This message comes from Hyperfixed, a Radiotopia podcast. In each episode, host Alex Goldman sets himself on a listener's unsolvable problem and explores the hidden systems that created that problem in the first place. Subscribe to Hyperfixed wherever you get your podcasts. You're listening to LifeKit from NPR.

Hey, everybody. it's Mariel.

The other day I woke up feeling sad, and I wasn't really sure why.

It just got worse as the day went on.

I started wondering, what is bothering me?

Is it a dream I had? Am I stressed about something?

Some unresolved trauma I should dig up. Then around 2.30 in the afternoon, I finally had lunch.

I bit into a juicy salmon burger with pickles and aoli on top and realized, oh, I was just hungry. Yeah, bad moods, sometimes they have a big

underlying emotional reason, and sometimes there's a signal that we need to meet one of our

basic bodily needs, like eating or drinking water or talking to another human. Now, let me be

clear, it's okay to be in a bad mood. As we know from inside

out, all of our emotions, sadness included, serve a purpose. But let's say you want to pivot.

There are a lot of things you can do. On this episode of Life Kit with help from NPR Science Desk,

we are going to hand you a menu of research-backed mood boosters.

These are actions you can take when you've got less than 15 minutes to spend and you want to escape that gloomy cloud hanging over you.

Just a note here, none of these actions on their own can treat serious mental health conditions,

but they can supplement your pre-existing mental health routine and they can help you shake

off that bad vibe,

at least in the globe.

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