What are the most important steps to take if you want to feel good from morning to night?

David Rakel, MD, spends his days helping people find out. He is the director of the integrative medicine program at the University of Wisconsin, and for him, feeling good means that your body and mind are working at their highest level and that you have an overall sense of well-being.

To feel good day after day, he suggests these tips:

Receive sunlight during the day.

Sunlight stimulates serotonin, a brain chemical, which plays an important role in helping you feel happy.

While you’re outside in the sun, take advantage of the time to exercise for an extra boost, says Rakel. Research has found that physical activity may work as well as medications to treat mild to moderate depression, and may work better than medications to prevent depression from returning. It can also help with your anxiety.

Get ready to sleep well.

At night, when the sky darkens, the brain produces a hormone called melatonin. This helps you feel sleepy. Some of your choices during the day and night affect your melatonin levels, which in turn can influence your quality of sleep. Rakel suggests that:

• Make sure you get that daily exercise in the sun as it also helps you sleep at night. In part, this is because “melatonin is related to how much serotonin you have,” says Rakel.
• Lower the thermostat. You produce melatonin when your body is colder, so you’ll likely sleep better if you’re not too hot.
• Turn off the lights. If your bedroom isn’t completely dark, you won’t produce as much melatonin.

Eat foods that make you feel good

The way you fuel your body and mind makes a big difference in whether you feel strong or weak, focused or groggy. Keep these tips in mind:

• Focus on “multicolored whole foods that were recently alive,” he says. That means fresh vegetables, fruits, and beans and whole grains instead of refined or processed foods.
• Leave room for cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and kale. “Those vegetables contain chemicals that support immunity and help detoxify the body. They are feel-good superfoods,” he says.
• Avoid foods that raise blood sugar, such as sweetened sodas and sugary baked goods. Your body will respond with a rush of insulin, causing your blood sugar to drop. These ups and downs are not good for your health, your concentration, or your energy level.

Stay focused on the present moment.

“If we can learn to recognize the mess our mind is in and learn to be more aware of the present moment, that can be a big plus for our overall sense of well-being,” Rakel says. The “disorder” that can make you feel bad includes regret about the past and worry that bad things might happen to you.

A practice called mindfulness can help you reduce clutter by keeping your attention on the present moment. To become more aware, try:

• Enjoy the colors, sounds and smells that surround you at any given moment.
• Pay attention to your breath entering and leaving your body for a few moments.
• Let worrying thoughts leave your mind when they arise, instead of paying attention to them and thinking about them.

Try to keep a positive attitude.

The same event can happen to two people, and one sees it as positive and the other as negative. So try to see the good side of the things and people around you; It can help you stay free of anxiety and depression, says Rakel.

Make a spiritual connection.

Rakel defines this as spending time on “that which gives meaning and purpose to your life.”It could be your religious beliefs, enjoying nature or sharing moments with your loved ones. “If we wake up in the morning excited about something that gives us meaning and purpose, our bodies do everything they can to heal,” she says.