While many people turn to pharmaceuticals to get relief from depression and anxiety, it's possible to improve your mood and reduce anxiety without taking medications. Here are some of the best ways to improve your mood and reduce anxiety without medication.

These recommendations are not intended to replace professional medical advice, nor are they intended to replace prescription medication for clinical depression or anxiety.

Make Sure You Get a Good Sleep Every Night

While all phases of sleep are essential for a positive mood, REM sleep is especially important. However, you will not experience REM sleep unless you get a full and restful sleep every night. Follow these tips to improve the quality of your sleep:

• Avoid caffeine after 6 PM.
• Avoid drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.
• Do not look at electronic screens for 30 minutes prior to going to sleep.
• Try sleeping in a larger bed.

On average, people need eight hours of sleep at night. Some people need less sleep than this, and other people require more sleep. In addition, it is important to avoid sleeping too long.

While some over the counter sleep aids help you to get to sleep, they also reduce the quality of your sleep. If you use over the counter sleep aids, your mood might improve if you stop using them.

Choose the Right Foods

It's important to ensure that your diet contains a high level of omega-3s. Omega-3s protect the myelin in your brain, and help preserve a good mood. Other beneficial nutrients include magnesium, medium-chain triglycerides, vitamin B12, tryptophan, and calcium. Here are some nutrient-dense foods to turn to when you’re feeling blue:

• Asparagus
• Blueberries
• Chia seeds
• Dark chocolate
• Eggs
• Greek yogurt
• Honey
• Mussels
• Nuts
• Pumpkin seeds
• Salmon
• Swiss chart
• Tomatoes

Get Plenty of Exercise

It is essential to engage in exercise that improves the health of your cardiovascular system, improves strength, and improves flexibility. However, aerobic exercise improves your mood especially effectively. This is because aerobic exercise increases your body's level of endorphins. Some doctors believe that 30 minutes of intense exercise may be just as effective as medication for some people.

Yoga is a particularly effective form of exercise for anyone who wants to improve their mood. Yoga includes mental exercises that can work as powerful mood boosters.

Meditation

Meditation is highly effective at improving your mood. In addition to promoting a calmer state of mind, it also can produce insight into one's surroundings that can improve your mood. There are different forms of meditation to choose from. Meditation can be performed with the eyes closed or open. Also, some forms of meditation focus on reciting a mantra. This is often referred to as transcendental meditation, and it is known for being especially effective at improving your mood.