Blast Away Bad Mood With These 11 Fast Fixes

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“Bad moods become bad days, which become bad weeks, which become bad months and years. Before you know it, you’re living an unhappy life and you probably think this is ‘normal’. It’s a shame, because life can and should be wonderful. You can transcend the circumstances that are pulling you down … you need only to learn how.” You’re having another bad day. Your Internet is down. You discover a past-due credit card bill. The salesclerk rings up your order wrong. A traffic jam makes you late. Oh, nothing catastrophic occurs, just a series of frustrating delays, minor mishaps, and dropped details that, cumulatively, make you crazy. All at once you realize you’re in a terrible mood, again. In fact, it’s hard to remember the last time you were in a really good mood. At times, you feel awesome. At other times, you want the world to just be quiet. The bad news is that bad moods can be easy to acquire. The good news is, they can be just as easy to break. The catch is that you have to want to break the mood. So, before a bad mood gets the best of you or your family, friends or coworkers, read these helpful tips to get over it and get on with it:1. Divert your focus Sometimes you find yourself in a bad mood for no good reason. It could be because you aren’t doing anything productive. Find a project to focus on. The task doesn’t have to be a long or complicated one. It could be as easy as washing your car or finishing painting the backyard fence. The point is to find something where you get tangible results. In turn, you will feel gratified, and feeling gratified is a great way to lift a bad mood. 2. Change your body posture Happy and energetic individuals take big steps, walk faster and stand taller. They seem to exude an endless supply of energy. In sharp contrast, pessimistic, unhappy and lifeless people shuffle their feet, take tiny steps, walk slowly and slouch. They appear lifeless and have burned–out their batteries. Watch how you carry your body. Use the body-posture of happy, optimistic people, such as take big steps, walk faster and stand taller. Using these techniques will help you become happy and energetic. They are easy to carry out, and will create a positive domino effect with people in your life. 3. Take a break and have a cup of tea Sit quietly for 15 minutes. And keep your mind blank. Be one with yourself. Often the silence is enough to change your mood. Sitting quietly keeping your mind off everything brings you back. You can try doing this while having a cup of hot tea. 4. Find something that is guaranteed to make you smile It might be looking through old photo albums or popping in your all-time favorite movie. Engaging your senses or reliving fond memory is the perfect ticket out of Bad Moodville. 5. Pick some music and listen to it Almost everyone is familiar with the saying that music soothes the savage beast, and it’s certainly true when the beast is a bad mood. Music is one of the most effective fast fixes for a bad mood. The next time you’re in a bad mood, try blasting it away with a favorite song. Something that makes you smile and dance will get rid of your blues in a flash, but there are plenty of options beyond a upbeat and cheery tune. To shake off a bad mood, try turning on some seriously angry music like punk rock or heavy metal, and turning it way up. Misery loves company, and so long as you do it right, a blast of negativity can actually help lift your bad mood! Just take a deep breath when the song is over, and you’ll feel refreshed as your bad mood flies away. 6. Stay in the present Appreciate the mundane by focusing on the activities you do without thinking like eating, bathing, walking. Take notice of how good the water feels in the shower, how soft or hard the ground feels on your feet as you walk or just silently eat your meal and really taste it. 7. Give When you’re in a bad mood, you may feel like it’s all about you. Your problems are so overwhelming that you deserve to dwell in them. Instead of giving in to this way of thinking, just try giving. Gather up those size 4 clothes that you haven’t been able to fit in since high school and donate them to the Salvation Army. Volunteer at the local soup kitchen for a few hours. When you witness other people’s problems, your problems might seem miniscule in comparison, therefore easier to solve. 8. Avoid emotional vampires Do you attract emotional vampires or losers into your life? Are you a loser magnet?Emotional vampires and losers literally drain our batteries, slow us down and make us upset. To become happier, optimistic and energetic - avoid emotional vampires. Unhappy people allow “emotional vampires” to suck their positive feelings right out of their skulls. Emotional vampires include people who put you down, criticize or mock you, or sabotage your dreams and aspirations. Discard or limit people, habits or situations that keep you from feeling optimistic and happy. In other words, ‘burn your bridges’ if needed. Remember: Happy and optimistic people hang around with personal cheerleaders. Unhappy people surround themselves with emotional vampires. 9. Overpower bad mood with an exercise high This is a great way to relieve bad mood and get those endorphins going. Even if it’s a walk around the block or jogging on the treadmill, exercise has a way of making you feel energized quickly. You also become more in tune with your body and what it’s actually capable of, making you feel strong and accomplished. 10. Watch what you say - and never say words such as “try” To begin acting like happy and optimistic people, you need to learn what they do. Optimistic people act and talk in certain ways. For example, they use certain words. The words people use can affect their moods and energy levels. Changing your words can actually change your attitude and feelings. Use “upbeat” words, instead of “upset” words. For example, you can say, “I feel overwhelmed” which is upsetting. Or, you can say, “I feel challenged …nevertheless I can do it” which is upbeat. One of the most interesting differences between happy and unhappy people is that happy people never or rarely use the word ‘try’ or ‘but.’ These two words leave people feeling hopeless and not in-control of their lives. Happy people feel hopeful, and take tons of responsibility for their lives. The words ‘try’ and ‘but’ are excuses, and unhappy people have a bad case of ‘excuse-itis. 11. Pack an Emergency Bad Mood Kit An emergency bad mood kit can mean the difference between spending your day in an angry funk and spending your day feeling vibrant and calm. To make an emergency bad mood kit, just grab a plastic bag or a small box and fill it with tiny treats that you know will make you feel great. There are lots of different “treats” that will lift a bad mood, so think creatively. A favorite candy can do the trick, but so will something with a lot of sentimental value, or an item that you find particularly aesthetically pleasing. Whether it’s a photograph of a favorite place, or a morsel of something especially tasty, the fun of breaking open your bad mood kit to discover the fun fast fixes for the blues that you’ve hidden away is sure to bring a smile to your face. Happiness is a process, something that you have to find and foster just like everything else in your life. So, get off your behind and grab your share of sunshine!