We all have those moments when we’re feeling a little down on ourselves or on the world around us, but being in a bad mood never results to anything good for our mind or for our body. There are a multitude of reasons why you may get in a bad mood – maybe you’re just hungry, maybe your hormones need a little readjusting, or maybe that guy at work just said something that got under your skin. While you may think that all of these things are out of your control, the first step in combatting a bad mood is to realize that with a little effort, your mood is actually something that you can control. It’s like the classic saying “We can’t control the way others treat us, but we can control the way we react.”
Okay, so now you know you have the power to control your moods..so why does it seem like such a hard thing to do? The answer to this is fairly in depth, and if you have studied psychology you will know that there are multiple theories focused on this topic, but a lot of it comes down to the fact that humans seem to enjoy dwelling on things. “Whoa is me” sets in and we find ourselves not only feeling angry or upset, but also starting to feel down on ourselves as well. All of this negativity creates a downward spiral, essentially causing a snowball effect that leads to more and more negativity over time.
So what can you do to break this cycle? The overall goal that you should be consciously focusing on is to switch your negative thoughts into positive thoughts. Over time, you will notice yourself focusing on the positive aspects of a situation, which of course will result in less bad moods throughout your day to day life. Easier said than done, I know, but below I’m discussing 5 tricks that work incredibly well if you are open to applying them properly and letting the good vibes replace those negative thoughts!
practice an attitude of gratitude
Life gets hectic; you have deadlines, meetings, family events, social events..all of this can be taxing. In between these tasks you may feel like you barely have enough time to think, but it’s really important to train your mind to recognize the positive aspects that you have in your life. Recognizing what you have to be thankful for helps to put things into perspective. So what if someone cut you off in traffic and you were 10 minutes late to your spin class? Should that take precedence over the fact that you have a vehicle and the means to even take that class in the first place? Probably not..so get your priorities straight by recognizing that things could always be a lot worse. Over time, petty negative events will have less of an effect on your mood.
walk it off
This one seems cliche, but it really works! Get outside and enjoy nature; Listen to the birds chirping, see the new flowers blooming..make an effort to notice and appreciate the world around you. Once you begin to realize how small you are in this huge universe, problems that you once thought of as “huge” really begin to seem so small in the grand scheme of things.
Get in a good workout
This one is super important because our moods can be largely influenced by our hormones, which play a role in various mechanisms that occur when we exercise. While most Doctors and scientists agree that there’s a correlation between exercise and mood, the exact mechanisms are under constant debate and study. However, we do know that a correlation exists. According to Michael Otto, a professor of psychology at Boston University, “Usually within five minutes after moderate exercise you get a mood-enhancement effect.” So moral of the story: Exercise can definitely help to get you out of a bad mood.
kick those bad vibes with music
This is probably the quickest and easiest way to get yourself out of a funk because music is such a great mood enhancer! Listening to your favorite song can change your mood in a matter of seconds. Think about how you feel when your favorite song comes on the radio – All you want to do is turn it up and sing out loud. So crank up the music and let those feel good vibes take over!
laugh it off
How many times have you laughed today? Not only does laughing fight off your bad mood, it’s also been shown to reduce stress hormones, such as cortisol and epinephrine. So the next time you feel a bad mood taking over, do a quick “funny cat videos” search on Youtube and tell me your mood doesn’t instantly change after watching only one. It’s basically impossible to laugh and maintain a bad mood! If Youtube videos aren’t your thing, turn on your favorite comedy show or live comedy skit. Do whatever you know will get you laughing. And focus on something that makes you LAUGH laugh, not just smile a little bit. The more the better!
So there you go, 5 tricks to get kick your bad mood quick! These work well for me and I hope they do the same for you! Let me know how it goes. 🙂
Photo source: meganegan.com