Being in a bad mood is no fun. Here are my Top 10 Secrets to Get Out of a Bad Mood based on my personal experiences and science.
Sometimes, we just wake up feeling down or in a bad mood or something (or nothing) happens during the day and we just feel down the entire day.
I get it, it happens and sometimes, there’s no good reason for why we feel that way.
But, I’d thought I’d share with you some tips and tricks that have helped me when I’m in a funk. I also really like to understand why certain things happen, so I geeked out on some of these with some science haha. I hope that you can take away at least one thing from this post to help you 🙂
Don’t forget to save this post for when you’re feeling down and need a reminder on some helpful tips (either click on an image to save it to Pinterest, or bookmark this page)!
Why it’s normal to not always feel 100%
I just wanted to preface all these tips by saying that it’s okay to not always be happy. It’s okay to feel down, in a funk, or in a bad mood.
All your emotions are valid, the important thing is not to let those emotions take over your life. Acknowledge that you’re feeling that way and try to figure out a way to help yourself feel better.
This is something that I struggle with sometimes when I’m feeling down. I start to just feel in a funk, and then I sort of spiral and think that everything around me is going wrong or I start to feel bad that I’m feeling down when I have so much (more on that later).
I just wanted to remind you guys that it’s human to not always feel 100% amazing, the only thing we can do it try to feel better and not be too hard on ourselves.
Alright, now let’s get into it.
Top 10 Tips to Get Out of a Bad Mood
1. Get some Sunshine
This is honestly such a game changer for me, and I feel like it’s kind of underrated.
When I’m in a bad mood and I step out into the sunshine, I almost immediately feel better. There’s actually a scientific reason why this is the case.
Researchers at BYU found that “seasonal increases in sun time were associated with decreased mental health distress”. AND Isfahan University of Medical Sciences found that people who were Vitamin D (which we get from the sun) deficient are more likely to have mental health conditions than those with normal levels.
I literally had no idea about this before I starting looking into it! It’s so crazy that something as little as getting outside can help us feel so much better.
The sunshine is definitely something I take advantage of in the summer, but I live in Minnesota and it’s winter here like all the time :(. So it’s kind of hard to get outside.
But, I do try and sit by windows because it is still sunny in the winter, it’s just sooo cold. I find that this still does help me feel better, but it definitely works better for me when I actually go outside.
Also, when you’re going outside, make sure you wear sunscreen!! #ProtectYourSkin
Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay
2. Fake it Till You Make It – Smile
Okay, this one sounds too simple be true, but it actually works. Like really well. It just takes a little more effort to actually get myself to do it.
Basically, if you want to get out of a bad mood and be happy, you have to pretend like you actually are happy. Specifically, I’ve found that smiling works the best.
When I’m in a bad mood though, sometimes I just can’t get myself to really want to get out of the bad mood. I don’t know, is that just me?
But, when I get over myself and force myself to smile, I almost instantly start to feel better.
And, there’s also some science to back this one up.
There’s a really interesting article by Forbes here, but basically researches in Australia put a pencil in between the teeth of a group of participants to force the muscles to form a smile.
They found that the muscles forming this shape actually triggered the amygdala (the emotional center of the brain) into seeing things in a more positive light. Essentially, the muscles being forced into a certain shaped tricked the brain into thinking it was happy.
So, what can you take from this?
If you’re in a funk, force yourself to smile for a minute or two, and I promise you’ll feel at least a little better.
3. Appreciate
Sometimes when we’re in a funk, all we’re thinking about is how everything is affecting us, or how things in the world are going wrong.
Trust, I’m there a lot more than I’d like to admit.
But, take just a minute to appreciate all the little things around you, and how little we really are.
Appreciate your senses, your abilities, nature, the fact that you’re breathing and thinking. Try to look on the bright side of everything. I know that this is easier said than done, but just try to do it for one or two things. It helps me see how much I really have, which makes me start to feel better.
I think the picture below is a perfect example.
And also, appreciating how big this universe is and how small we really are, helps me put things into perspective. We’re basically insignificant. Sorry, it sounds harsh but it’s kind of true. We’re just 1 of like 7 billion people on this Earth. And in the whole solar system, we’re basically nothing. I’m not sure why, but thinking that when I’m in a bad mood always helps me for some reason, so I just thought I’d share it in case it helps you.
4. Eat Energy Boosting Foods
I know when we’re feeling down, sometime all we want is some good old comfort food. Which there’s absolutely nothing wrong with. But a lot of the time, those foods don’t make us feel better, just more tired and sluggish.
Personally, I know that I feel so much better after I eat some fresh and energizing food.
Some quick snack ideas are foods like apples with peanut butter, avocado and hemp seeds on some sourdough, some berries with almonds and dark chocolate.
Basically, anything fresh and filling will help you feel more energized!
Try out some of my favorite recipes:
Saucy & Spicy Thai Tofu Drunken Noodles
Photo by Gaby Yerden on Unsplash
5. Move it Out
This is a fun one.
By exercising, we release endorphins into our body which helps improve our mood and make us happier!
Have fun with it! It doesn’t matter what you do.
It doesn’t have to be a run or lifting weights (but it definitely can be)! Go on a nice walk outside, that way you’ll be exercising and be getting sunlight! Or, if the weather isn’t great, follow a YouTube video for an easy yoga flow, some stretches, or just dance it out!
Just move your body in some way and you’ll feel better!
Photo by Alekzan Powell on Unsplash
6. Social Media Detox
This is the only type of detox I’ll ever recommend.
I find that a lot of the time when I’m in a bad mood, scrolling through my feed just makes it worse. Not completely sure why, but it just does.
I just try to put my phone away from me and make a conscious effort to not go on social media.
I know that’s easier said than done, but I just try and think about how scrolling through IG will make me feel afterward, and that usually helps me not go on it.
7. Spend Time with Loved Ones
Being around people is an amazing way to get out of your head.
Talking to family and friends that make me feel happy, or even just being around them, often take my mind off of me feeling down and bleh.
If you don’t live with family or can’t go out to see your friends, FaceTime or Zoom them. I would try and do something where you can see their face because it just isn’t the same talking to people via text.
Photo by Tyler Nix on Unsplash
8.Look Back at Old Memories & Good Times
Looking back at old photos or videos is a great way to start feeling better, but be careful.
Watching old funny videos or looking at old pictures always makes me feel better. But, I have to be careful not to go down the train of thought of “oh look how amazing life was then, life sucks now”.
Look at the old videos, feel happy, and go into it with the intention of being grateful that you got to have those moments.
9. Remember that this is temporary
That saying “all good things must come to an end”? It’s true.
But no one ever talks about the flip side to that coin.
All bad things must come to end also.
Remind yourself that this feeling is temporary. The feeling will pass. You just have to get through it.
10. Give Yourself a Break
Like I said in the beginning, sometimes I feel bad that I feel bad.
I have so much, why am I not happy?
But, I have to remind myself that just because I have a lot doesn’t mean that I have to be intrinsically happy.
We’re human. Emotions are normal.
It’s okay to not be okay.
So, What Next?
I know I just threw a lot of tips at you, but you don’t have to do all of these now! Pick whichever one feels right to you right now, and go do it.
Don’t think too much about it. Just do it.
I hope that this blog post helped you in some way! Let me know your favorite way to get out of a funk!
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