The A-Z Challenge: M is for Moody. Shift negative habits, alphabetically
There are days when we all feel down. Where no matter how bright and sunny the weather, we wake up in a bad mood or it feels like the bad mood just sneaks up on us for no reason. And like the weather, moods can hit in gentle waves, descend like a grey mist or arrive as a full blown storm.
So how do you deal with a bad mood? Do you eat yourself silly? Reach for chocolate? Go out for retail therapy? Look for other things to fuel the bad mood? Snap at anyone who gets in your way? Because a bad mood must be shared with others, right!
Image: Inner Space
We can stay gloomy for a while but there has to be a point when we say STOP - stop being moody. Because moods don't represent the state of your life, they just pretend to. Now, don't go giving yourself a hard time. Give your mood a deadline. Why? When moods overwhelm and overtake, they distort our reasoning and response-ability. They also affect those around us. Moods are as contagious as having a cough, cold or flu!
As a lot in life depends on our mood, shake it off! Neither you nor others have to put up with your mood so snap out of it! Watch something funny. Get out of the house. Listen to some happy music, actually even sad songs can make us feel better. Read something uplifting. Talk things through with someone. If you enjoy it, bake something. Just take an easy step in the right direction and you're already on your way to a better mood.
It's good to remind yourself that moods are often a result of your thoughts. Choose to think of unhappy thoughts and you'll most likely be in a mood. Choose to think happy thoughts and think your mood away! It's as simple as that. If nothing works, then remind yourself that all moods come to pass. They always do, like all storms do.
When you feel better, make time to understand what put you in that mood. Decode your mood. Was it a particular event, the traffic or 'that difficult' person? Discover the real reason to what's really bugging you, see what you can do about it and create simple solutions.
But the reality is that our moods are put to the test every day, everywhere, and by everyone. So it's essential to boost our feel-good factor regularly. Eat balanced meals, get restful sleep, meditate and exercise. Maybe, start the day with the thought: Today I choose to be happy, to feel good, no matter what. Put a smile on your face and set a positive tone for the day.