Natural Remedies for Low Mood: Lift Your Spirits Naturally

By the Remedy Healer Editorial Team · Reviewed by Dr. Nanda Wickramasinghe · How we research

A flat, low or heavy mood can settle in for many reasons — stress, poor sleep, seasonal change, life circumstances, or gradual depletion. Natural approaches can genuinely lift mood, particularly when the cause is lifestyle-related or when low mood is mild to moderate. And for more serious low mood, they work best alongside professional support.

Exercise — the most powerful natural intervention

Exercise has one of the strongest evidence bases of any natural mood intervention — with some studies comparing its effects favourably with antidepressants for mild to moderate low mood. Even three sessions of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week makes a meaningful difference. Walking, swimming, dancing, yoga — movement you will actually do consistently is the best kind.

Sunlight and vitamin D

Light directly regulates mood through serotonin and melatonin pathways. Getting outside in natural daylight, especially in the morning, is one of the simplest mood lifts available. Vitamin D deficiency is common and linked to low mood — a simple blood test can confirm levels.

Herbs for mood

• St John’s Wort — the most studied herb for mild-to-moderate low mood; multiple trials support its use. Do not combine with antidepressants, oral contraceptives or blood thinners without medical advice.
• Saffron — emerging evidence for mood; used traditionally as a warming, uplifting spice.
• Ashwagandha — for low mood linked to stress and fatigue; see our ashwagandha guide.
• Rhodiola rosea — particularly for mood and energy when burnout or mental exhaustion is a factor; see our rhodiola guide.

Nutrition for mood

A Mediterranean-style diet — rich in vegetables, fruits, fish, olive oil and whole grains — is consistently linked to better mood and lower rates of depression. Key nutrients include: omega-3 fats (oily fish, walnuts, flaxseed), magnesium, B vitamins, zinc and vitamin D. Reducing processed food, refined sugar and alcohol makes a compounding difference. See our anti-inflammation guide.

Sleep, connection and stress

Poor sleep and low mood feed each other. Prioritising sleep is essential — see our sleep guide. Social connection is a deeply underrated mood lifter. Stress management reduces the cortisol-mood spiral — see how to lower cortisol naturally.

The Ayurvedic view

Ayurveda sees low mood through the lens of ojas depletion — loss of vital essence from overwork, stress or grief — and treats it with nourishing, grounding rasayana herbs like ashwagandha and shatavari, warm oil massage, community and purpose. Find your dosha and explore Ayurveda.

Frequently asked questions

References & further reading

• NCCIH — St John’s Wort and Depression
• NCCIH — Ashwagandha