Get in the Right Mood

Everyone goes through the experience of being in a bad mood. There are
just times when we might feel that negativity – perhaps due to
the weather, feeling sick or just coming out of an unhappy situation
– and it certainly affects our frame of mind and subsequently
how we perform at work or interact with others.

When I’m feeling down and dark, I try hard to get out of it.
Sometimes I may feel angry or too sensitive and easily agitated. There
are moments when I just want to scream and have the urge to punch
someone or hit my fists on the table. These are undesirable behavior
and are detrimental to relationships and productivity.

With practice and determination, you could get out of a negative mood.
Besides, there’s no use staying in a rut and wallowing in
negativity. Here are some suggestions on getting into the right mood.

Make A U-turn

If you are driving down the wrong way, you need to make a complete
U-turn. The same principle applies when you want to change your bad
mood into a good mood. Turn your frown upside down by taking in a good
dose of humour. Open up a joke book or go online and search for funny
websites or videos. It’s a simple workaround but it works.

Another simple way of changing your emotional and mental state is by
hugging. A good hug from a close friend, partner or family member is
very comforting. Holding someone in an embrace can break the ice
– that feeling of coldness and indifference – that is
brought about by having a bad mood. Just make sure that when you do
hug you have the consent of both parties. Otherwise, an unwelcome
physical contact like a hug can further make you or someone else even
more irritable.

Here’s another tip: take your mind off the trigger. Whatever, it
was that made you feel bad, don’t waste another second dwelling
on it. Distract yourself. Read a book, watch TV, listen to good music,
cook your favorite dish – anything to forget what’s
bothering you. It has to be an activity that is relaxing and will
consume your mind and grab your attention. Take photographs of
beautiful things and sceneries, answer a challenging crossword puzzle
– these will be different from one person to another. Discover
for yourself a favorite diversion which you can do immediately once
you encounter an unwanted situation that leads you to a bad state of
mind.

Many cultures find tea drinking to be quite therapeutic. Taking a sip
of tea can calm down your nerves. Having tea with friends would even
be better.

For some people, exercise is the ultimate way to de-stress. You can go
for a jog or even just take a walk in the park. Others may resort to
lifting weights or playing a fun sport like badminton or bowling.
Getting your juices flowing through exercise can certainly boost your
spirits.

Relaxing in a bathtub or a warm shower is also a recommended way of
getting in the right mood. The feeling of freshness can easily help
you to perk up.

Make sure that when you find an activity to lighten up your mood, it
should be fun and relaxing. At the very least, it should take your
mind off your worries. Don’t take on a task that would only add
to your frustrations; for example, doing chores or listening to the
news. Do something else that would set you up to be calm and
unburdened. If it is something that brings a smile to your face, then
that is the best way to change your mood for the better.

Be Aware Of Your Emotions

Some people can’t get into a right mood simply because they do
not recognize that they are already in a bad mood. They are not in
touch with their emotions particularly if they are unwanted feelings.
They can’t snap out of a bad mood simply because they fail to
recognize it in themselves. For some, they deny outright that they are
in a bad frame of mind.

We can’t change something if we don’t know what to
change. To get out of a bad mood you have to be aware of how you feel
at the moment. Acknowledging that you are feeling mad, sad or
frustrated is the first step towards taking a pro-active stance to
changing your mood.

Having other people alert you when you’re emotions are out of
control helps a lot. Allow your partner, relative or friend to give
you a heads up if you are feeling down and out or if you’re mad
as hell. This will allow you to gain awareness of your emotions and
start off the process of taking back control rather than letting your
feelings get the better of you.

As time goes on, and you consistently respond appropriately when you
are being alerted to your sulking or outbursts, you will learn to be
more aware of your feelings and react automatically. The sooner you
recognize your negative emotions, the faster you can remove yourself
from the bad situation and change your mood.

Prevention Rather Than Cure

Most people would probably agree that trying to avoid being in a bad
mood is more preferable to trying to remedy having a bad mood.
Certainly, there’s more to work involved with the fallout of
someone’s grief or anger. In order to avoid being in a bad
state, we need to recognize and steer clear from situations that
trigger our bad mood. I must say though, that it is always easier said
than done. Most situations seem harmless enough and others are just
unavoidable.

Nevertheless, we can easily adjust to certain situations that may
trigger a raise in our blood pressure or otherwise lead us to the
doldrums. When was the last time you took a real break from your work?
Did you forget to buy a present for your in-laws? Are you organized
enough to be on top of the things that you need to get done? You do
know that one glass too many and you’ll regret it tomorrow
morning, right?

The point is, in many cases common sense is all that’s needed
to avoid bad situations that would put us in a bad mood. For
circumstances beyond our control, we need to have awareness,
self-restraint and enough rest and recreation to snap us out of our
misery and onto a better disposition.

How about you? What would you suggest for getting in a good mood?