Being in a bad mood SUCKS!

I am no stranger to bad moods. Sometimes it’s because of hanger or some other “easily solvable” reason, but sometimes you just feel low.

There was a point in my life that I could fall into a bad mood several times a day or, even worse, get into a bad mood and not be able to get out of that headspace for days or even weeks!

This is especially a problem right now thanks to a certain stupid virus (I won’t mention any names though lol), so we don’t have our usual routines to keep us busy or to keep us in our usual headspace.

I’ve found, through tons of personal experience, that getting back into a good mood doesn’t have to be that hard (with exceptions, of course, like mental illness or going through an emotional trauma). Sometimes, all you need is to do something different and engaging to snap you out of your bad mood! 

Now one of the best ways to avoid these darker moods is to prevent them – which I will save for another post – but if you have already felt yourself slipping into a bad headspace (or you’re already there), I’ve got you!

And also remember that it’s ok to feel your feelings and it’s ok to be in a bad mood – but sometimes it’s nice to have easy little ways of breaking free from that headspace!

So I have some great, easy ways to get yourself OUT of your bad mood – but don’t plan to do them all or else you’ll get overwhelmed and you might not end up doing any of them! (I’ve been down that road too many times to count!)

Start with one and as you start to feel better, then move on to some others.

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So without further adieu, 

Here are my 10 ways to get yourself out of a bad mood!

So my first step to stop being a sad blob is to:

1. Get up and get moving!

The best way to quickly change your mood or what your mind is doing is to change what your body is doing. 

There is endless research on why exercise is good for you. Endorphins, health, uh… more endorphins! Yeah, basically it’s all about the endorphins, which are super important and will physiologically put you in a good mood!

 Also, by getting up and moving, you are distracting yourself and breaking the negative thought spiral that you might have been in.

And you don’t need to do a super intense workout, you can do anything from going for a walk, getting up to do some laundry or house work, or doing a full blown muscle (and endorphin) pumping workout!

Bonus points if you can get out in the sun and get some vitamin D which is crucial in promoting happiness!

Bonus bonus points if you also drink some water! You might not realize how much you need to drink (and how little you actually drink!). Being dehydrated can lead to you feeling dizzy or even confused – and can definitely contribute to a bad mood!

2. Go do something you love

Even if you don’t really feel like it, changing what you are focusing on can snap you out of your downward spiral.

Doing one of your hobbies – even if it’s for a few minutes – will change what your mind is focusing on and will distract you from this bad mood.

Plus, it’s something that you love, so that should just naturally put you in a good mood.

Note that distraction isn’t always a good idea if there are deeper problems you need to fix, but if you are just experiencing your run-of-the-mill case of the downers, distraction can work wonders!

3.Talk to your friends/parents/siblings or go do a “social activity”

First of all, talking to someone about your problems is always a great way to get things off your chest and sort your thoughts out. Also, just knowing that someone cares about you and what you are going through is worth so much. 

If you don’t really want to talk about what is bumming you out, just socializing, talking, and laughing with people can snap you out of your funk and put you in a great mood (right now you’ll have to do this by phone or video chat). 

Oftentimes, socializing is the last thing that we want to do when we aren’t feeling great, because we don’t feel like our usual likeable selves. But going out and being around people (even virtually) sort of forces us to be our usual likeable selves and not the grump who’s locking themselves in their room. 

Sometimes you just have to pretend to be in a better mood and then your body and mind will just start to believe you. Remember: fake it ’til you make it! (Not always good advice, but in this case, it can be!)

4. Clean your space

It’s surprising how much our surroundings can affect our moods. If your place is a bit messy (or getting out of hand – I’m no stranger to that!), it can take a toll on your mood. It’ll get even worse if you keep putting off that task, because then you are prolonging the mess and making yourself feel worse.

Fun fact (well it’s more of a not-so-fun fact): when we put off a task that we think will be uncomfortable is some way, actually experience more discomfort putting it off then if we were to actually do it.

So basically, you’ll feel better if you just do the task.

Now this is much easier said than done, so my tip is to just put on a timer for 5 minutes (super easy to do) and start cleaning and see how far you get! I bet you’ll get wayyy more done than you anticipated.

5. Put on a great playlist

This might seem like such a small and obvious thing to do, but my mood can seriously go from slump-to-pumped in no time if I have the right song on.

Music is one of the greatest ways to transport yourself into a completely different state of mind.

If you put on a sweet playlist that either pumps you up or is just some happy music, you will automatically feel better. 
I think this is another thing that people underestimate. It takes only a few minutes to pick out a good playlist (especially if you have spotify) and you can listen to it even if you are super busy!

The easiest way to add more music to your life is to use a wireless, bluetooth speaker! The one below is the one I use and I love it!

6. Listen to an inspiring podcast

There is no shortage of incredible podcasts out there. And there are so many that have such amazing people talking about the incredible things they have done and the obstacles they have overcome to get there. 

I find that if I am ever doubting myself or being pessimistic about the future, I just find something inspiring to listen to. I’m actually almost never pessimistic about the future because of all the awesome podcasts I have listened to. 

This also goes for Youtube videos and Ted Talks.

You can find podcasts on spotify, cast box, apple podcasts, and tons of other places! 

7. Light a candle or diffuse some essential oils

Essential oils have been known to have many positive effects on the body and smelling calming smells, such as lavender, can soothe your body.

Essential oils and oil diffusers are fairly inexpensive and last so long! And if you buy a pack of oils, you can try out different combinations, which is also fun!

Essential oils are known to have therapeutic effects as well, but I just love them because I just feel calm and nice when I put my diffuser on! 

 8. Breathe deeply

Breathing deeply is also known to work wonders for the body.

It is often overlooked because of its simplicity, but we often breathe shallowly when we are stressed or anxious and forget to completely fill our lungs with air. Breathing deeply is simply a great way to calm yourself down and bring some peace to your life! Here’s a great article with a few techniques!

You can also try a little meditation as well. I’ve been using the app Oak, which has a nice design and so far I really like the meditations.

9. EFT Tapping

EFT tapping is one of the most amazing things that has come into my life! It was my saving grace during an intense period of anxiety and panic attacks.

I’ll be writing a full article on EFT tapping soon, but in short, you do a series of tapping on different pressure points on your body, while repeating a positive phrase that acknowledges your worries and accepts them.

I find that it’s also an excellent way to ground yourself.

Grounding is where you bring your attention to what is happening to you physically, either in your body or your surroundings. 

If you feel anxious or unsettled, this will shift your focus from your thoughts to physical sensations, which can feel very calming and helps you to get out of your head. 

The phrase will go something like this: “Even though I have this worry/problem, I deeply and completely accept myself”

You say that phrase in your head over and over while tapping the different parts of your body. You can get full instructions here.

10. Meditate/repeat a mantra

Doing a guided meditation or meditating while repeating a mantra can put you into an entirely different headspace. 

The benefits of meditation are well known, but it can sometimes be difficult to get that kind of mental stillness easily, especially when you’re not in the best headspace. 

BUT if you listen to a guided meditation, you don’t have to do as much of the work and you have someone who knows what they are doing to direct you to a happier place. It’s great!

Also, much like the EFT tapping, it can be good just to repeat a positive phrase or mantra. It can be very simple too, such as “I am in a bad mood right now, but I have a great life because of xyz reasons and I am a happy, positive person”.

You can read my article on some simple stress-relieving mantras.

And there you have it! 10 things to do to pull yourself out of a bad mood. I really hope this helps if you are feeling down!

It’s Saturday morning.You wake up with a beam of sunlight pouring into your room and birds singing outside your window. It seems like the perfect morning. But something’s not quite right. Despite the sun, the birds, and the weekend vibes, something’s just…off.

You don’t feel relaxed. You feel overwhelmed. There are a gazillion things rushing through your mind – I have to buy groceries. When’s that assignment due? I really should clean the bathroom. The job application deadline is tomorrow. I need to get started on that. Will I have time practice guitar? I haven’t practiced in ages. Maybe I’m no good at guitar. Maybe I should quit. I can’t quit! When do I get paid? The more you think, the more anxious you get. No wonder you’re not feeling the Saturday morning vibes – your mind is going crazy!

When your thoughts are running a hundred miles an hour, it’s easy to feel confused. And when you feel confused, you lose sight of what really matters, and how you really feel. That’s where stream of consciousness journaling comes in.

What is “Stream of Consciousness Journaling”?

Stream of consciousness journaling is a method of journaling that involves writing down your thoughts as they come to you. No proofreading. No overthinking. Just transcribing every thought that pops into your head down on paper.

In stream of consciousness journaling, the magic happens in the messiness. When you stop censoring your thoughts and instead let them come to the page organically, what you’re really doing is allowing yourself to communicate with your inner voice, your intuition, your soul. The part of you that has all the answers. The part of you that’s unclouded by stress, anxiety, and ego.

It will Help You Understand Your Mind

Stream of consciousness journaling has a tendency to bring to the surface problematic thinking patterns, to uncover fears you didn’t know you had, and insights you didn’t know you needed. Thoughts that come from the depths tend to be the most profound, and the most necessary.

So if you’re ready to push past the distractions and delve deep to discover what’s really important to you, here are my 7 most helpful tips on stream of consciousness journaling:

1. Journal in the morning – Our thoughts tend to be the most chaotic and muddled when we first wake up. By writing in the morning, you’re sifting through all that chaos straight away, leaving you with a clear, focused mind for the rest of the day.

2. Don’t force anything – Be true to your thoughts. Stream of consciousness journaling should never feel contrived. It may not be enlightening, it may not be earth-shattering, it very well may be “I’m so tired, I don’t know what to write”. If that’s what you’re thinking, write it down.

3. Be patient – Don’t give up if you don’t get an ‘aha’ moment straight away. If you continue with it every day, your intuition will take you where you need to go. You know just as well as I know that all good things take time.

4. Forget the rules – Throw any concerns you have about spelling and grammar out the window. The point isn’t to create publish-worthy prose, the point is to let your soul take control (your soul doesn’t care about ‘you’re’ vs ‘your’).

5. Be specific – Your journal is no place for cautious generalities. Pin-point as much as you can – specific names, feelings, emotions, events. This is for your eyes only, so don’t shy away from writing precisely and explicitly.

6. Write by hand – Writing by hand in a physical journal rather than on your computer slows you down and keeps the intuitive part of your brain engaged. Your keyboard is far too linear for this type of writing.

7. Allow for jumps – Our thoughts can sometimes be quite sporadic, and that’s okay. If at one point you’re writing about your dog, which then reminds you about that movie you saw last night, which then reminds you about a dream you had one time – let yourself go there. No need for tidy transitions.

You have the tips, you have your journal, and you have your pencil. All that’s left for you to do?

Let it flow!