Bad Mood? 5 Ways to Instantly Shake it Off and Get Creating.

Every now and then, we can get swamped with work, dealing with unexpected events, or family problems, and these things put us in a bad mood.  

Bad moods can last for hours, days, weeks, and sometimes, even months if not attended to. The downsides of being in a bad mood is that it is harder to work or create. Below are five ways to instantly improve your mood.

Allow yourself to feel bad

While this may sound counterproductive, allowing yourself to feel bad when you do feel bad is a major step to improving your mood. Do not ignore your feelings or dismiss them. Learn to feel what you feel first. That way, you can walk through your feelings and start your journey to feeling good.

Talk to yourself about why you feel that way

There probably is a reason you feel that way, sit still and try to figure out what must have triggered you or made you sad, and acknowlege it. If it is something you can change or make better, do something to make things better. If it is a huge problem that cannot be solved immediately, take a step toward solving it, or make a plan to solve it. When you do that, you feel in control of the situation, and this helps improve your mood.

Talk to someone or journal

Talking to someone you trust is a good way to destress and improve your mood. Talk to your friend or a relative about your feelings and why you’re feeling that way. They could provide a perspective that you never thought of, offer you useful advice, or just listen to you and encourage you. See if you can get a hug from them too. A reassuring hug from a loved will help you feel better.

Feel grateful for the things that haven’t gone bad

Practice gratitude and if you can’t think of anything you are grateful for, think of what could have gone wrong and how things could be worse, and be grateful for that.

Do whatever makes you happy

Do what makes you happy. Whatever that is. Whether it is eating ice cream, watching a Sitcom, dancing, or taking a walk with your pet. It may even be taking a short nap. Doing what makes you happy will put you in a better mood immediately.