5 Ways to kick your bad mood
Everyone has off days. Whether it took you 20 minutes to convince your toddler that pants weren’t optional, an argument with your spouse derailed your day, or you went out for lunch and your favorite Mexican restaurant was out of queso, sooner or later you’re going to need cheering up. And I’m here for you! Check out my top 5 tips below.
- Repeat your mantra
You have one of those, right? Because everyone should have a mantra. Maybe even a few of them. When I’m dragging myself out of bed in the morning for a 5:15am CrossFit class, “greatness in the moment” is on a loop through my head. That gem is from The 12 Week Year, and it refers to greatness being made up of lots of little choices in lots of little moments, vs. it being one big choice. My choice in that moment to wake up before the sun is contributing to my ultimate goal of being able to bench press with the Hulk one day. Some others that I love are “You did not wake up to be mediocre” and “The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem.” Love me some Jack Sparrow! A quick Pinterest search for “Monday motivation” can get you on the right track to finding a mantra that really resonates with you.
- Play your fight song
Music is powerful. The right song can have you singing at the top of your lungs, and the wrong one can have you pulled over on the side of the road bawling like a baby. Having the right song ready to go in moments of crankiness is so easy! Think back to your ride into work this morning. What song did you turn up and sing along to? What song made you smile, made you think of your spouse or kids, made you feel powerful, or inspired you? Pop in your headphones, close your eyes, and blast that bad mood into oblivion. Looking for inspiration? Mine are “Might not like me” by Brynn Elliott and “Burning Man” by Dierks Bently.
- Remind yourself why you smile
There are lots of ways to do this. I have a mouse pad from Shutterfly on my desk at work with pictures of me, Nick and the boys on it. Our house is covered in photos of the adventures we’ve been on together. You can scroll through your phone and watch the video you took from the top of a mountain on your last hike. You can sneak into your closet and caress that soft new Michael Kors purse you just got or read the first chapter of the book that’s been on your “read me” list for months. It’s easy to forget the millions of little things that make your world so special, especially when it seems like nothing is going your way. But counting your blessings is one surefire way to get a smile back onto your face!
- Make someone else smile
As hard as it might be to go out of your way to do this when you’re already in a foul mood, it’s totally worth it. Print off a Paw Patrol coloring page for your son at work and watch how excited he gets when you sit down to color it with him. Pick up your coworkers favorite type of donut on the way to work, and while you’re in the drive thru, pay for the coffee of the person behind you. Call your mama for no reason other than to say hi. When someone does something nice for me out of the blue, it reminds me that there is good everywhere in the world. When I do something nice for someone else, it reminds me that I can be the good in someone else’s world. And that’s a really great thing to be.
- Check something off your to-do list
Productivity is one of my go-to pick-me-ups. Love making those check marks! Sometimes, when I’m having a really bad day but I’m also super busy, I’ll add something simple like “move laundry to dryer” or “go pee without an audience” just so I can check it off. Although that second one……not always an option. Because #momlife. But feeling productive makes me feel more in control of my life, which in turn reminds me that I’m in control of my own happiness.
Bad days happen. Cranky moods happen. But how you deal with them is totally up to you! Life is too short to focus on the negative, especially when there is so much out there to smile about.
