If you're anything like me, your mood shifts easily and often. Sometimes, it can be extremely challenging to break out of a "funk" – stewing in your own misery feels strangely comforting for some reason. Without the darkness, we can't fully appreciate the light – or so I'm told. 

Of course, there are the usual tricks to try when feeling down – get some fresh air, exercise, or talk to a friend. 

These are some tried and true techniques that always work for me which render me particularly self-aware, providing a great perspective on my situation, however big or small. 

1. Lie on the floor, turn off all the lights, and listen to some vibey, groovy, reverb-ey music. These albums are especially great: Garth Stevenson "Voyage", anything by Monster Rally, or Leonard Cohen.

2. Hop on a train somewhere while listening to an inspiring soundtrack, as you gaze out the window. Imagine yourself in a movie montage, en route somewhere exciting. 

3. Find a roof or mountain top and take in the view, and list 10 recent achievements worth celebrating. 

4. Come winter, seek out an indoor terrarium, and wander through the plants, taking in the humid air and calm of the surrounding greenery. 

5. Draw a bath, sprinkle the water with rose petals, Epsom salt and essential oils, pour yourself a glass of wine and make a charcuterie board. Luxury needn't be expensive and you'll feel like absolute royalty doing this.

6. If all else fails, put on some moving music, and let yourself cry. You probably need to release some pent up emotion.

What are your tricks?