Almost every person can be in a bad mood. Some people are susceptible to it more often, others less often, and it depends on the character and psychological type personality. In this state, everything irritates us, communication with colleagues and friends does not bring pleasure and, in general, life appears in “black” colors. Fortunately, there are several techniques that can help you overcome a bad mood.
Causes of bad mood
Any psychological state has its reasons. Perhaps a bad mood is caused by problems at work or in the family, an unpleasant conversation or meeting. Therefore, the first thing to do is to think about the reasons that could have contributed to its appearance. If there is a specific reason, then try to solve it, and do not constantly bother your thoughts with it.
Taking action to correct the problem itself can lift your mood from bad to good. If it cannot be solved right away or it may take some time, then try to switch - take a walk in the park in nature, go to the cinema or cafe, or have sex , in the end. There are many ways to distract yourself from a problem. You should always remember that a bad mood is a consequence of our perception of the world, and it practically does not depend on external circumstances.
Sometimes it happens that such a state overwhelms us just like that - for no apparent reason. Then you need to apply the following methods, which work well in most cases. And this must be done as quickly as possible in order to prevent a bad mood from developing into, since this is already a more serious problem.
Health
A bad mood can arise for completely different reasons. Maybe you were poorly served in a cafe, or you were stuck in a traffic jam in the morning, or you didn’t have lunch on time.
Factors that trigger a bad mood depend on the person and what triggers stress in their life. But what happens in your body and your brain when you're not in the mood?
Biology of bad mood
Some psychologists believe that bad mood occurs due to ego depletion. According to this idea, put forward by researcher Roy Baumeister, when people use their willpower to avoid temptation, they deplete their cognitive resources.
For example, if you hold back from something, say food, because you are on a diet, or from resentment because you were poorly served, it drains your brain and you become irritable.
In fact, the more you try to avoid something, the more irritable you become.
Try to think of this as some sort of stress limit. When you cross the line, you experience a bad mood, which is expressed in anger, irritability and cynicism. All this causes fluctuations in blood pressure and also increases the level of the stress hormone cortisol.
There is evidence that a bad mood changes our outlook on life. In a 2009 study, scientists found that the condition bad mood causes a feeling of tunnel vision and narrows the field of view. Conversely, when you are in a good mood, you have a broader view of what surrounds you.
How to cope with a bad mood?
Fortunately, bad moods are quite easy to deal with if you follow some tips. Of course, provided that you have a temporary condition and not long-term depression, but even in this case, some tips may help.
1. Eat
Theoretically, doing any activity that makes you feel good will improve your mood, but food is effective in this regard for several reasons.
First - she restores those nutrients that you lost during the day. If you're in a bad mood because you haven't eaten and your blood sugar is low, you'll feel immediate relief after eating a snack. Also, fatty acids in food have a positive effect on emotions.
If you're avoiding fatty foods at all costs, you can substitute foods with spices that release endorphins. However, be careful not to overeat.
2. Get physically active
Exercise increases your endorphin levels and switches your mood from bad to good in a matter of minutes. The greatest boost of endorphins can be obtained by doing moderate to vigorous intensity exercise.
The fact is that when breathing becomes difficult during such exercises, the body releases endorphins, which cause a state of happiness. Although the euphoria does not last long, it will be enough to forget your short-term problems.
3. Listen to music
Music releases dopamine in your brain. Music is associated with feelings of pleasure, and a three-minute song can easily turn your gloom into a smile. As you listen to the melody, you anticipate what will happen next, and this can be rewarded with a burst of pleasure.
4. Take advantage of it
A bad mood often leads to a more attentive and thoughtful state, which allows you to focus on specific tasks.
As mentioned above, it gives you a kind of tunnel vision, which means you can focus completely on a project. Also, a bad mood makes us more persuasive because it contributes to the development of specific ideas and communication style.
The morning sun is annoying, all objects fall out of your hands, and those around you, as if out of spite, do everything differently than you would like. All these are signs of a bad mood. Usually in this state they say: “I got up on the wrong foot.” But why does our vitality sometimes fall below the baseboard? And how to cope with a bad mood if it suddenly overtakes you? Let's find the reasons together and look at ways to get rid of them.
Irritability and bad mood - reasons
Lack of mood is an extremely insidious thing. In such a state, a person not only does not want, but also cannot do anything. Any little thing, such as the absence of a necessary item in the wardrobe, a sandwich falling on the floor or spilled coffee, can lead to extreme irritation. What can we say about those around us? If a manager comes to work in a bad mood, then, as a rule, the whole team suffers from this. What if such a boss is in a bad mood every day? In this case, it will definitely not be possible to avoid conflicts.
To learn how to cope with negativity, first of all, it is important to know what mistakes lead to loss of spirit. There are several reasons why a person is constantly in a bad mood:
- frequent going to extremes, typical when resolving any conflicts. In other words, this is a person’s inability to compromise and find a middle ground in assessing the situation;
- negative forecasting of the future. Those. the tendency to constantly expect only negative developments in the future;
- negative thinking. It lies in a person’s tendency to perceive information only in a negative way, completely ignoring it positive sides;
- inflated demands on oneself. Such people constantly tell themselves that they “could” or “should.” Living within such rigid boundaries, they do not stay positive and quickly turn to negative thoughts;
- speculation. They involve trying to guess the thoughts of others and what they meant. Usually such people are sure that they are right and do not check their guesses, being absolutely sure of them.
Frequent bad mood has another important reason. Daily stress and overwork almost inevitably lead to a person having problems in life, insomnia, poor health, fatigue, and, as a result, a bad mood. It is possible to defeat him. The main thing is to notice in time that negativity is increasingly coming to the forefront and urgently begin to get rid of it.
How to deal with a bad mood?
So, you noticed that irritability began to increasingly replace a smile, people suddenly transformed and began to strain you with their mere existence, and the world suddenly became black and white, and positive thoughts were replaced by a bad mood. What to do? You can set yourself up for positive emotions with the help of special exercises. Considering that our mood in life depends on external circumstances and our thoughts, we need to clear our minds of negativity and tune in to a positive mood. Two methods will help with this:
These exercises should be repeated several times a week. A little later, you can use a way to get rid of a bad mood by simply closing your eyes and again imagining yourself with the remote control of the TV.
In addition to using these exercises, it is important to constantly work on yourself in real life. Try to increase your physical activity and get out in the sun more often, meet with good friends, do all the things that have been weighing you down for a long time, and sometimes just smile at the world around you for no reason. Your positive attitude will return to you with a vengeance, and you will never again ask yourself why you were in a bad mood in the morning.
Sometimes a bad mood overtakes me. Or the mood that is commonly called BAD in society. “I’m in a bad mood...” - that’s what they say. They say sadly. And they allow themselves to be immersed in it. In fact, the mood is not bad, but, let’s say, sad, mournful, accusing, sad, shy, submerged, unhappy, cheerless, etc. Let's figure out what kind of phenomenon this is and what you can do when you're “overwhelmed.”
Let's go through the symptoms. I don’t want to see anyone, I don’t want to communicate, you know pretty well about yourself that you’ll start whining to someone, and whining is disgusting; you don’t want to work, you refuse offers to hang out and go for a walk, you hide “in a hole” so as not to be touched; you begin to see the world in gray and black tones, without colors; you retreat into yourself and almost don’t notice the world, and in general you see it exclusively from the inside; There is a desire to find someone to blame and to blame someone for your current vision of the imperfections of the world.
Sound familiar? Does this happen to you? In my psychological practice, I often help people not only get out of such a mood, but also - what is more valuable to me - analyze and find the reasons for the appearance of such a state . Today I’m sharing with you ways to do this if you don’t have an attentive, professional psychologist at hand.
First. Try to put off all the NECESSARY things (those that you should do) until later - don’t worry, if you do everything correctly, “later” won’t last forever. The fear of endless unpleasant experiences is something that many people “sin” (I have repeatedly encountered situations where parents think about their children’s behavior that THIS will last for a long time always, or even all your life - this is not so. Trust the practice).
You can and should leave the things you want to do. I understand that there is little you want in such a state. And yet. We search and find.
The most productive method "number of times"- this is to change the physical space around yourself. Moreover, to call this magic not cleaning - under no circumstances! – and by creating beauty!
How does it work? By changing the space around us, we change the vision of our own world. It is not necessary to understand how this happens - I don’t understand it well (most likely, Feng Shui specialists know much more about this issue). It's enough to know that it works. You've probably noticed: you'll start putting things in order in your home, on your desk, and more! - for some reason they return to the world of paint, things get done, people call, clients come. It works.
It’s great to remember at the same time that when cleaning or clearing away rubble in the house or at work, it’s worth immersing yourself in this process. That is, try to turn off the mental, expectant and yearning process of thought formation. It is much more effective to do it in the mode of complete immersion, that is, receiving pleasure from CREATING BEAUTY around yourself.
Method "number two". Take up handicrafts. The same applies to physical labor and space decoration. Handicrafts can include everything from knitting to decorative changes to your home or office. Feel free to take a brush and paint. On walls, paper, a variety of surfaces - pour out what is in your soul outside.
No matter how surprising it may sound, the need for creativity in each of us is enormous. In everyone. (usually we are told that there are creative people, and there are uncreative people - they are lying!)
Our education was and is structured in such a way that we think (rather, analyze) more than we do. And if we do, then most of our actions are aimed at the production of banknotes. (today this is noticeable in the direction of the thoughts of our children). We can do the same in creativity. Only this is a pure production of beauty, ideologically originating in our Soul. By being creative, we get out of ourselves - ourselves.
How does it work? A bad mood, as a rule, is associated with the fact that we have forgotten about ourselves. Creativity helps you remember and tune in to your real self, and get out of yourself what you really like. Agree, when you create, you don’t owe anything to anyone :) Give it a try. Check it out. I know it works. You can check.
Method “number three”. Movement. Go, run, jump, have sex. Any movement. Just don’t sit there, going into the depths of self-analysis. Let your muscles take care of your good mood. They are capable of this.
Second. Be aware of the desire to whine. It's not productive. There is no need to fight him. When you are in a bad mood, the desire to whine has simply magical powers. Once! - and you are already whining, or feeling sorry for yourself. It would be wiser if you are in such a state, switch self-pity to anger. It will pass faster. Just remember: we are not in this world to destroy others like ourselves with our anger. We are for someone else. Direct your anger towards inanimate objects, or towards creating beauty (read above).
Why is there no need to fight the desire to whine? Because struggle is what strengthens desire, reinforces it. The more you fight, the stronger the desire. Have you tried to fight excess weight? Was the fight successful? Who won? Are you? What price did you pay for the victory?
How to do this? Imagine yourself looking at your whining, your bad mood. You are the spectator. And whining is a participant in some screen-television-radio-theatrical production. You are a spectator, not a participant in this “show”. Look from the side. Be aware, notice what you see. Whining and you are two different creatures.
Third. Don't rate. Evaluation is a sick symptom in the development of our society. We appreciate everything. Yourself, others, actions, thoughts, feelings, weather, world. Remember at least one case in your life when evaluation made you happy. Maybe successful, having “scratched” your ego - yes. But happy? Did grades bring you happiness? No to me. I think you too. If you don’t believe it, check it by remembering.
And again - be aware. You are the spectator. Notice how thoughts usually come down to evaluation. Once! - and you have already appreciated it. Yourself, circumstances, life and the world as a whole. “It’s all my fault...”, “The world is crap,” “They are bastards.” Notice and share: there is me, and there are thoughts-evaluations. There is a difference between us.
Fourth. "Send them on vacation." “They” are those people who, in your opinion, should have called you, repaid the debt, said the right words, not said the words, appreciated, protected, saved, helped, entertained whose, etc. Those people whose actions could ruin your mood. Consider them "on vacation." Wish them a happy holiday there.
The most interesting thing about this is that you/we/I can influence the duration of their “vacation”. As soon as we allow them to be in a state of unlimited vacation, it will end. There is no need to wait for the vacation to end right now, when you need them, for them to “come back urgently” to fulfill your expectations. Imagine that THEY are somewhere on the islands. Should they frantically stop their vacation and return at your first request? Imagine all the panic, confusion and stress that will arise if they really decide to give up everything to save you from your bad mood? Let them rest. Let them go. And they will immediately want to come back to be closer to you.
Fifth. World of facts. Despite the overabundance of information in the modern world, we DO NOT LIVE in a world of facts. We live in a world of ratings. Trust journalism: all journalism is built on subjectivism. On the assessments with which the media manipulate our consciousness. And all we do is “swallow” other people’s assessments.
Facts. Reality. How does it work? You stop your flow of thought formation, which was discussed above, and begin to slowly and meticulously describe what YOU HAVE. And there are, as a rule, a lot. You are breathing. This is a fact. You have arms and legs - thank you God! - and this is a fact. You have a roof over your head - yay! You have a job, school, children, husband (if you have all this). Your children are healthy and you - even if you are unhappy with them - have the opportunity to experience the deepest feeling of love for them. You have some skills. List it.
Important: keep your estimates. Become aware of them. Just the facts. It is. And that's it.
How does it work? By calling things by their proper names or announcing their presence to ourselves and the world, we create the foundation of reality. We show ourselves and the world that we have something to rely on, something to push away from in order to move either up or forward. You can only rely on solid ground. Ha facts. More on the sensations of the body. How does it feel now? How does it feel? Trembling? Relaxation? Tension? Describe.
Sixth. Gratitude. I won’t hide: my favorite self-help recipe - it also works with my clients - when you are in an incomprehensible mood, when you feel sadness, anxiety, confusion or resentment and accusations.
Gratitude is an amazing spiritual and psychological tool in its simplicity and effectiveness. How does it work in our “bad mood” situation? After you have realized a lot and called things by their proper names, listed the facts - after that it is worth thanking for all this. This is how we thank our parents, realizing that without them we would not exist. This is how we thank the sky and the sun, realizing that if we had a different climate, our life would not be so sweet. Let us be so grateful, realizing that we live in peacetime, and are not hiding in the ruins to escape a bomb or a stray bullet. This is how we give thanks for breathing...
Imagine - do this in order to live the very essence of gratitude - that in one beautiful moment you lost the ability to breathe... You can’t. It doesn't work out. You are suffocating... And again! - breathe again. What will be your gratitude now for this gift returned to you?
Any illness in our life - from depression to cancer - begins with dissatisfaction with what we have at the moment. From our bad mood. Or in other words: dissatisfaction with yourself. I suggest you notice the smallest shoots of dissatisfaction with yourself. You can pull out the weeds so as not to interfere with the growth of garden plants. Or you can sow everything with green grass and take care of it with love. The choice is yours. You can personally “turn on the sun” so that it helps you take care of those plants-thoughts-moods that you choose to “plant” in your head. B life. And again the choice is yours.
I wish you to make friends with a bad mood. It comes so that we can notice: somewhere I stopped thinking well about myself, somewhere I stopped taking care of myself, I’m too dissatisfied with what I have now. Let me give myself a holiday of the soul and regain my satisfaction with my life. With what I ALREADY HAVE.
Love, ease and skill to you, dear readers, in managing your own mood!
How do you cope with a bad mood?
Bad mood - Main reasons
- What is a mood?
- What is a mood?
— Causes of bad mood
— Common causes of poor mental health
— General recommendations that will help you get rid of a bad emotional state
— What to do if you’re in a bad mood in the morning?
— Express help to feel better
— 3 easy ways to cope with a bad mood
In psychology, mood is an emotional process against the background of which psychological processes take place. The mood is of low intensity, which means that there are no bright external manifestations. It persists for a long time and is not attached to an external object.
Mood arises as a response to events that have occurred, to a situation. It determines well-being, vitality, and a person’s attitude towards others depends on it.
Mood can be positive or negative. Accordingly, if it is upbeat and energetic, a person is ready for professional achievements, communicates openly and feels at ease in the company of other people. If the mood is asthenic, depressed, the work is done slowly and unproductively, and there is no talk of pleasure from communication.
Keeping yourself in good shape and in high spirits is important. At the same time, you will be energetic, active and open, showing yourself as a pleasant interlocutor. And it is possible to control your mood. At least in most cases.
But what we call a bad mood is not always what it really is. A person's mood can be depressed, sad, detached, sorrowful, blaming or, on the contrary, ashamed. And in this case, it is important to understand what is happening around you or in your own inner world and establish the cause of a particular condition.
If you understand why your current mood came to you, it will become clear what to do next. But in other cases, a bad mood appears as if on its own. It seems like nothing out of the ordinary is happening, but you want to hide and not see anyone. And even communication with loved ones turns into an unbearable obligation from which you cannot escape. This condition can last for weeks. If you are in a bad mood without apparent reason, beware, because depression is creeping up on you. What to do in this case?
Contact a psychologist as soon as possible.
— Causes of bad mood
It would seem that there are a great many reasons for a bad mood, especially in a metropolitan environment, where traffic jams, constant delays, people’s detachment from each other and unfriendly looks are not at all uncommon. This is true, every sad, depressed or apathetic person has their own reason for feeling this way.
But psychologists divide the variety of preconditions for a bad mood into groups.
1) Somatic reasons.
“Soma” means “body” in Latin. Somatic causes are associated with processes occurring in the human body. These are illnesses, accumulated fatigue, chronic lack of sleep, hormonal changes.
What to do in this case? Eliminate the cause with medications, vitamin and mineral supplements, or rest.
2) External reasons related to the environment.
This includes weather conditions, light levels, temperature conditions, comfort in the room where a person is forced to work. And even the outlines of architectural objects affect our mood.
External reasons related to other people. These are relationships with family, friends, colleagues. This also includes situational relationships with service personnel in cafes, hotels, and shops. And even a random passer-by can become the reason for your bad mood if, for example, he pushes you and, in addition, is rude after you.
3) Emotionally charged ideas, expectations, thoughts.
A person’s mood is directly related to the emotions he experiences and the intensity of his thought process. Positive thoughts and activities cause positive emotions, respectively, a good mood, negative – negative emotions and a bad mood.
Therefore, if we're talking about about an unreasonable bad mood, you must first focus on the emotions that a person experiences - apathy, sadness, despondency, irritation and others. By identifying the emotion you are feeling, you will determine the cause of your bad mood.
— Common causes of poor mental health
1) Financial dissatisfaction or major losses.
2) The need to do work that is uninteresting.
3) Failure of plans.
4) Conflict situations.
5) Strained relationships in the family.
6) Expectation of possible troubles.
7) Feeling unwell.
These are the main reasons, but there are a number of other reasons that remain unaddressed. But, nevertheless, they affect both well-being and the emotional background - the general mood. This is influenced by lifestyle, routine, diet, interests and hobbies, friends and loved ones and other aspects of life.
— General recommendations that will help get rid of a bad bad emotional state
Each reason needs a personal approach. If you cannot change an area of activity that carries a negative emotional background, start making changes in your life by improving your mood in accessible ways.
1) Call a friend or acquaintance with whom you always feel good and comfortable.
Talk about what makes you both smile: a movie, a hobby, a sport. If you wish, share your sadness with him. Most likely, your friend will pick up Right words to cheer you up, even if it's quotes from movies.
2) Force yourself to smile, even if it’s difficult.
Stretch your lips in a smile, curl your lips. And if at first you need effort, then you will see that you are no longer smiling through force, but at ease. The body will soon succumb to facial expressions and relax, which in turn will lift your mood.
3) Stand in front of the mirror, look carefully at your face.
Make the emotion you feel stronger than it is. Try to bring it to the point of absurdity: make an angry face even angrier, a sad one even sadder. The more you grimace, the funnier you will become. And the facial expression will smooth out, and the mood will rise.
4) Treat yourself.
Go shopping, go to the cinema, to the sauna. If it’s summer outside, go to nature, barbecue. Go to a hairdresser or massage parlour. Or do something you rarely do.
5) Change the space around you.
Rake at work workplace, hang the picture by the table. Rearrange your home, decorate the room with objects that please your heart, throw out old and annoying things.
6) Cry.
This method allows you to throw out negativity from the soul and relaxes the body. But don’t just cry while lying on the sofa and buried in a pillow. Turn on a sad movie - background work and the sadness of the characters will help you relieve accumulated tension.
7) Look at your old photos of yourself happy, with good friends, in a fun environment.
Bring back the emotions you felt then. Look for the phone numbers of old friends, call them, find out how they are doing. You can even meet and look at a photo album together. Believe me, you will have something positive to remember.
8) Learn to think positively, learn to be aware of negative emotions, learn to relax mentally and physically.
— What to do if you’re in a bad mood in the morning?
The need to get up early in the morning spoils the mood of a person who has not even gotten out of bed yet. You will have to go to work, perhaps even a job you don’t like, jostle in public transport or stand in traffic jams. This mood can accompany you all the time before work, and if you start your day this way, most likely you will not experience relief at work either.
In order to have a positive day, it is important to deal with bad moods in the early morning.
1) Get enough sleep.
Only you know how much time you need for proper sleep.
2) Prepare things, clothes, etc. in the evening so that in the morning you don’t have to run around looking for the missing item, which will lead to irritation.
3) Set your alarm clock to a positive, but not intrusive melody.
4) Come up with your own morning ritual for vigor and awakening.
This could be a cup of brewed cappuccino, a contrast shower, a rhythmic dance to your favorite music.
5) If it's a job you hate, come up with a dream job.
Feel everything down to the smallest detail as it should be: the team, your image, salary, colleagues, manager, etc. Imagine that you are going to this job, feel this mood, consolidate it in yourself. But in order not to live your whole life in a fictional world, be sure to take steps in finding your dream job, because most of your life is spent there, and if the work does not bring you pleasure, then you will walk around with a sour face for half of your life.
6) Don’t think about things that cause negative emotions in the evening.
Relax, dream, imagine how you wake up in the morning in a cheerful mood.
— Express help to feel better
These methods are suitable for everyone, even for those who are in a very bad mood. They, of course, will not save you from depression, but they will help you feel better. And even if everything is fine with your mood and well-being, do something from this list to please yourself.
1) Return to the present.
If you think about the past, worry about the future, or even daydream, sadness and bad mood may become your companions. To bring yourself back to the present, focus on your breathing. This will help you feel your body and not be distracted by extraneous processes. Breathe deeply for one and a half to two minutes.
2) Eat chocolate.
Two slices of dark chocolate will increase the level of endorphins in the blood and give you a positive mood.
3) Listen to music.
Music releases dopamine in your brain. Music is associated with feelings of pleasure, and a three-minute song can easily turn your gloom into a smile. As you listen to the melody, you anticipate what will happen next, and this can be rewarded with a burst of pleasure.
4) Hug someone.
A hug makes you feel protected, reduces stress and improves your mood. Just make sure first that the person you are going to hug is aware and is not against such a display of tenderness. (Read the article ““.
5) Chat with the animal.
If you have a cat or dog at home, take time to communicate with him. Pet, play, hug the animal. If you don't have a pet, go to a cat show or pet store.
— 3 easy ways to cope with a bad mood
Fortunately, bad moods are quite easy to deal with if you follow some tips. Of course, provided that you have a temporary condition and not long-term depression, but even in this case, some tips may help.
Eating restores the nutrients you lost during the day. If you're in a bad mood because you haven't eaten and your blood sugar is low, you'll feel immediate relief after eating a snack. Also, fatty acids in food have a positive effect on emotions.
However, be careful not to overeat.
2) Get physically active.
Exercise increases your endorphin levels and switches your mood from bad to good in a matter of minutes. The greatest endorphin boost comes from moderate to vigorous exercise.
3) Take advantage of it.
A bad mood often leads to a more alert and thoughtful state, which allows you to focus on specific tasks.
It gives you a kind of tunnel vision, which means you can focus completely on a project. Also, a bad mood makes us more persuasive because it contributes to the development of specific ideas and communication style.
- Conclusion
Many people often suffer from bad mood. The reason for this could be anything. The saddest thing is that in this state they torment not only themselves, but also relatives and friends, whom they can shout at in a fit of irritation. When we feel bad, we unconsciously want to ruin the mood of those around us. And most often these are precisely those who are dear to us. Therefore, it is necessary to combat bouts of bad mood.
Knowing the reason for this condition, you can easily improve your mood. We are responsible for our own lives. Our mood depends only on ourselves. Once you learn to manage your negative emotions, you will forget what a bad mood is. It does not threaten positive-minded people.
The material was prepared by Dilyara specifically for the site