Today is the day for something a little different. I woke up this morning and I felt good, better than I've felt in a while and started to wonder as I drove myself to work why I've been in a bad mood for so long. I allowed myself to host the classic pity party, as I am sure many of us do. We get up, feel a little miserable because life is perhaps a little tedious and the whole day is wasted with negative feelings and a bad sense of ones self.
I thought to myself, that it's easy for people to say "Be postive!" or "Be Grateful!" of "Please sit in the corner quietly if you're going to sulk!" but when it comes down to a bad mood we need the skills, the tools to overcome it and I sadly have none but after some research into the matter, I've found 5 easy steps to combat a bad mood and I think this might just work.
Step 1-Leave The Room-Get a much needed change of scenery, often what puts people in a bad mood is what is surrounding them at that moment. Go to a new environment, surround yourself with different things, different people and different sensations and it’s easier for you to leave your bad mood behind you.
Step 2-Give Yourself A Treat-When you’re in a bad mood it’s easy to look for things to fuel that bad mood or reinforce it. Why? Because you want to feel like your bad mood is valid, so you look for things to validate it and make it right.
Break that habit by doing the opposite, no matter how strange it might feel. Watch a funny movie, play your favourite song, go for a walk in your local park, grab a coffee and a slice of pie in that great coffee shop. Do something that feels good and puts a smile on your face, and your bad mood will be history.
Step 3-Have a BMW-This is my favorite step. You have 4 minutes to Bitch, Moan and Whine about what ever comes to your mind first. You'll probably find that you'll run out of steam before the 4 minutes is up, but you'll feel lighter. Get that negativity out!
Step 4-Hit The Gym-Physical exercise has been scientifically proven to release endorphins and serotonin, the feel good hormones, which will in turn affect our mood in a more positive way. And it's a great distraction for the body and mind.
Step 5-Let Yourself Off The Hook-Bad moods happen. Sometimes, it’s just fine to let the bad mood ride. If things are niggling you and bad moods are a familiar deal to you, then it’s a good bet that something’s not quite right somewhere in your life. Letting the bad mood ride allows you to go to those dark places where you wouldn’t normally go and see what’s there.
You don’t have to wallow in it, but letting it happen can be surprisingly liberating. Your bad moods are just as valid as your good moods and when you come out the other side you might just have learned something about what’s really going on.
So there you have it, the skills to help you combat that nasty mood. And Ive always believed that positivity spreads so if you can combat a bad mood and be happy, chances are you'll indirectly affect someone elses mood and make them happy and in turn that will make you happier, take my word for it.
