Have you noticed that when you wake up feeling crabby, it seems to dominate your whole day? You get stuck at every stoplight. The check-out lane you’re standing in is the slowest. You spill coffee on your shirt.
How about when you feel happy? Did someone treat you to lunch, did the store open a new check-out line just for you, or did everything flow really smoothly?
It’s no accident.
Your mood is just like a magnet. Like attracts like.
That’s why a better mood starts with you (or U if you want to piggyback on the shape of a magnet).
Before you complain about how the slow check-out line is what created your bad mood, or the poor night’s sleep, or whatever, STOP.
In order to experience a better mood, you must take responsibility for it.
No, you didn’t create the circumstances.
We will always have circumstances.
Circumstances may be beyond our power to change.
What can be changed is your response to those circumstances.
Believe me, there have been many times where I felt helpless to shift out of my emotional reaction—especially when one negative thing attracted another and another and another.
It is possible to not get swept away by a negative mood.
If you want to feel better, I invite you to try this three-step process.
- Be specific about what emotions you are feeling. See the chart below.
- Ask yourself, “How can I feel a little better?” We get into trouble when we want to make too big of a shift. Try to move one or two steps up the spiral.
- Don’t use your brain to shift the mood, use your senses and your body. Go for a walk; dance; stretch; listen to an inspirational talk (I love Ajahn Brahm); watch funny videos with goats, dogs, or babies; light a candle or use essential oils; prepare a lovely cup of tea slowly and mindfully.
You can feel better.
When you feel better, it helps you to notice other positive things that are already happening around you. Remember that the process of becoming more aware of your emotions is a process that gets easier over time. Don’t be too hard on yourself. The crappy moods you are experiencing provide clarity about what you do not want and motivate you to aim for something different.
Give it a try and let me know how it goes.
I love hearing from you. If this post resonated, then reach out. Let’s start a conversation.
May your senses transport you to better moods,
Clarity Coach for Internal and External Clutter
Kate@KateVarness.com
