Feeling anxious, sad, or angry is pretty common for most people, and this is particularly true during adolescence. There are a lot of transitions and stressors during these years! That being said, how you respond to these challenges can make a big difference. Moods can be made worse during periods of low activity, isolation, or withdrawal. Being active can improve your mood. Examples include being around people, engaging in physical activity, helping out at home or in the community. The more pleasant activities people do, the better they are likely to feel. The vicious cycle: For teens experiencing low mood, it can be “easier” to crash on your bed or avoid people and situations, rather than dealing with what is going on. While it is understandable to respond in this way, in reality, the less you do, the worse you are likely to feel. And then the worse you feel, the less you do. It is a vicious cycle that is not your fault. Simply getting active may help you break free from this cycle. While it sounds simple, it can be very hard for someone in this cycle to do. But, physical activity is the first thing we can do to improve our mood and break the negative cycle. This can include forcing ourselves to do the very thing that we don’t want to do.