Failure to achieve targeted performance, a bombed job interview, poor appraisal, a sudden severe cold attack, missing the bus/metro, a broken coffee machine (when you need coffee badly), accidental knife cut of fingers, power/internet disruption, stepping in dog poop or stopping of your vehicle by cop for speed/signal offence while you are on the way to an important function, never ending arguments, repeated false promises by self-centred souls and other unexpected relationship issues – life can sometimes suck and tend to drive us into crazy mood. We can’t get rid of bad days and bad moments; However we all have the ability to improve our mood, which is within us, regardless of external triggers.
If you have access, reaching to babies and play with them, cajole them or simply observe them give instant relief. Infants are always a bundle of joy – not only for others, but they themselves practice joyfulness non-stop. Practices that lead to joyfulness like constant smiling, exercising (cycling by legs and keep on moving) and deep breathing (against shallow breathing by adults) are the hall marks of new borns. If you do not have ready access to babies, no worries, just recall your past experiences and enact those acts of toddlers and you are back into joyful mood in no time! Just recall how infants do every little act with cent per cent focus and passion. Worth recalling is how infants who cried in full blast for not getting a favour, smile instantly on getting the same without any pre judice! This “forget not so happy past and let go” quality is the single most remarkable quality of infants worth emulating for mood lifting!
Smile, smile and smile. Smiling brings us joy and keeps us in the present. Smiling helps shift your mood instantly and feel joy more often.
Listen to a happy song or watch your favourite comedian show. It’s an instant mood lifter.
Hang out with a pet. Cuddling, playing, or just chilling with your favourite pet can help feel happier and less stressed. Expose yourself to green. Colour psychologists say green symbolizes happiness and can create the feeling of it, too. Sniff certain scents. Inhaling the scent of lavender can reduce anxiety and improve mood. Studies find flowers provide an instant—and lasting— mood boost.
Keep life simple. Show some compassion. Helping others is an easy way to feel joy. Being able to empathize with others promotes understanding and acceptance while encouraging kindness. It feels good to do something nice for someone else.
Be grateful and count your blessings. Gratitude creates joy by producing a feeling of contentment. When you are content with the things and people in your life, you have the opportunity to recognize joy that is right there in front of you.
Go somewhere quiet. Even if it’s just the office bathroom, taking a few minutes with no external stimulation can do wonders for a bad mood.
Change your habitual shallow breathing into deep breathing like a child and start observing your inhaling and exhaling, voila your face and body language shows a welcome happy mood!
Do some exercise, yoga and meditation on a regular basis. These are quick fixes for eliminating bad mood and are sure effective ways to chill out, improve our outlook and might even make us smarter.
