Bad Moods

You need to understand why you're really down. Everyone gets into bad moods, but eventually we get over them. The main reason we have trouble extracting ourselves from them more quickly is because oftentimes we're not aware of what's causing it.

The next time you get into a bad mood, try taking the following steps improve your mood. However, remember that you first have to figure out what’s causing it.

1. Guilt. Feeling even mildly guilty can have a huge impact on our mood. Forgetting someone’s birthday can make you feel bad even if you apologize. The best way to resolve guilty feelings is to atone for your actions. If you still feel bad about the missed birthday, take a few minutes to send a belated card or buy a small gift. They will appreciate the gesture and it makes you feel better.

2. Small rejections. Rejections are an extremely common emotional injury, especially in the age of social media. Facebook's "likes" cause many to feel bad if not acknowledged. It's very important not to take things personally. Actually it's a social media experiment for others to peruse. Again, a text and/or a phone call can clear up the questionable thoughts. Don't point out on Facebook type social media outlets your personal feeling or rejections. When you do ... ALL CAN SEE.

3. Outstanding tasks. Our mental to-do lists can sit in the back of our mind, nag at us, and bring down our mood. But you don’t have to complete every outstanding task to improve your mood. Studies have found that just making a plan for tackling tasks is sufficient to eliminate the mental nagging and improve your mood. So you decide when you’ll do the task, and watch your mood lighten.

4. Brooding. Many of us can get stuck replaying upsetting scenes that occurred days, weeks, or even months ago. When an upsetting visual continues in the back of your mind, use distraction techniques to reduce the intensity and frequency. Studies show that even a two-minute distraction is sufficient to disrupt the distressing thought and restore your mood.

5. Having a low self-esteem day. Like the proverbial bad hair day, sometimes we just wake up feeling bad about ourselves, for no apparent reason. Our self-esteem tends to fluctuate but it is also important to prop it up when it is low. Therefore, when your self-esteem is in a slump, do something to make you feel good about yourself. Exercise and release some much needed endorphins, or perhaps wear your favorite outfit. Even better, call someone who truly appreciates you and makes you feel good about who you are.

6. Fearing failure. We can worry about an upcoming sporting event, a work related project, or an important exam for days or even weeks beforehand. To get out of that fixation, focus on things that are within your control. Exercise, create support among peers by being supportive and encouraging of their work, making them more likely to be supportive of yours.

7. Feeling disconnected. Often times we can get so caught up in life that we neglect our emotional and social needs. Thus, we begin to feel disconnected from the people around us. To move past this feeling, give a loved one a call or take a break and play with your pet.

8. Getting caught up in small annoyances. As we go about our busy lives, small annoyances such as incorrect charges on a bill, cable service on the fritz, car stalling can become exaggerated and ruin our mood. To restore it, get perspective and remind yourself of the big picture. Most of the small annoyances are forgotten with days. Life affirmations are also an excellent example to reprogram the mind.

9. Hunger. Low blood sugar has an enormous impact both mentally and physically. Being hungry impacts our mood far more than we tend to realize. If it’s been a while since you last ate...have a snack.

10. Exhaustion. Children aren’t the only ones who get cranky when they’re tired. When adults don’t get enough sleep it significantly impacts our thinking, creativity, and especially our general mood. If you can, take a short nap. Even a brief nap can be sufficient to recharge your batteries and bump you out of the doldrums.

"I'm not in a bad mood, everyone else is just annoying."