Blog - Low Mood tips

Low mood can creep in quietly or hit all at once. It happens to most of us, sometimes more than once. Stress, loss, old patterns—or seemingly nothing at all—can trigger it. But what often keeps it going is how we think (cognitive aspect) and how we behave (behavioural aspect), when we’re struggling.

This blog is here to help you gently open that space back up to breaking our of unhelpful cycles. 

1. When Low Mood Settles In

Low mood and depression can arrive quietly or crash in suddenly. It pulls your energy inward, makes life feel heavier, and colours your thoughts in darker shades. You may move slower, lose interest in things you once enjoyed, or feel disconnected from yourself and the world around you. None of this means you are broken. It simply means you are overwhelmed, tired, or carrying more than your system can hold alone.

2. How the Mind and Body Get Caught in the Cycle

When mood dips, the mind often shifts into self-criticism, hopelessness, and “all or nothing” thinking. The body follows—feeling heavier, foggier, or tense. Because everything feels harder, it’s natural to pull back, rest more, cancel things, or avoid what feels too big. The trouble is that withdrawing too much can keep the low mood going over time. This is the cycle we gently and compassionately begin to loosen. See below for tips aligned with cognitive-behavioural therapy approaches to wellbeing. 

 

3. Creating Small Shifts in Daily Life

You don’t need a big plan. A small action is enough. A short walk. Washing one dish. Sending a message to someone kind. Stepping outside for fresh air. Lighting a candle. Playing one song that lifts you slightly. These small acts bring movement into places that feel stuck. They soften the mind, warm the body, and remind you that you can shift your state one tiny step at a time. A cognitive-behavoural approach highlights how taking actions despite how we feel can help shift our mood with kind and consistent action.

4. Reconnecting With Your Inner and Outer World

Low mood often disconnects you from both your inner wisdom and the world around you. Gently reconnect by slowing down and sensing what you need. Maybe you sit under a tree, breathe with the wind, or let warm water soothe your body. Maybe you journal, pray, meditate, or offer yourself one kind thought. The natural world is a quiet healer—its rhythms, seasons, and elements can help you feel grounded and held when your inner world feels scattered.

5. Exercise is key to healthy balance and impacts mood:

Adults should weekly aim towards the following - according to Live Well NHS health guidelines: 

  • Muscle strengthening: Aim to include activities that gently strengthen all major muscle groups — legs, hips, back, tummy, chest, shoulders and arms — on at least two days each week.
  • Cardio(vascular) exercise: Try to build up to around 150 minutes of moderate movement (like brisk walking, swimming, cycling), or 75 minutes of something more vigorous (like jogging, aerobics) across the week — whatever feels right for your body. 
  • Spread your activity across most days, ideally 4–5 times a week, so movement becomes a natural part of your rhythm.
  • Give your body regular breaks from long periods of sitting or lying down. Even small moments of movement (such as a short 20 minute yoga sequence), can help you feel more grounded and energized.
  • Exercise and working out can be supported by a coach, and most importantly, is sustained when you feel good after!

6. A Moment to Choose One Small Step

Before you go, choose one gentle, doable action you can take today—something that brings a little softness into your mind, body, and energy. You only need one. To help with breaking our of negative thinking, try creating an activity schedule for the week that offer a sense of achievement, bring you closer to people in your life, and that bring you joy.
Here are some ideas for activity planning: 

  • Write down any worries and tell yourself you’ll return to them tomorrow.
  • Meet with a friend for a hike in nature and find your favourite tree
  • Listen to gentle music, or create a feel good playlist to come back to, or nature sounds to settle your energy.
  • Do just one small task for a sense of achievement—washing a dish, stretching on a yoga mat, or tidying a neglected home corner
  • Meditate for even 5–10 minutes, letting your awareness return to your breath and detach from believing every negative thought
  • Try something new - a new class, hobbie, exercise routine, skill, artistic expression, instrument, book, path, park, country