How to improve your mood
Do you know someone who always seems to be in a good mood? Someone who always looks on the bright side? Would you believe that person also experiences bad moods, just like everyone else? No one is happy all the time – bad moods are a fact of life. The difference is that positive, happy people know how to get out of a bad mood and reset their mindset before it affects their lives.
The answer to “Why am I always in a bad mood?” is actually pretty straightforward. You alone control your emotions – and that means you control how to improve your mood or when to give in to a bad one. Your mood is an emotion, which means it’s a choice – and just like any other choice, you can learn how to break out of a bad mood and choose positivity over negativity.
Getting out of a bad mood isn’t always easy, especially if we feel that we’ve been wronged or disrespected, but with these six tips, it can be done.
1. Change your state
Changing your physiology is the fastest way to create a breakthrough in any area of life. Take a deep breath and relax tense muscles. Throw your shoulders back. Adopt a power pose. Smile at yourself in the mirror. Get your heart going with some exercise you enjoy, which is proven to reduce stress. You’ll trick your brain into getting out of a bad mood.
2. Change your focus
Where focus goes, energy flows – and if you focus on the negative, that’s what you’ll feel. To quickly discover how to get out of a bad mood, focus on what you want to feel, rather than what you’re currently feeling. To help change your focus, put on your favorite song and dance around. Watch a funny video or feed your mind with inspiring stories or quotes. Music can physically transform your brain, and humor changes your physiology. Smiling, even when you don’t want to, can actually convince you that you have something to smile about.
3. Be grateful
Want to know how to improve your mood? Practice gratitude. “Trade your expectations for appreciation and the world changes instantly,” Tony likes to say. When you choose to focus on the positive, you’re not only able to improve your mood in the moment – you’ll notice that you begin attracting more positivity, thanks to the law of attraction.
4. Use visualization
Many top athletes and business people use visualization as a powerful way to manifest their goals – including learning how to get out of a bad mood. Visualization is a way to create absolute certainty within your brain and can help you shift your mood by reminding you what matters: your long-term goals, your innermost values and your hunger for an extraordinary life.
5. Meditate
The benefits of meditation include reduced stress, better focus and emotional regulation – all of which can help you better unlock how to get out of a bad mood. Think you don’t have time to meditate? It doesn’t take long to see these benefits. A 10-minute priming routine is all it takes to refocus your brain. You can also incorporate 15 minutes of mindfulness meditation in your daily routine.
6. Get support
Friends and family are invaluable. If you need a pick-me-up, call a loved one for support. They can help you talk through the problem and refocus on solutions. Strong social relationships can help you be happy in the long-term as well, so taking the time to nurture these relationships is always a good idea.
Learning how to break out of a bad mood on demand will help you make better decisions, communicate more effectively and ultimately crush your obstacles and achieve your goals. You’ll be able to leave emotional baggage behind and focus on what you can control: your beliefs, your mood and your behavior.
FAQs about bad moods
Can I be in a bad mood for no reason?
If you experience mood swings, it can seem like they come on for no reason. But the truth is that bad moods always have a cause – it just may not be as obvious as you think. If you can’t think of any precipitating event that would have caused your bad mood, take a look at your diet and exercise routine. Eating healthy, getting enough sleep and finding exercise you enjoy are all vital to improving mood overall. And bad moods caused by depression or anxiety may bedue to chemical imbalances in the brain – which can be remedied with the help of a professional.
Why is it essential to improve my mood?
Your mood affects every aspect of your life. It affects whether you make good decisions or impulsive ones. It affects how you communicate with others. It affects whether you treat people kindly or impatiently. It even affects the way others perceive you at work and in the world. When you know how to improve your mood, you can use that emotional control to your advantage in your career, your relationships and more.
Are you taking the right steps to control your moods?
Getting out of a bad mood is more than willpower. Your brain is affected by your diet and other lifestyle choices. Learn more in Tony’s new book, Life Force.