Crabby Mood Fix

I woke up really crabby and in an overall bad mood. Nothing fit or looked right and the weather is terrible. I Googled ways to lift your mood and this is what came up so I decided to give it a go…can’t hurt –right?

1. List why the bad cause of your mood is good for your life - “Bad” events happen. But they don’t have to always be negative. See if you can figure out the good in the situation. Example: A job hunter is turned down for a job. He thinks about how much he learned from the interview. I feel like a fat cow- not sure how to make that positive. The weather sucks- ummm….at least we didn’t get 12 inches of snow- just slush and rain and ice showers. I can’t find a house to but and my apartment is a disaster- this is a good thing because if we had already bought a house it might have been in the wrong area- because we were originally looking at another suburb.
2. List your thanks - List 10 things your are thankful for. Do you have food to eat? Do you have a roof over your head? You can’t be genuinely thankful and grumpy at the same time. Try it and see!
-wonderful husband- even though I am slightly mad at him
-great family
-I have a job
-I am only 10 lbs overweight, not 50.
-I was skinny for my wedding
-at least I am in a position to buy a house and not in debt like many people my age
-I like my hair color
-I have two best friends and even if they don’t live here- that is pretty good
-I have a cute puppy that always wants to cuddle with me
-I like my shoes
3. Affirm your goals - Pick your top 3 goals and rephrase them as if they are already accomplished. This is as simple as rephrasing “Quit smoking” to “I have quit smoking.” Now close your eyes and repeat the new affirmations. Looking at a positive future sends a bad mood packing.
I have lost 10 lbs
I have de-stressed my life
I am nicer to people
I have a clean and organized life
---I don’t really understand what this part is supposed to do…
4. Rewrite your top 3 - A Brian Tracy tip. Pick your top 3 affirmations and write them 3 times each morning. This boosts your optimism and gets your mind set to working on them. Lose 10 lbs lose 10 lbs Lose 10 Lbs. De-stress! De-stress! De-stress! Orannize organize organize!....this is getting lame….
5. Smile practice - Feeling blue? It’s ok to feel down now and again. But if there’s no reason, then, a smile might just cheer you up. Put a smile on your face. Positive feelings follow positive actions. If someone walks by my cube right now, they are going to think I am insane!
6. Do a random kindness - It might feel strange to do something nice for someone else if you are fuming. But if you bring a coworker a surprise gourmet coffee or give a compliment on someone’s new shoes, their reaction will melt that crusty attitude - I promise. I will do a good deed- I will compliment a co-worker on her outfit…
7. Set Optimism reminders - If you have a system like Outlook, Google calendar, or a stopwatch timer, set some reminders for optimism time. Just a beep will do. You can use this time for rewriting your goals or honing your thank you list. If a reminder pops up on my computer telling me to be optimistic, I think I will smash the monitor…this thing is going downhill fast
8. Take a positive action on your top goal today - Moving your body and mind in a positive direction moves your emotions in a positive direction too. If you are physically and mentally feeling exhilarated but emotionally, you are sad, You are trying too hard. I plan to work out at lunch and maybe a quick walk on the treadmill after work too…this might help me feel like I am taking steps towards my goal, but I worked out yesterday and I am still fat. Yuck.
9. Forgive others - Other people can get under the skin. But to control your emotions and the situation, practice forgiving others. Someone makes you mad, think “I forgive you. I forgive you. I forgive you.” Others are in their own little worlds they often make mistakes, so do you, so try to give em a break. Does this mean I have to forgive my husband for acting like a 5 year old?
10. Abolish blame - Your feelings are your own. It’s understandable that anger happens. But the difference between a pessimist and an optimist is the pessimist is content to blame and look on the negative side. An optimist knows he or she plays a role in every situation therefore looks for a solution. Blame stands in the way of solutions because it is the path of least resistance. I am crabby because I feel fat…I feel fat because I gained weight….I gained weight because I ate and drank….I need to not be fat and I won’t be crabby. Well, that’s not true, but it is really the only part I can kind of control right now…
This was dumb, but I guess I don’t feel as intensely crabby anymore—just regular crabby, which for a crummy Tuesday morning isn’t too bad. Hope you all have nice mornings, and if not… try the list. It might help.