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Exercise, even just walking, helps with mood
Nutrition has a HUGE impact on the brain and mood. Try to reduce/eliminate sugar consumption
Sleep quality
Sunlight exposure
Social touch points with people in real life
As much as I hate this and as much as I tried to deny it, this. It's real.
I moved two months ago and didn't get a car at the new location until literally today, so I've been walking to the grocery store 15-20 minutes both ways nearly every other day, plus an almost daily trip to the coffee shop also a 15-20 minutes walk. I haven't felt this good in a while, if anything I have to ease off the caffeine a bit as I've been a bit too wired.
The gym never did it for me and really, you're not after muscle building you're after cardio and fresh air. And even then it's not like threadmill levels of activity, it's mostly flat and just walking at whatever pace doesn't feel too tiring. Our bodies evolved with the assumption of a fairly active lifestyle. The veins rely on movement to help pump the oxygen-depleted blood around.
I've been naturally craving better food following the exercise.
It's also good to reduce stress, it's ultimately a 15 minutes of downtime where there's nothing to do but enjoy the scenary passing by and enjoy a podcast or some music, on top of just oxygenating your brain and muscles and filtering bodily waste.
Absolutely 100% agreed on the "go for a walk" recommendation.
Take half an hour out of your day to raise your heartrate, you'll not only get your brain to start processing the things it's dealing with, but you'll also get exercise and a change in scenery.
If the weather's trash, clean or tidy your living area, the effect of having a clean space is very well documented (the "Even as a human, you are still an animal, and animals in enclosures get stressed and depressed if there's mess everywhere, so take charge of your own space and make it a comfy one." Meme that's floating around is genuinely real and not just lip service)
Personally the 'I can't motivate myself' thing is a trap I've fallen into many times, and just about the only thing that helps me is by saying "Bugger it. I'll do a little bit, and if I get out there and really ain't feeling it, I'll have at least done something."
Above all else, taking care of your body is a fast track to your brain feeling better