We all do it and that’s just part of life. What you don’t want to do is let it ruin your day or (and this happens) your career or job. Being in a bad mood is no fun, and it makes your life worse in every aspect if you don’t get out of it. That bad mood can also cost you your reputation at work, with friends, or even your family if you’re not careful. I work very hard to try and be positive as much as I can and to always see the bright side of things, but still it happens. I have not always been able to say that life is good to me.

Trust me it has had plenty of bad times and I am sure I will have more. The driving factor in those bad times is usually my mood, and the way I see everything around me when I am in a bad mood. What I decided a few years ago is that I won’t let it cause damage to any of my hard work in my life. To make sure of that I have a few simple and easy things to do that most often then not will get me back to having a pleasant day. That way I can continue to work on making my life the best it can be.

1. Write it down. Write down what it is putting me in a bad mood. Simple and short, just write it down. If it’s your work, a feeling, or a person. Write it down. Don’t write a laundry list of things and the whys. Just write the basic reason on a piece of paper. It has been proven that actually writing things down helps you to deal with them and releases stress. So, write it down and turn it over and move on.
2. Clean up and relax. Go get cleaned up and take a shower. Taking a warm shower or a bath always helps to comfort you and lets you relax. This helps you to deal with what it is making you in a bad mood. Being comfortable is a big key to having success in your everyday life. If you’re comfortable then you won’t feel so defensive. It also just feels good to get all cleaned up and looking good. Take your time, relax and treat yourself to some me time.
3. Get a snack. Take a few minutes and get a snack, not a big meal, just take a few minutes and get a little something. I suggest drinking a little tea and eat a little fruit. Oranges, lemons, and limes have been shown to make you feel happy just by smelling them and we all know that a nice warm cup of tea helps to unwind the day. If you don’t like these try a piece of toast or some peanuts. Both of these too have been shown to help your body cope. It could be that hunger was making you feel stressed. Anything to make sure you’re not hungry and to help level out the old blood sugar.
4. Do something that makes you happy. Do something you enjoy. I like to go running, if I can, and I usually take my iPod with some pretty heavy music I can drown in for an hour. If I have time I might even get out the camera and take some pictures for my blog NintzPics. You can play a game, watch a movie, get in your garden, go to a friend’s house; but call first and make sure they are having a good day. Anything you can find to just enjoy. Maybe go watch some kids play, that’s always a good pick me up. Heck, I have even sat in traffic and started singing the oldies. It really doesn’t matter what it is, it’s the act of enjoying your day, no matter what is going on you can find yourself happy if you let it happen, sometimes it just takes a little push.
5. Think again. Now go back to that paper that you first wrote on. I bet you haven’t been thinking about it for a while and it’s not a big deal anymore. If it is then you may have a problem that you need to work out and it’s not just a bad mood. If that is the case, you at least can face it now with your full head on and in a mood that will let you do your best.

Just remember that you can get out of a bad mood no matter how bad it is and getting out if it will let you move on and get over it once and for all. If its just a little grumpiness in the morning, then make the steps simple and by the time you get your day started or to work. Your done and in a mood ready to tackle anything. If it’s a bad day all together, then stop and take your time to fix it. Trying to make do and not deal with your mood can have long lasting complications that make life harder. Take the time and work it out in the beginning, you will be much better for it.