How To Get Out Of a Bad Mood

We have all been there: You've got a laundry list of tasks to complete for the day, or you should be getting ready for a night out with the girls, but you just can't seem to shake your sour mood enough to get you moving. 

Needless to say, you're in a funk! 

Then you beat yourself up for being unproductive -- which just makes you feel worse! You really just want to feel better, but how? 

Well, congrats for taking a step in the right direction by reading this article! The good news is, there are some tried and true tips to help you get out of your slump. We’ve compiled the best of them here so hopefully before you’re even done reading, you’ll be feeling more like your happy, optimistic self again. 

What’s Causing Your Bad Mood?

Before we dive into all the best tips and tricks to boost your mood, let's hit the pause button real quick -- when you catch yourself feeling moody, a helpful first step is to take a moment to really reflect on what is causing you to feel what you're feeling. 

You see, our emotions are often an outward sign of what is really going on in our heads. For instance, if you catch yourself feeling irritated today, perhaps it's because your sister recently offered some feedback that left you feeling defensive. Or maybe, you're feeling guilty for bailing on a gal pal the other day and it’s affecting your mood now. 

Whatever it is that might be going on, recognizing the root cause of your bad mood can help you accept that your negative emotions are serving a purpose -- your irritation could be a sign that your big sis is correct, and you know you need to make a change. And guilt can motivate us to take the necessary steps to repair essential relationships we feel we have neglected. 

To “feel better,” it’s important to embrace those emotions -- the bad and the good -- and be brave enough to take the action you know you need to take without beating yourself up. Simply acknowledge the error (hey, nobody’s perfect), promise to do better, and your bad move may just vanish before your eyes.  

There are other times, however, when sour moods pop up seemingly out of nowhere, not related to something you experienced previously. Maybe you waited too long to eat breakfast., spilled coffee in your car, or woke up from a midday nap feeling grumpy. 

Either way, the following tips can help you shake off a bad move so that you gain a better perspective and see past the small irritations and feel happy again. 

Take a Walk in Nature 

Never underestimate the sheer power of physical activity, especially when combined with nature. 

According to a study from 2005, researchers found that walking in nature can make you happier and less brooding. For the experiment, 60 people went on a 50-minute walk in either a natural or an urban setting. After the walk, it was noted that those who took the nature route experienced less anxiety and higher levels of positive emotions compared to the urban walkers. This is just one study of many that supports the mood-lifting effect of nature. 

But, to be clear, that doesn't mean you need to be outside for an entire 50 minutes -- even just five minutes of walking outside and breathing in the fresh air can help do the trick. In fact, another study found that walking even for just a short period of time can facilitate happy emotions. 

Walking will almost certainly result in increased feelings of positive energy -- and that is true whether you expect this to occur or not. So as much as you feel like curling up in a ball, try your best to get outside, under some trees, and walk it out. The only thing you have to lose is your bad mood!

Exercise 

How about those endorphins? Research shows that exercise is an excellent way to beat a bad mood. That’s because exercise releases endorphins, which are the happy chemicals in your brain that make you feel, well, good. 

The hardest part of getting your sweat on is finding the motivation to get started! But once you get your body moving, it will release happy chemicals, and like magic (well, science), you’ll feel better. 

Any type of exercise will do the trick, but a couple of good options are: 

• A game of tennis, golf, volleyball, or anything else where you can take out some of your bad mood and frustrations out on the ball. Nothing like a little multitasking to make you feel better!

• Get your best ‘I wanna feel better’ playlist together, lace up your sneakers, and go for a jog. Bonus points if you take it to the wooded trails!

• Head to the gym, pump some iron, do a little cardio, and you'll start to feel better in no time. 

• Gym not an option? Youtube has a slew of home workouts you can try for free. Best of all, you don’t even need cute workout clothes (though dressing up for yourself can help boost your mood, too!). 

Eat Chocolate 

It's truly amazing how many people instantly reach for their favorite chocolate bar for comfort and support when they're in a bad mood. 

Turns out, it may not be such a terrible idea, as chocolate is known to be responsible for positive mood-lifting effects due to the release of serotonin -- one of the brain's natural pick-me-ups.

If you find that nibbling on a little chocolate does the trick for you, then go for it! However, if you know that eating chocolate while feeling low is going to open up the emotional eating floodgates ultimately creating even more guilt and bad feelings, try some of the other tips instead and consider skipping the chocolate this time around. 

Focus on Someone Else 

A sour mood can result when we’re overly focused on ourselves and our personal problems because we can feel like we’re alone in our suffering. Sometimes, simply shifting our attention to others can trick our overactive minds into turning off for a little while. 

Recognizing that everyone has their ups and downs can help shrink our problems down so that they don’t take over our entire mood. 

If you feel that this may be the case for you, you can regain your sense of perspective by looking for opportunities to help others. Maybe call your mom or grandma (they’ll be so happy to hear from you), donate food to the local pet shelter or food pantry, or call up a friend that’s going through a hard breakup. 

You’ll be surprised how quickly your own problems shrink when you take the spotlight off yourself and vibe a little with others you care about. 

Practice Mindfulness 

The most stressed people are often the ones that believe meditation doesn't work for them and the busiest people believe they don’t have the time! Ironically, the more you don’t think you need a mindfulness practice, the more you probably do. 

Practicing some form of mindfulness to help to calm your mind and shift your mood naturally is one of the best things you can do, especially if you’re super busy or stressed! 

Numerous studies have found that practicing mindfulness can alter your brain in positive ways, like boosting productivity and lowering stress. It also encourages you to focus on the present rather than worrying about the future or the past. 

Other studies have found that the effects of meditating can spill over into your daily life. They have long-reaching effects on your mood and outlook, serving more than just a “quick fix” to getting your racing thoughts under control.

There are many ways to practice mindfulness. Focusing on your breath while increasing the depth of your inhale and exhale is a great start and guaranteed to make you feel a tiny bit better with each breath. You can also try guided meditations, flame meditation, movement meditations, sound meditations. The list is endless! 

The point is to slow down your thoughts by focusing them on one point and connecting to your breath. As with all things, the more you practice, the better you get and the easier it becomes! 

Practice Self-Love 

If you're in a funk that you simply can't shake, now is not the time to beat yourself up. After all, you are already down, you don’t need negative self-talk to sink you further. Instead, show yourself some love! Take a day to pamper yourself and remember -- you ARE worthy and you deserve to be happy! 

One way to practice self-love is simply by giving your body the very best nutrition and support it needs on the daily! From multivitamins that will help you feel energized and overall good, to supplements that will have your skin glowing, to natural botanicals to help you get restful sleep, taking care of your body is sure to lead to feeling better about yourself. 

Don’t know where to start? We can help! 

We recommend starting out with a great multivitamin and omega 3 supplement as a foundation to your new “love myself” routine. A great one to try is our Daily Love™ Multivitamin + XOmegas™ as you get BOTH items in one bundle. 

Our vitamins are made from nutraceutical ingredients to provide extra support for stress, immunity, sexual wellness, and more. 

Feeling stressed? Give your body some TLC with our Less Stress Kit to keep you calm, resting peacefully at night, and supporting digestion for overall bliss.   

By practicing self-love, reducing negative self talk and pampering yourself you can help to improve your overall health and become your biggest supporter, which will definitely improve your mood! 

Get Some Quality Shut-Eye 

The kiddos aren't the only ones who get cranky when they are tired. As adults, when we don't get enough quality sleep, it significantly impacts our thinking, creativity, and especially, our mood. If you can swing it, take a 15-minute power nap during the day to recharge. 

More importantly, try to establish a good sleeping routine so that you can reach those critical deep sleep stages where your body is able to rest and repair. 

For help getting good sleep, check out Sleeping Beauty™, our targeted sleep formula to help you get restful sleep and even take the edge off your stress! 

Get Silly and Laugh 

Think about it -- does anything feel better than having a little chuckle? Make a YouTube playlist of all your favorite comedy clips, read a silly book or just Google hilarious memes to start laughing. If you ask us, laughter is the best medicine for a bad mood.  

Bottom Line 

Nobody wants to be in a bad mood, and sometimes, it can be easier said than done to flip that frown upside down. If you're feeling blue, try our great tips above to start feeling better. Whether you practice self-love by taking quality supplements from Love Wellness or decide to take a couple of minutes out of your day to meditate, these tips and tricks can be the key to getting your mood rolling in the happy direction. 

Celebrate beauty and celebrate YOU. Love Wellness has your back (well, your whole body!) with personal care ingredients backed by science to give your body what it needs to be happy and thrive. 

Sources:

The benefits of nature experience: Improved affect and cognition | Science Direct

Work. Walk 5 Minutes. Work. | NYTimes.

Effects of mindful-attention and compassion meditation training on amygdala response to emotional stimuli in an ordinary, non-meditative state | NCBI

Effects of mindful-attention and compassion meditation training on amygdala response to emotional stimuli in an ordinary, non-meditative state | NCBI

Mindfulness exercises | Mayo Clinic