It’s easy to think an event or a person put you in a bad mood, but that’s taking the easy way out.

“The most courageous decision that you can make each day is to be in a good mood.” -Voltaire

What really happens when something triggers a bad mood?

A bad mood is nothing more than an indicator that you let your thoughts and habits slip. It’s your check engine light glowing at you from the dash.

Little by little, your reserves became depleted. When reserves are depleted, they system breaks down.

It seems like a sudden, isolated incident put you in your lousy state, but that’s never the complete picture. Just like the common cold takes advantage of a weakened immune system, a bad mood takes advantage of your weakened inner state.

Just like the common cold takes advantage of a weakened immune system, a bad mood takes advantage of your weakened inner state.

If you’re feeling like you’re in a foul state of mind, look back over the past few weeks. Your habits have slipped.

Are you getting enough sleep? Or have you inched your way into staying up just a bit later, or hitting the snooze button?

When you’re sleep deprived, your brain’s stress pathway is activated resulting in increased cortisol (a stress hormone linked to your fight or flight response), decreased growth hormone, decreased immune response, and a lessened ability to manage inflammation and infection.

Boil it down, and is a bad mood anything more than the fight or flight response? Hostility, anger, negativity, pessimism, and rumination are all symptoms of fight or flight. The cycle repeats, as being in a bad mood puts you on the lookout for confrontation and disappointment.

Read more at: Maybe the Only Thing Wrong Is That You Need More Sleep

What are you listening to? Does it uplift you or make you feel tense? Check your news, your music, and your programs. How much time are you wasting scrolling social media feeds?

You don’t have to ignore what’s happening in the world, but don’t drown in it either.

Keep the majority of your intake uplifting and positive. Does your media intake nourish you or is it chipping away at your wellbeing? If you feel worse after doing it, it’s a warning signal that you’re sacrificing your wellbeing for it.

Are you drinking or smoking more? Drinking and smoking feel like tension relievers at the moment, but they stress your body. The more you drink or smoke, the more your body has to repair the damage.

Whether you drink or smoke to escape feeling your feelings or to avoid addressing the tough issues in your life, it’s a system guaranteed to break down.

“Everything negative in my life was a direct result of alcohol and drugs.” -Mindy Gehr

How much are you exercising? Skipping exercise and physical activity sets up a downward spiral. Happy feelings plumet which leads to apathy about exercise and activities. Even the activities that used to fee fun become a chore.

Get outside. Move your body. Make movement fun, so you feel exhilarated.

What are you eating? Again, when your physical body is struggling to deal with bad choices, it drags down your mood. Feeling sluggish, bloated, in pain, or amped up on caffeine all affect your mood.

Don’t make nutrition complicated. What did your ancestors eat 200 years ago? They ate fresh plant based foods and simple proteins.

Eat more fruits and vegetable. Drink more water. Cut out processed foods.

Are you having fun? Having fun isn’t a guilty pleasure. A good clue to the true nature of humans is to look at babies and children. They’re programmed to have fun nearly all the time. And, it’s a lot easier to get them to do work if you also make it fun.

The world won’t implode if you extend your deadlines or don’t reach a goal. Did the Universe intend for you to pour all your energies into producing, achieving, and getting rich? Maybe not.

Read more at: The Purpose of Your Life Might Surprise You

Connect with others. The isolation and drastic decrease in social activity during COVID are real. Connect in a personal way each day with someone outside of your home. Make it about them, not you.

If you’re in a relationship, make special connections there too, even if that’s the only person you see in a day. Keep your intimacy alive.

When you’re around other people, dial down your annoyance meter.

Your health and happiness are priceless. Don’t sell them off to the people and events around you.

Handing over your power is exactly what you’re doing when you blame your mood on a person or an event. When you blame other people or circumstances, you’re handing over the keys to your personal heaven.

The kingdom of heaven is within you; and whosoever knows him/herself shall find it. -Egyptian Proverb

Your power is within you.

Take ownership of your mood.

This may require a long hard look within, but it’s worth it. You don’t have to judge yourself for it. Simply recognize that you’re the one in control.

Get back on track with your healthy habits. Take stock and set simple, attainable goals to gradually improve your lifestyle. These are the little things that will make you immune to bad moods.

You deserve genuine and lifelong happiness, the type of happiness that can’t be taken away from you no matter what sort of craziness is happening in the world. Read my book, Happy Ever After. We can all use that right now.

all images open source from pixabay.com