How to Shake Off a Bad Mood

Lately, getting stuck in a bad mood is pretty easy. Just tune into the dreary news, or pick up a magazine telling you how bad it’s going to get. Your senses are assaulted with a relentless anxiety-laden negativity based on “objective” reporting of the sorry state of the economy, but also laced with toxic speculation - a crystal ball of negativity. Sometimes there is a biological component to your bad mood, hormonally driven, lack of sleep, or poor eating habits. Some moods emanate from home, an angry argument. And others seem to have no specific trigger, out of nowhere a darker veil descends. Research from the University of Pennsylvania by Professor Sigal Barsade may explain: Bad moods are contagious. Let's lift the veil and demystify the process to liberate your mind. Barsade clarifies that you unconsciously mimic the people around you. If someone in your midst is negative, speaks loudly with an edge, or is tapping his foot impatiently, you will absorb that mood. As a result you will feel more irritable, less compromising and more likely to yell at someone or send that hostile email you wished you had never sent. However, if you are infected by someone else’s bad mood and don’t even know it, what can you do to get over it? * Start cultivating an awareness of other people’s body language, tone of voice and word choice. When you are near someone who is frowning, how do you feel? Practice developing radar for people’s energy. Self-awareness will break it. * Don’t be afraid to shed other people’s toxicity by distancing yourself which includes the media like TV, especially if you are in eye contact which can become hypnotic. After all, you are careful about eating foods with pesticides and artificial ingredients, why should toxic people and toxic news be different? Change the channel. * Exercise it away! While you move away from negativity, keep on walking to ease on down the road. Exercise will rebalance your neural circuitry and change your mood. Meditation, watching a comedy or calling up a positive friend will also positively change brain activity. All bad moods are not created equal. If your bad mood is in response to someone else’s, that’s easier to shake off. However, if you are in a negative loop, then you have to seriously de-activate the bad thought by logically exposing the distortion. Fill yourself up on good stories which inspire. Put up an affirmation on your screensaver or a photo of your last vacation, a loving family member or pet. Change them regularly based on the message you need to give yourself. The next time you are in a bad mood, ask yourself: Is it you or them?