10 Ways to Beat the Blues

Feeling low and out of sorts? Did something you wanted to happen just not happen. Or maybe it is the fourth rainy day in a row. We are not talking serious depression here but just the blues that we all occasionally get. Here are 10 ways to brighten a cloudy day -- or a cloudy mood.

Brittany Fenning, a Washington DC journalist, writes frequently about health.

Dating back centuries, meditation is a staple technique to fight stress, but new research suggests this behavior can even lighten your mood. A recent study at the University of Massachusetts found that meditation shifts brain waves from the stress-prone right frontal cortex of our brain, to the more relaxed, left frontal cortex, reducing stress, mild depression, and even anxiety.

While the thought of exercise can sound like a downer to a couch potato, research suggests getting your butt to the gym might just put a smile on your face. Daily exercise can help you fight depression, anxiety, and generally improve your mood, so turn off the TV and move!

While the thought of exercise can sound like a downer to a couch potato, research suggests getting your butt to the gym might just put a smile on your face. Daily exercise can help you fight depression, anxiety, and generally improve your mood, so turn off the TV and move!

Whether trying a new dish for dinner, or a listening to a new playlist on your way to work, variation in your daily routine can help the blues. "When you're unhappy, known things, familiar things lose their appeal. Novelty, on the other hand, becomes more attractive," explains Piotr Winkielman, psychology professor at the University of California San Diego.

Fighting off guilt after spending an hour on Facebook? New research suggests staying connected with friends and family isnt only good for the latest gossip, its actually good for your mental health. When someone is connected to a group and feels responsibility to other people, that sense of purpose and meaning translates to taking better care of themselves and taking fewer risks," explains Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a psychologist at Brigham Young University.

Your morning cup of joe might seem like the perfect anecdote to kick start your day, but research proves the opposite. Especially if you follow that first cup with three or four more during the day. Once the boost caffeine gives wears off, you can find yourself fatigued, irritable, and even depressed.

Enjoy belting out your favorite song while lathering up in the shower? Research at the University of Manchester shows the organ within your inner ear that responds to melodious sounds is connected to the area of the brain that processes pleasure, so whether youre Mariah Carey or Beyonce or not, a little singing can go a long way.

Get in touch with your inner creative and tackle that hobby youve been mulling over for years. Whether its finally learning how to knit, or joining that dance studio you drive by day after day, a new addition to your daily routine can give you something to look forward to and brighten up even the most dull or stressful weeks.