Feeling down is never pleasant and it’s likely not how you want to feel for much of the day. But, let’s be real, you can’t expect to be in a good mood all the time. Moods are a part of life, and while it’s normal to feel down sometimes, it’s important to know that there are things you can do to feel better.
According to Ruth Ellingsen, a clinical assistant professor in the psychology department at the University of Oregon, the first step in turning your bad mood around is identifying what kind of mood you’re in. It sounds simple, but really involves being mindfully aware of our current state, she said. It’s common to ignore our emotions as we go through our daily lives, making it impossible to improve your mood. How can you feel better if you don’t know how you’re feeling?
Ellingsen recommends doing a feeling temperature check using what is known as a feeling thermometer. It has four zones – green, yellow, orange and red, representing comfortable feelings or a good mood to very uncomfortable, like feeling sad, angry or another negative emotion. This easy resource to determine your mood is an excellent tool for measuring your feelings.
Once you’re aware of how you’re feeling, you can figure out what to do about it and take steps to control your mood before you hit that red zone. It’s hard to snap out of it when you’re in an emotional state, she said. But if you’re in the yellow or orange zones, you can easily employ some strategies to turn your mood around.
Try breathing exercises
One easy strategy is to try breathing exercises, as Gregory Sullivan, the program director of the positive coaching and athletic leadership masters program at the University of Missouri recommends. He suggests doing the physiological sigh, consisting of two quick inhales followed by one long exhale, which removes carbon dioxide from our body and makes us feel a little more relaxed. Another option is the 6-7-8 breathing exercise, which is breathing in through your nose for six seconds, holding your breath for seven seconds, and then exhaling for eight seconds. These breathing exercises take us out of that fight, flight or freeze mentality and shift our focus away from what may be troubling us.
Turn to fitness.
Another strategy is to turn to fitness. You’ve likely heard that exercise is good for your mental health
It’s normal to feel down and have bad moods, but that doesn’t mean we have to accept them as a part of life. According to Ruth Ellingsen, a clinical assistant professor in the psychology department at the University of Oregon, we can change the thoughts and behaviors that influence our moods. The first step is to identify our current state of mind and be mindful of our emotions.
Ellingsen recommends using a feeling thermometer to determine our mood. The feeling thermometer has four zones: green (comfortable feelings or a good mood), yellow (tired or a little off), orange (nervous or frustrated) and red (very uncomfortable, such as feeling sad or angry). By identifying where we fall on this thermometer, we can take steps to control our mood before it hits the red zone, which is an emotional state that is hard to snap out of.
But if we’re in the yellow or orange zones, there are strategies we can employ to turn our mood around. Breathing exercises and fitness are two ways to do so. Breathing exercises like the physiological sigh (two quick inhales followed by one long exhale) and the 6-7-8 breathing exercise (breathe in for six seconds, hold for seven seconds, exhale for eight seconds) allow the body to control the mind and shift our focus away from troubling thoughts.
Fitness is another great way to improve our moods. A 15-20 minute workout can give us a shot of endorphins and adrenaline, which can help us quickly shift perspectives. Whether it’s running, yoga, tennis or indoor cycling, our favorite fitness routine can help us get out of a bad mood.
It’s important to remember that it’s normal to have bad moods, but that doesn’t mean we have to accept them. By identifying our mood and using strategies like breathing exercises and fitness, we can take control of our emotions and improve our moods.
It’s natural to have ups and downs in life. But when you’re feeling down, it can be hard to shake off that negative feeling. It’s important to remember that moods are a part of life and it’s normal to feel low sometimes. However, it’s not how we want to feel for a prolonged period of time.
Ruth Ellingsen, a clinical assistant professor in the psychology department at the University of Oregon, explains that we can’t just tell ourselves to feel better, but we can change the thoughts and behaviors that influence our mood. The first step in turning your bad mood around is identifying what kind of mood you’re in.
Ellingsen recommends doing a feeling temperature check using what is known as a feeling thermometer. It has four zones – green (representing comfortable feelings or a good mood), yellow (indicating that you may feel a little tired), orange (representing nervous or frustrated) and red (representing very uncomfortable emotions like sadness, anger or other negative emotions). This tool is an excellent way to measure your feelings.
Once you know how you’re feeling, you can take steps to control your mood before you hit the red zone, which is an emotional state that’s hard to snap out of. If you’re in the yellow or orange zones, there are strategies you can employ to turn your mood around.
One of the most effective ways to improve your mood is by doing breathing exercises. Gregory Sullivan, the program director of the positive coaching and athletic leadership masters program at the University of Missouri, recommends trying the “physiological sigh” – two quick inhales followed by one long exhale. This removes carbon dioxide from the body and makes you feel more relaxed. The 6-7-8 breathing exercise, where you breathe in for six seconds, hold for seven seconds, and exhale for eight seconds, is another effective option.
Another strategy to improve your mood is by turning to fitness. Exercise is known to have a positive impact on mental health. Sarah Sarkis, an executive coach and senior director of performance psychology at Exos, a corporate wellness company, suggests moving your body for 15-20 minutes. This will release endorphins and adrenaline,
