blog posts:
You may also find the following links useful: