We all get in not-so-great moods from time to time, and that’s in normal times. During a global pandemic? It’s bound to happen a little bit more. Or a lotta bit more. And hey, that is sooooo completely natural. So when bad moods do inevitably creep in, here are some ways you can get some relief — and fast!
Meditation: Meditation is a sure-fire way to start feeling more grounded, level-headed, and peaceful quickly. You can find a guided meditation online, or practice a simple, mantra-oriented meditation from anywhere.
For example, a friend recently shared with me this awesome, easy meditation you can take with you anywhere. Repeat the words “peace begins with me” in your head or out loud. Doing so will support a single point of focus, allowing you to more easily center yourself and clear your mind. With each word of the phrase, touch your thumb to a different fingertip.
Thumb to index finger: peace
Thumb to middle finger: begins
Thumb to ring finger: with
Thumb to pinky: me
Do this for at least a minute, up to a few more, until you feel some relief.
. . .
Here’s another simple meditation: count backwards from 5 and with each count, list things you can experience through your 5 senses.
For instance:
5, think of 5 things you can see
4, think of 4 things you can smell,
3, think of 3 things you can taste,
2, think of 2 things you can touch,
1, think of 1 thing you can hear
Switch it up based on which senses you’d like to spend more time with!
. . .
Do something for someone else. This one might feel counterintuitive– you’re in a bad mood, so it’s gotta be all about doing stuff for you, right? Nope! Well, yes and no. Doing things for others is actually really helpful for making you feel better, too.
Feeling down? Call or text a friend. See how they’re doing & if there’s anything you can do to help them out. When we take our focus away from ourselves and shift it to someone else who might need us, we’re taken out of our own ego for a bit. That way, we can shift into a more positive mood.
You’re in control of your thoughts– so choose to flip a switch. Bad moods are usually created by the paradigms that inform our thoughts. Often these paradigms tell us stories about ourselves and our worthiness that aren’t true.
Put simply, we can’t control whether negative thoughts come into our heads, but we CAN control how much energy we give to those thoughts. A perfect recipe for staying in a bad mood is to feed into negative thoughts and build on that bad energy. But we don’t want that, right? We wanna do the opposite. So instead of feeding those bad thoughts, CHOOSE to redirect.
Affirmations can help with that. You’d be surprised how saying something as simple even as “I choose to be happy” can make a huge difference in your mood. Think of your favorite affirmations and say them out loud or write them down.
I am energetic.
I am worthy.
I am enough.
There’s just a few to get you started 😉
Remember: bad moods come and go, and they’re completely natural. Remember that feelings are transient, and we don’t have to let them control us. If you’ve tried these tips and you’re still not feeling too hot, remember to practice self-care and be patient with yourself. We’re living through unprecedented times and it’s hard… but look how much you’ve been through! You got this– you are absolutely killing it.
