Lockdown boost: The activities that improve your mood the most

Watching TV or films is one of the most popular activities Australians are turning to in lockdown, but a new study has found it’s not the most effective lockdown activity when it comes to boosting your mood.
Listening to music and cooking, which were also among the most popular activities in lockdown, proved better for improving mood.
Post-doctoral researcher of the MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Dr Anthony Chmiel, says active activities usually have the greatest mood impact, but not always.
“Listening to music is the most effective at making us feel better,” he told Ross and Russel.
“That is somewhat, on one hand, a surprise because it is a passive activity, and on the other hand it’s not a surprise because so many people report regulating their emotions and using music to make them feel better.”
In general, however, Dr Chmiel says choosing an active activity is advisable.
“What we’re finding is that those more active activities might be better than the passive ones … rather than just putting on a film, or TV, try and do some drawing or some photography,” he said.
Press PLAY below to hear more about the best activities for boosting your mood