Simple tips to help improve your quality of life

Constant deadlines, social media comparisons, rising living costs, and a seemingly never-ending diet of bad news - modern life has become a pressure cooker.

With so many people feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and running on fumes, it’s no surprise that struggling with mental wellbeing is increasingly commonplace.

But there are simple changes you can make that can have a big impact on your life.

Move your body

Physical activity helps reduce anxiety and boost mood by shifting your physiology and releasing natural feelgood chemicals like endorphins. You don’t need to run marathons or join a gym. Just move.

But the key is - if you can do it - outside. Being in nature lowers stress hormones and calms the nervous system. A 2015 study led by Gregory Bratman at Stanford University, USA, found participants who walked for 90 minutes in a natural setting showed decreased activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex - a brain region associated with rumination, which is linked to depression. In contrast, those who walked in urban environments did not experience these benefits.

It doesn’t have to be intense. A short walk (including with a pet or loved one), a light round of golf, or simply sitting in a garden can help. For those with mobility issues, even getting fresh air on a balcony or moving gently outside makes a difference.

Movement resets your system. Nature soothes your brain. Combine them, and you’ve got one of the simplest, most reliable ways to start feeling better.

Change your posture to change your state

When people feel down or depressed, you can usually see it in their body. They slump, look down, breathe shallowly. But posture doesn’t just reflect your emotional state, it helps shape it.

Shifting your body can have a powerful psychological effect. Standing tall, opening up your chest, breathing deeply, or lifting your gaze can start to shift your internal state, even before your thoughts catch up.

So, before you try to think your way out of a low state, try moving your body into a different one.

Look after your body to support your mind

While your diet might not be the root cause of your stress or anxiety, it absolutely affects how intense those feelings are and how well you can deal with them. We all know that large amounts of processed food, sugar, caffeine and alcohol can leave us feeling depleted, jittery or flat. But this isn’t just common sense; research backs it up. A 2023 study published in JAMA Network Open found a higher intake of ultra-processed food was associated with significantly increased risk of developing depression.

Sleep plays a part too. Poor diet often leads to poor sleep, and without that, your emotional regulation tanks. Research from UC Berkeley found that just one sleepless night can cause anxiety levels to spike by up to 30%.

Small changes can make a big difference. Swap one coffee for water. Add more colour to your plate. Cut back on sugar if you’re feeling irritable or wired. It’s not about restriction - it’s about creating the right environment for your brain to thrive.

Anchor positive states

When you’re in a negative emotional state-anxious, overwhelmed, or just flat - your brain tends to tune in to that same emotional frequency. It starts recalling every moment that matches - every past mistake, every bad conversation, every reason to feel worse. Your brain also has access to every positive state you’ve ever experienced. It’s just not currently tuned into them. That’s where anchoring comes in.

Anchoring is a simple but powerful process where you take a positive emotional state - confidence, calm, joy -and link it to a physical trigger. So, when you need to feel better, you can fire the anchor and shift state instantly. You’re not faking it. You’re just accessing a part of your brain that already knows how to feel differently.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Think of a time you felt amazing. Maybe you couldn’t stop laughing, or you felt proud, powerful, or deeply connected to someone.

2. Step into that memory. See it, hear it, feel it. Let the emotion build in your body.

3. As it peaks, anchor it. Press your thumb and finger together. Tap your chest. Squeeze your wrist. Keep it simple.

4. Repeat with other memories. Stack joy, love, calm, confidence - all onto the same gesture.

5. Use the anchor when you need it. Feeling anxious? Low? Disconnected? Fire the anchor and let your nervous system remember how to feel different.

This is a great short-cut for feeling better. If you find yourself starting to spiral or sink into a low state, use your anchor - and mentally switch the dial. Change the channel from the negative loop to a more upbeat frequency.

Check what you’re feeding your mind

If the first and last thing you do each day is scroll through bad news or compare yourself on social media, that’s going to shape your mood. A 2018 study from the University of Pennsylvania found cutting back on social media reduced both anxiety and depression. It’s not about cutting it out entirely - just be aware of what you’re tuning into.

Finally, try to limit distractions.

Constant pings, notifications, and background noise chip away at your focus and your calm. The more cluttered your world is, the more scattered your mind becomes.

Christopher Paul Jones is a leading Harley Street phobia expert and author of Face Your Fears - 7 Steps To Conquering Phobias And Anxiety.