How to Lose a Bad Mood

Everyone gets into a bad mood or has a bad attitude sometimes. Hopefully these tips will help you break out of you funk and have fun too.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Paper
• Pen
• Good music
• A cup of coffee

1. 
    

   Write it down.
   
   If you had a rotten day, get out a piece of paper and write down things that went right. It could be hard to come up with some things, but it could be as simple as being healthy or hitting a green light on the way home.

2. 
    

   Grow something.
   
   Go to the nearest greenhouse or discount store and bring home a reduced priced, half dead plant to nurture back to life. Watching your plant grow and become beautiful will be very satisfying.
   
   Studies show that there is a certain compound in gardening soil that boosts levels of serotonin in the brain.

3. 
    

   Put on some tunes.
   
   Keep your favorite tunes in your car, house, work, even your shower. You can even keep all your old 80's tunes on your iPod. That will surely get you into a good mood.
   
   Music has also been shown not only to lift your mood, but reduce pain.

4. 
    
   Postive thinking

   Self talk.
   
   Positive affirmations really do work. You can say "I am happy" all you want, but you also have to believe it. Make up your mind to feel good in the moment. Say to yourself things like "I am relaxed" or "I am calm".

5. 
    

   Try yoga.
   
   One of the best yoga poses for improving mood is the feet-up-the-wall pose. This pose increases blood flow to your brain, clears the mind, and increases serotonin levels. Lie on your back and just rest your feet and legs on the wall. Take deep breaths, relax your whole body and mind. In about ten minutes you will feel great.

Tips & Warnings

• Have some coffee or tea, caffeine triggers dopamine.
• If depression symptom persist see your doctor.

[amandadyar]

on 8/10/2009 Getting out in the sun also helps. 5*

[writeitout]

on 4/28/2009 You have some good tips in this article on how to lose a bad mood. 5*

[FrazzledNanny]

on 4/14/2009 Music helps cure my bad mood! Great article. 5*

[kittykat3]

on 3/31/2009 These are such great tips to help you get rid of that bad mood. 5*

[eclecticprof]

on 3/31/2009 Tunes do it for me. Music can totally redirect my mood like you say. I have an entire itunes playlist called "feel good music" for days that I need a pick me up. Then I have another playlist for when i am down but don't want to feel better. Willie Nelson is high on that list. ;)