6 strategies for lifting a bad mood

Although it’s common to have low moods occasionally, they are never enjoyable and are probably not how you want to feel for the majority of the day.

Although you can’t merely tell yourself to feel better, Ruth Ellingsen, a clinical assistant professor in the University of Oregon’s psychology department, claims that you may alter the attitudes and actions that contribute to your mood.

Identifying the type of mood you’re in is the first step towards improving it, according to Ellingsen.

It may seem easy, but being actively aware of our current situation is truly what’s involved, she explained. According to Ellingsen, it’s very typical for us to disregard our emotions as we go about our daily lives, which makes it very difficult to lift your mood. If you don’t know how you’re feeling, how can you feel better?

Ellingsen suggested using a feeling thermometer to monitor your feeling temperature in order to assess your mood. According to her, a feeling thermometer has four different zones: green (which denotes pleasant feelings or a good mood), yellow (the next level up on the thermometer, indicating you might feel a little tired, for example), orange (the next level up, indicating nervousness or frustration), and red (which denotes extremely uncomfortable feelings, such as sadness, anger, or other negative emotions). This convenient tool for gauging your emotions is a great way to measure your moods.

When you become aware of how you’re feeling, you may decide what to do about it and take action to manage your mood before you enter the “red zone,” which, according to her, is an emotional condition from which it’s difficult to emerge.

However, if you’re in the yellow or orange zones, you may quickly use a few techniques to improve your attitude. Here are a few methods to achieve it.

Consider exercising

You’ve probably heard a lot about the benefits of exercise for your mental health, and Sarah Sarkis, an executive coach and senior director of performance psychology at corporate wellness firm Exos, says that this is also true of its ability to lift your spirits.

Sarkis advised moving for 15 to 20 minutes. You will receive an adrenaline and endorphin shot, which can help us instantly change our perceptions.

Choose a favorite exercise regimen, such as jogging, yoga, tennis, or indoor cycling, when you’re not feeling your best. If you’re feeling down, you won’t want to add to your stress by working out you don’t enjoy.

Examine breathing techniques

According to Gregory Sullivan, director of the University of Missouri’s master’s degree in positive coaching and sports leadership, “the one thing that’s at all of our disposal is using our breath” to lift our spirits.

The next time you’re feeling low, he suggests giving one of two breathing techniques a try. The “physiological sigh,” which consists of two fast inhales and one extended exhalation, is one choice.

What that does, according to Sullivan, is eliminate carbon dioxide from our bodies and temporarily increase our level of relaxation.

According to Stanford Medicine professor of neurobiology Andrew Huberman, this repeated inhale boosts the lung’s capacity to fill with air and decreases the body’s carbon dioxide levels. The ability to push out carbon dioxide reduces stress because, according to Huberman, elevated amounts of carbon dioxide trigger our body’s stress response.

Additionally, breathing affects the vagus nerve in the body and “takes us out of that fight, flee, or freeze attitude,” according to Sullivan. So, taking a deep breath out helps you unwind.

He suggested that you also attempt the 6-7-8 breathing exercise, which is taking a six-second breath in through your nose, holding it for seven seconds, and then taking an eight-second breath out.

According to Sullivan, breathing exercises allow the body to manage the mind rather than the other way around. Furthermore, he continued, “it turns our attention away from what may be upsetting us.”

Take a walk outside

Nature is beneficial for your mental health, according to research after study. Being outside helps reduce stress and anxiety and overall make you happier.

Sarkis said, “Nature can be medicine if we use it that way, and being outside and altering your viewpoint may sometimes instantly transform your attitude.”

According to her, using music in your outdoor activities can increase their therapeutic effects and “disrupt the cognitive cycle that gets formed very rapidly once we are “in a foul mood,”” she stated.

Place others’ needs before your own

Sullivan advised that one of the best ways to improve your mood is to change your attention from yourself. Chris Peterson, one of the pioneers of positive psychology, emphasised the significance of other people when it comes to mental wellness, he continued. Building relationships or providing assistance to others can only improve your attitude (and help kick that bad mood).

The straightforward action would be to decide to perform some random acts of kindness during the day or to inquire about a coworker’s need for assistance, according to Sullivan.

So, if you find yourself in a bad mood, you could try reaching out to a friend who is going through a tough time or donating items to an organization that needs support.

Sullivan added that shifting your focus away from yourself is one of the most powerful ways to defeat a bad mood.

Continue to be present

It’s common for people to dwell on the past or worry about the future when they’re feeling down, according to Ellingsen.

According to experts, 90% of the things we worry about never materialize, Sullivan said. Therefore, the majority of your problems that are affecting your mood are often very worthless.

Ellingsen said, “We can very consciously do something behavioral to really get ourselves away from what [we’re] thinking about, whether that’s deep breathing or simply tuning into our senses to really return ourselves to the present now.”

Under other words, exercising awareness in these circumstances is a good idea, which might entail engaging in the aforementioned breathing techniques or trying out meditation.

Sullivan stated that arguing with oneself is another another method for eradicating troubling ideas regarding the past or the future. So let’s assume you are anxious about a meeting with your employer. Ask yourself why you feel that way rather than giving in to those ideas. Additionally, keep in mind the successful conversations you’ve had in the past with your manager. You might get some relief from this.

Exert thankfulness

The most potent and beneficial of all good emotions, according to Sullivan, is thankfulness. Being grateful just makes us happier, and being happy and in a poor mood are definitely incompatible states of being.

Think of two or three things in your life for which you are thankful, he said, in order to tap into your inner gratitude. These don’t have to be significant events; they might be as basic as the scent of a fresh candle or the temperature.

Although Sullivan said he loves to do it to conclude his day, you may practice appreciation at the start or end of the day.

He remarked, “I find that thinking about appreciation helps me sleep.” Bonus: Sleep is a key strategy for preventing negative emotions.