Ways to get out of a bad mood

10 Ways to Escape a Bad Mood Fast

Source: luxorphoto/Shutterstock

We all get into bad moods—and, eventually, we snap out of them. The main reason we have trouble extracting ourselves more quickly is because we can't shake a bad mood if we're not aware of what's causing it.

The next time you get into a funk, don't just wait for the dark cloud to lift. There are steps you can take to improve your mood, and the first is to figure out what’s causing it.

Here are 10 common causes of bad moods—and what you can do to banish them.

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 (but certainly if you don’t). 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 cute and funny apology card, e-card, or small gift. They will appreciate the gesture and you will feel better as soon as you click send. (See The Five Ingredients of an Effective Apology.)

2. Small rejections. Rejections are an extremely common emotional injury, especially in the age of social media. (See Why Rejections on Social Media Can Really Hurt.) When you post your vacation pictures on Facebook or Instagram and no one "Likes" them, it can sting. However, since you don’t know the circumstances, it’s important not to take things personally. People often check social media on the fly; while waiting for the elevator (or the doctor), stuck at a traffic light (or in a meeting), or while sitting on a bus (or on the can). If someone close hasn’t responded, you can assume they were too busy to do so, and send them a text or message asking them to take a look at your pics if you're eager to share (or get the response you want).

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 decide when you’ll do the task, set a reminder on your phone or put up a post-it, and watch your mood lighten.

4. Brooding. Many of us can get stuck replaying upsetting scenes that occurred days, weeks, or even months ago. (See The Seven Hidden Dangers of Brooding.) When an upsetting short film keeps playing in the back of your mind, use distraction techniques to reduce the intensity and frequency. Studies show that even a two-minute distraction (such as doing a crossword or playing Candy Crush or Sudoku) 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. Work out and release some endorphins; wear something you feel good in; plan something you’ll look forward to doing; or call someone who truly appreciates you and makes you feel good about who you are.

6. Fearing failure. We can worry about an upcoming marathon, a presentation at work, or an important exam for days or even weeks beforehand. To get out of that fixation, focus on things that are within your control: Beefing up your road work, creating support among colleagues by being supportive and encouraging of their work (which will make them more likely to be supportive of yours), or making a detailed study schedule can help reduce fear of failure and the lousy moods that go with it.

7. Feeling disconnected. We can get so caught up in life we neglect our emotional and social needs and 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. Studies have also found that even brief social interactions with acquaintances can improve mood. (See Why We Need All the Acquaintances We Can Get.)

8. Getting caught up in small annoyances. As we go about our busy lives, small annoyances—incorrect charges on a phone bill, cable service on the fritz, the car stalling—can become exaggerated and ruin our mood. To restore it, get perspective and remind yourself of the big picture. Use the one year question: Is this something you will remember in a year? If not, it’s not worth getting annoyed about. To balance your mood further, do a quick gratitude exercise: Make a list of 5 things you’re grateful for that really matter—your kids are healthy, you have a good job, you have friends who care, etc.

9. Hunger. This one is pretty obvious but it’s amazing how often we forget to consider it. 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. This also falls in the obvious-but-often-neglected category. Children aren’t the only ones who get cranky when they’re tired. When we don’t get enough sleep it significantly impacts our thinking, creativity, and especially our general mood. If you can, take a 15-minute power nap. Even a brief nap can be sufficient to recharge your batteries and bump you out of the doldrums.

Check out my website and follow me on Twitter @GuyWinch

22 Ways to Get Rid of a Bad Mood. Waking up in a funk a little too often… | by Dave Cornthwaite

Waking up in a funk a little too often, or finding it hard to kick those negative vibes? Look no further…

It’s International Day of Happiness, and quite perfectly spellcheck turned this into Internal Day of Happiness, which I think sums it all up, entirely!

That said, a little nudge isn’t a bad thing so I’ve decided to create three blogs about happiness today, as my contribution to one of the best arbitrary days of celebration around.

A big thanks to the YesTribe for throwing ideas my way. TribeSourcing is better than Wikipedia. If you have anything to add, please do so in the comments.

Many of these are really obvious but sometimes we can’t see things when they’re right in front of us. This blog is best saved for when you’re in need of a lift, so reach for that bookmark button.

So, without further ado, here are a few ways to get rid of a bad mood or morning funk…

Kisses and cuddles release oxytocin, the feel-good hormone. If you don’t have a partner, ask your bestie for a good hug. I’m lucky enough to have a girlfriend who has a Hug-o-Meter, and she reminds me that if it’s not topped up enough she gets ill. This is a brilliant thing to tell your friends if you need some squeezes! Now, I’m off to give my best friend a hug.

Call up someone who you know will listen without judgement. If they are a friend with a sense of humour, even better. If there’s no friend around, smile and say hello to strangers on the way to work. Go on, I dare you, how many replies can you get on your commute?

Gratitude is a wonderful tool. Write down a few things you’re grateful for and remember that there is always someone having a harder time than you. Yep, if necessary just guilt yourself into feeling better!

Get that blood moving and breathe in some fresh air. The better the view, the greater you’ll feel. The outdoors is a perfect reset button and connecting with nature is scientifically proven to improve health, happiness and self-esteem, reduce frustration and approach meditative states with much less effort. Got a big decision to make? Never ever make it in a room.

Let your heart do what it’s good at and get that blood pumping. Exercise, especially outdoors, will put everything in perspective and make you feel alive. Go for a jog, a fast walk or a cycle. Or choose another way to travel without a motor.

Beyond the feel-good factor of cleaning yourself, dunking your head under water, taking a swim or having a shower will activate your mammalian [diving] reflex, which literally optimises your respiration by spreading oxygen levels around to all the best places, especially the heart and brain.

You don’t have to get all cross-legged and zen to reach a higher state of consciousness. The simple act of slowing down, focusing on one simple action (like gardening, reading a book or painting a wall) and actively switching off (your brain, as well as devices) lessens potential for distraction, stress and anxiety. I find that table tennis works really well for me.

Detox from the digital. Social media is a pain in the ass if you’re predisposed to morning funks. Many online posts release dopamine into your system, a natural drug connected to motivation and reward. Basic [shallow] gratification through likes or watching fluffy kittens making friends with elephants activates the ‘pleasure’ pathways in our brain, but your brain ain’t stoopid, and knows you can have a more healthy choice-based dopamine session — satisfying a curiosity, for example.

If you put your happiness in the hands of others, you’ll never be in control of it yourself.

Doing this in the morning isn’t necessarily the best way to activate the satisfaction that comes from earn and reward (which is why we turn to our phones when we wake up, hello Dopamine!), but in periods of rest like evenings and weekends, don’t forget to look after yourself. Mmm, chocolate.

Another great way of setting the tone for your day is to control your inputs. Turn off notifications. Get your desk and surroundings in order. Make your bed. Create a playlist of delicious songs that just make you happy and sing along to them. And yes, before you say it, music is another Dopamine switch. Want even more? Sing in a group!

Banning screens from the bedroom will help you sleep better. Going to sleep happy will mean you wake up happy (even if you have a bad dream, you’ll be better placed to deal with it). Soak in the tub or have a shower before snoozes, and don’t go too hard on the sugar after the watershed (although a little dessert is definitely not banned).

Ok, you have to look after yourself first (cue the old put your own oxygen mask on before helping others analogy), but our lovely friend Oxytocin also comes to say hi when we demonstrate emotional warmth. A smile or small gift, listening to a friend in need or simply opening a door for someone else will trigger the good stuff. Did you know that Oxytocin also protects your heart by lowering blood pressure and reduces inflammation. Kindness is literally good for the heart (and the rest of you!).

Seriously, try it. Grab a sandwich (or fish and chips) and sit on a hill or by the river. Savour it. Tastes better than in the office, doesn’t it?

This isn’t advice to boys, that’s just depressing. But remember, we’re wonderfully insignificant. Look up at the stars, embrace wide open spaces, close your eyes and imagine you’re in the middle of the ocean. We’re a tiny blip in the scheme of things but we’re also lucky enough to understand just how incredible it is that we’re here. Appreciating this rather than getting caught up in the small stresses of being human can help put our days in a magical perspective.

The greatest tool for self development is our imagination, and it functions best without distraction. As adults our creativity is drilled out of us unless we give it space to grow. Teach yourself an instrument, learn to draw or make a film, all the while imagining just what beauty you could create. Or visualise yourself crossing a finish line of that marathon, or a longer, larger self-set challenge. And don’t stop there, go do it!

Give yourself something to look forward to. Sometimes we can’t dump everything but having a goal or carrot to pull us through the mud is crucial at these times.

Is it worth doing anything if we can’t recall it? Look through photos of good times (although not ones with that ex that made you distinctly not happy!) or read a journal. A reminder that life has its awesome moments will get you thinking about the next ones.

You choose your mindset, not anyone else. Life is simple when you get past the complications, and most of the complications are in our heads. However hard it is, ask yourself ‘how do I want to feel right now’ and then give yourself the right environment to find positivity, fast.

I realised when I was paddling the Mississippi that even when something crap was happening, if I embraced a journalistic attitude and realised that I felt that way for a reason then I’d feel better, because I could make sense out of the negativity.

Living with a journalistic attitude has limited my funky periods since then, because the down times are just part of a wider story. Negative thoughts, moods or actions are ultimately just lessons. Although of course, it helps if we’re conscious enough to learn from them.

Paint, draw, scribble, jot, plan an adventure, write in a journal (“Just get my ‘Shitty First Draft’ on paper, as Brene Brown says, then sit with my thoughts and allow the muddy water to settle.” — Thanks to Siobhán for this!)

There are lots of apps that if used well can encourage meditation, mindfulness and plenty of the other helpful tips in this article.

Two popular options are Headspace and Buddhify

Do something new. We are stimulated by new sights, feelings and experiences and the subliminal sensation of growth is a core factor in human satisfaction.

Really, does anything feel better than having a giggle? Make a little YouTube playlist of your favourite comedy clips, read a funny book (Bill Bryson is my fave) or just Google these gorgeously sarcastic postcards.

Of course, you could forget all of the above and just remember to stand up straight!

Thanks Nico for sharing this!

“I ping a message in to my family to say hello and that I love them. Reminds me that I’m so incredibly fortunate and that’s like a defib style jolt on my mood and brings me back to happiness.”
- Jason

“Some mindful thinking & counting out loud things I'm thankful for that day. A look at a few photos on my wall of friends & family to remind me of all the amazing people in life, then send a message, or write a little postcard to remind one of them how important they are to me. Plus, a little 30 second dance party to some cheesy pop works wonders.”
- Amanda

“When things suck for me, I immediately look for ways I can help someone else. I put a post in my FB group asking what I can do to support someone that day, then I do everything everyone asks of me. And then I feel AWESOME.”
- Crystal

“The very cheesy song — ‘Hold on’ — Wilson Philips, had a huge effect on me — ”No one can change your life except for you”. So i think of that song when I am down…”
- Tracey

“I believe people often forget what makes them happy, so creating a list of 100 happy words is a good place to start — and often what makes us happy is much simpler than we think and right within our grasp. My own list included everything from time with my husband, to my family, to red nail polish and climbing mountains.”
- Esther

“I try and do something I have never done before. No matter how small it might be. It could be as simple as cook something new or try to run a PB (the physical achievements work particularly well to lift my mood).”
- Tee

“I watch Jeremy Kyle and that always reminds me how lucky I am!”
- Carolanne Waters

If you enjoyed this please press the little heart at the bottom of the page so more people will see this blog.

And if you have a favourite, feel free to highlight it!

For regular feeds of positivity, adventure, audacity and ideas for squeezing all the juice you can out of your time as a human, give me a follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, visit my website for an archive of adventures and projects, and sign up to my monthly newsletter.

Have an awesome day. Say yes more!

How to get rid of a bad mood? 15 Ways Proven by Science

November 20, 2014 Life Health

Your mood largely depends on the circumstances. But it depends no less on your personal efforts and actions. You can improve your mood and feel a little happier right now, and here are 15 scientifically proven ways to do it.

Iya Zorina

Author of Lifehacker, athlete, CCM

1. Smile

A 2011 study at the University of Michigan found that positive thoughts that make you smile make you feel happy. The fake smile that some employees are required to keep on their faces, on the contrary, leads to emotional exhaustion.

But another 2003 study at Clark University in Massachusetts found that smiling itself evokes positive memories.

So just smile and keep that expression for a while. nine0003

2. Go for a run

Physical activity triggers the release of endorphins, the neurotransmitters that make you feel happy.

Running and other physical exercises can become a kind of “moving meditation”, when you forget about all your affairs and problems, concentrating on body movements and breathing.

And one more thing - people who go in for sports feel more attractive and self-confident, which also affects their mood.

3. Find something to laugh at

Laughter has a positive effect in the short and long term.

When you laugh, the intake of oxygenated air increases, the work of the heart, lungs, muscles is stimulated, and the amount of endorphins increases. Laughter helps fight stress and provides a calm, relaxed state.

In the long term, laughter improves the immune system and reduces pain, helps to cope with difficult situations and improves mood, relieving apathy. nine0003

4. Take a walk in the park

Walking in nature has many benefits, including uplifting. One study by scientists from the University of Sussex found that participants were much happier in nature than in the city.

But if you live too far from the park, just going for a walk is much better than sitting at home. Physical activity improves mood.

5. Do a good deed

Do something nice for other people. This will not only make them happier, but you too. nine0003

Social approval and gratitude from other people increase positive emotions.

Research by Professor Sonja Lubomirsky of the University of California has proven that doing good deeds, especially those of a kind nature, makes people feel happier.

6. Listen to joyful music

The Journal of Positive Psychology published a recent study by Yuna Ferguson and Kennon Sheldon that tested the effects of joyful music on human mood. nine0003

Students listened to positive music and tuned in to a feeling of happiness. As a result, they really began to feel happy.

The same students who did not think about the feelings of happiness, but simply concentrated on the music, did not feel the same enthusiastic positive emotions.

The conclusion can be drawn as follows - use joyful music as a tool to cheer up, but do not forget to concentrate on the feelings of joy and happiness that arise from it .

7. Walk wider

It turns out that during a walk it is important not only where you walk, but also how you do it. Sarah Sondgrass of Florida Atlantic University has done research on the type of gait and the sensations associated with it.

One group of people was given the task to walk with a wide step, waving their arms and holding their heads high, the second - to walk in small steps with their hands together and their eyes downcast.

Finally, the participants were asked how they felt during the experiment. It turned out that people from the first group felt much more confident and happier. nine0003

When you go for a walk, even under the weight of your problems, don't forget how to walk.

8. Keep a gratitude journal

Actually, it can be a notebook, a note, or a regular document in which you write down what you are grateful for.

A study published in the Journal of Happiness has shown that there is a direct link between gratitude and feelings of contentment and happiness.

The participants in this experiment wrote letters of thanks for three weeks, listing in them everything for which they are grateful in life. Each week the letters got longer and the people felt more satisfied with their lives. nine0003

9. Plan a vacation

A 2010 Dutch study found that going on vacation, even two months before, makes people feel happier.

If you don't have a vacation, think about the New Year holidays and subsequent vacations - it's also nice.

The experiment, which lasted 4 months, involved more than 1500 Dutch adults, about 1000 of whom were going on vacation.

It turned out that two months before the planned vacation, a person's mood rises. He begins to plan his vacation, which provides a lot of pleasant thoughts, and looks forward to a great time. His mood rises as he gets closer to date X.

10. Play with your pet

Andrey/Flickr.com

One study found that playing with a puppy increased enjoyment more than eating chocolate.

Scientists recorded brain activity during different activities using EEG to find out what brings more pleasure.

Activities that were more pleasurable triggered activity in the left side of the brain, which is associated with pleasure and happiness.

As a result of the experiment, scientists found that people experienced the greatest joy when they found 10 euros. The next largest pleasure arose when playing with a puppy. Since you cannot find money at will, you can get a pet and improve your mood at any time every day. nine0003

11. Take a nap

Dr. Matthew Walker's experiment proved that when people don't get enough sleep, they become more pessimistic and more responsive to negative stimuli.

The experiment involved sleepy students who had to memorize a series of words. They remembered 81% of the words with a negative connotation, such as cancer. And remembering another list of words with a positive coloring, they were able to name only 41% of the words.

Perhaps this is because negative stimuli are processed in the amygdala, while positive and neutral stimuli are processed in the hippocampus. nine0003

Lack of sleep affects the hippocampus more than the tonsils, so people who do not get enough sleep quickly forget good events and remember bad ones more often.

12. Enjoy a cup of tea

Neuropsychologist Rick Hanson, author of Hardwiring Happiness, says that noticing and focusing on pleasant little things is a way to "train" the brain to feel happy.

10 seconds of a beautiful view outside the window, 20 seconds of pleasure from tea with chocolate, and you have already tuned your brain to good stimuli. nine0003

In general, we tend to respond much more strongly to negative stimuli than to positive ones. This is due to the desire to ensure security. However, now such attitudes “from the Stone Age” do not so much help to survive as they interfere with feeling happy.

And you can completely change the habit of concentrating on bad events by "rewiring" your brain to other stimuli - positive ones. To do this, you need to pay attention to positive events, happiness and pleasure. nine0003

13. Sign Up to Volunteer

Dr Susanna Richards of the University of Exeter analyzed some 40 studies over the past 20 years on volunteering and happiness levels. It turned out that volunteers almost never experience depression and feel great.

Scientists believe that this is due to several factors:

Volunteers increase their level of physical activity. The activity takes place away from home, you have to walk, stand, work with your hands, etc. nine0128
Volunteers have more live communication, opportunities to make friends. Eye contact, smiles – real social interactions boost mood.
Good deeds, as we have already pointed out in paragraph 5, help to feel happier.

14. More sex

In the report of Nick Dridakis, an employee of the Labor Research Institute, interesting results of the experiment were presented.

It turns out that people who have sex at least four times a week are happier and more self-confident, they reason better and suffer less from dreary moods. nine0003

In addition, sex has a positive effect on health, relieves stress, strengthens the cardiovascular and immune systems. Happiness and health are closely related.

15. Just remember happy times

Nostalgia for happy events in the past helps to build more optimistic forecasts for the future. Scientists from the University of Southampton conducted an experiment in which participants had to remember and write nostalgic memories.

Their stories were much more positive and optimistic than the control group, who were asked to write a story about ordinary events.

The same thing happened when participants listened to nostalgic music and recited poetry - they were more optimistic and happy than people from the control group who listened to regular music and recited ordinary poems not related to a happy past.

So, nostalgia for happy times directly affects the mood, increases self-confidence and tunes in to a positive future. nine0003

To feel a little happier, sometimes just remembering pleasant events in the past is enough.

How do you improve your mood?

How to deal with a bad mood in any situation

November 17, 2022 Life

Psychologists told how to analyze the internal state in order to change it for the better.

You can listen to the short version of the article. If it's more convenient for you, turn on the podcast.

This has happened to each of us at least once: it would seem that everything is fine, life is going according to plan, but then the mood suddenly deteriorates. And it's not at all clear why this is happening.

Several factors are responsible for a good mood at once: our thoughts, psychological state, life situation, environment and people nearby. Changing one or more of these components at once can lead to emotional swings.

Psychologists have analyzed seven common bad mood scenarios and told how to deal with it. nine0003

1. A friend complains about life, and you too start to feel sad.

This is where emotional contagion comes into play - a simple, even primitive psychological phenomenon. Elaine Hatfield, professor of psychology at the University of Hawaii, explains that during a conversation, people naturally repeat the facial expressions, posture, and pace of speech of the interlocutor.

The movements of the muscles involved in this process (for example, when you frown) activate neural connections, and they give rise to the same feelings in you that the interlocutor is talking about. This feature of the brain is designed to help us empathize with others, thereby strengthening social bonds. nine0003

How to cheer yourself up

Take a break from talking, say go to the bathroom. Remind yourself that the bad mood you are experiencing at this moment does not belong to you, but to your friend. And the best thing you can do is listen to a loved one, and not solve his problems.

2. You think about a difficult situation for a long time, but still do not find a solution

At first glance, thinking carefully about important life issues seems to be a very reasonable approach. But sometimes this process turns from a search for a solution to a problem into marking time in one place. nine0003

Sonya Lubomirski

Candidate of Sciences in Psychology, author of the book “The Psychology of Happiness. New Approach".

It's hard to resist the endless repetitive thinking about life, because you feel like you're deeply exploring yourself in the process. Actually, it is not. You just turn the wheels on a kind of psychological bicycle, but you can’t get anywhere. This worsens your already poor condition and reduces your motivation.

Two signs point to the fact that you are marking time in one place, and not looking for a way to solve the problem. These are unpleasant emotions, such as anxiety or anger, and the inability to switch to other ideas due to the constant return to the same thought. nine0003

How to cheer yourself up

Get distracted. Read a book, watch a movie with an exciting story, listen to music, take a walk in the fresh air.

Take 15-20 minutes to write down your thoughts on paper, or talk about the problem with a friend, and then plan a solution. This is how you move from thinking to action. “Perhaps you will realize that your life situation is far from being as hopeless as you thought,” emphasizes Sonya Lyubomirsky.

3. You are constantly under stress

Sometimes stress is a secondary emotion, a kind of reaction to other feelings. Imagine that the deadline for an important project at work was suddenly moved or your loved one set you up. In both cases, you will experience stress, but it will only be a secondary emotion. In the first variant, the main feeling will be irritation or despair, in the second - resentment.

Susan David

Doctor of Philosophy, author of Emotional Flexibility. How to learn to enjoy change and enjoy work and life. nine0003

Emotions are an important source of information about your life and your concerns. The correct definition of emotions helps to understand what is really going on inside you and why you experience certain feelings.

How to cheer yourself up

Ask yourself what other emotion is similar to your psychological state. Identify the initial feeling that stress is hiding and try to understand why you have this feeling.

People often experience strong emotions when someone hurts their dignity. You may be stressed because you feel unappreciated at work or at home. When you find the root of the problem, you will find the solution. nine0003

Susan David points out that even if nothing can be done about the situation, correctly identifying the primary feeling can help reduce stress.

4. You feel guilty because you could be happier

Meta-emotions, that is, feelings that arise due to other emotions, are a fairly common psychological phenomenon. If you were sad because you felt anxious, or embarrassed because you wanted to cry, you were experiencing meta-emotions.

Christine Neff

Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas, author of Self-Compassion. About the power of compassion and kindness to yourself.

People perceive emotions as part of their personality. The brain works this way for a number of reasons. As children, boys and girls are often told that perfectly normal human emotions, such as anger, are bad. Because of this, the child begins to believe that when he is angry, he becomes “bad”. In fact, emotions come and go. And they have nothing to do with your personality and character. nine0003

How to cheer yourself up

In order to learn to understand your feelings and not judge yourself for them, you need to seriously work on yourself.

Christine Neff

Get rid of the illusion that you always have to control your feelings. Think about what you would say to your friend if he came to you with the same primary emotion. Most likely, you would respect his feelings, show that you care about his suffering, and also calm and support him. nine0003

Reminding you that it's completely natural to feel what you feel will help you stop worrying about how bad you feel.

5. You keep replaying the worst scenarios in your head

When your brain imagines the worst that could happen, it tries to prepare you for it. However, this approach only increases anxiety, so changing your thinking is important and necessary.

Of course, one should not look at the world through rose-colored glasses and ignore problems. It is enough to objectively perceive what is happening and see the immediate future. nine0003

How to cheer yourself up

When bad thoughts take over, ask yourself two simple questions:

Is there evidence that this can actually happen?
How to look at the situation in a neutral or even winning light?

This approach is called cognitive restructuring, and it can positively influence mood.

Then try to find a solution to the problem and look at it more broadly - this will help you get back to the active position. nine0003

6. You feel sad from time to time

Changes in air temperature outside the window and early sunset in autumn and winter can negatively affect the psychological state and even change sleep patterns and eating habits. This happens because the body does not have time to adapt to new conditions. Scientists have found that sunlight also affects parts of the human brain that are responsible for mood.

How to cheer yourself up

Try to walk more often in the open air on clear days. In winter, you can try using a special “joy lamp” that makes up for the lack of sunlight for the body and helps to cope with seasonal depression. The brightness of such lamps is from 2,500 to 10,000 lux, while a conventional light bulb is up to 500 lux. nine0003

7. You get angry and irritated for no apparent reason

You are probably familiar with this situation: the day is going great, but suddenly some little thing turns the mood upside down. If this happens often in your life, you need to understand what is the real trigger for these changes.

Maybe it's about physical health. American scientists have found a link between the amount of sugar in the blood and the emotional state. The researchers noted that sharp fluctuations in glucose levels are often accompanied by poor quality of life and low mood. nine0003

Don't forget your personal triggers: people, places, or other factors.

How to improve your mood

Determine if your condition is affected by psychological problems, environment or physical ill health.

Susan David

Stop and notice the patterns in the graph that change your mood. Perhaps your inner state often deteriorates due to regular encounter with certain life difficulties. nine0003

Record the emotions you experience and mood changes after interacting with the same people or visiting the same places. When you understand what exactly affects your psychological state in a negative way, you can start to deal with the problem: drink less coffee, quit a job you hate, or build clear personal boundaries in communicating with people.

Learn more