Looking for a pick-me-up? One of the simplest science-backed ways to improve your mood is to get outside in nature—like these two hikers approaching a wind farm north of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in California.

There’s no shortage of hacks for boosting your mental health. Some are tried-and-true: exercise regularly and get plenty of sleep. Other approaches are not yet well understood, like taking magnesium supplements or plunging your body into frigid water. And then there are the methods that aren’t entirely legal (for now) like microdosing psychedelics.

But over the years, my colleagues have reported on other self-care tips that are backed by science and fairly easy to access. I’ve been tapping into some of them these past few weeks after a cold, dark January that felt like an eternity. Maybe you could use them too?

Granted, some of these tips are only going to get you so far if you’re going through something really heavy (or if you’re just worn down by the neverending Dumpster fire of global events). In a world where there’s not much you can control, here are some of my favorite things that you can:

1. Spend more time in nature

Look, we’re National Geographic—surely you’re not surprised that getting outside is first on this list. But there’s overwhelming evidence that it really can help reduce stress, improve your mood, and even keep you healthy. How so? For one, research has found that looking at complex patterns found in ferns, flowers, mountains, ocean waves, and other elements of nature can induce more of the alpha waves in your brain that are associated with relaxation.

Our readers seem to particularly love “forest bathing”—a mindful hike through the woods—for reaping the health benefits of nature. But if you’re not able to get outdoors, experts say there are helpful things you can do to bring nature to you instead, like tossing open a window to let in a fresh breeze or using nature-inspired scents.

Birds fly over a cathedral in Santa Ana, El Salvador. Studies have shown that people tend to feel better when they can see or hear birds, yet another datapoint in how nature affects well-being.

2. Listen to birds

I teased my colleague Sarah Gibbens when she told me last year that she listens to bird songs to help her focus at work. But the more that I think about it, the more genius it sounds. As Sarah herself wrote in 2022, studies have shown that simply being in the presence of birds can put you in a better mood.