9 Ways to instantly perk up your mood!

Not having a good day? Is it because you fought with your partner, got a firing from your boss, not feeling well, something did not go as expected, missing your old self or whatever the reason is; dealing with a bad mood is taxing and can negatively influence your entire day or even days to follow.  

Below are 9 ways by which you can get that mind back in order-

   

1.    Eat: Well, it may sound a little naive but treating yourself or to binge on your favorite food would instantly lift up your bad mood. Science says (simply put) that having sinful foods which are high in carbohydrates releases acids which affect the mood lifting areas of your brain. So whenever you feel low, eat something you like. PS: I crave for things like chicken salad, ice-creams, chocolates or anything which I haven’t eaten in a while. 

2.    Dial a friend: A friend in need is a friend indeed! Call, Text, Chat and talk to your friend about your present state of mind. In case you fall under the category of people who sulk inside and don’t open up, this is the most efficient way to beat that freakishness of your mood. It’s an age old formula and I personally vouch for it. But be careful of who you talk to for speaking to the wrong person would worsen things. Seek someone who knows you well and really cares for you.

3.    Play your favorite music: Music for centuries has had a crucial role in human psychology. Grab those headphones if you are in public or if at home just put some great feet tapping music and sing along. Please! Please! Please! Do not play tracks that aid your already depressed state of mind. Music shall not give you any sympathy! So just sit back and play some good tracks. It will distract you and help you think clearly.

4.    Sleep: Yes, this works wonders. Taking a quick nap would calm your disturbed emotional state and more importantly it will kill time! The most difficult part in overcoming a bad mood is not being able to concentrate and the mental clock suddenly seems to stop ticking. However, you can easily do this at home but when at work or in public go to a quiet place, close your eyes and spend a few minutes alone. In any case it would prevent you from taking any impulsive action.

5.    Mirror! Mirror! On the wall: When angry, stand in front of the mirror and take out your frustration. You would trick your mind into talking to the relevant person who caused you the pain or turn the situation into a person and relieve you of your anxiety. It’s a quick and easiest method to relax yourself.

6.    Shopping: This may seem more relevant to women but yes shopping is an instant mood booster. Buying new things for yourself completely distracts you and boosts your morale.

7.    Pen it down: This is for those deep thinkers and introverts who find it difficult to be vocal about things. Grab a piece of paper and pour your thoughts on it. It would instantly clear out that haze in your mind and give you a go ahead for your next action.

8.    Set a timeline: This is a difficult one. But if you practice you will get better at it eventually. Give yourself a mental time frame of sulking over the ugly mood. Ask yourself, are there better things for me to do in life than sulking over this? If the answer is yes then stop complaining,try one of the above methods and you are good to go. If the answer is no, ask again and think deeper this time. Console yourself and do a self pep talk. Think of all those things you have achieved. It will give you the confidence and ability to deal with the situation heads on.

9.    Search for the cause: Last but not the least, having tried one of the above tricks, at the end of the day look for the real reason for you feeling low. Speak to the concerned person and explain what you felt. If it is because of your own action, be careful to not repeat it. 

Taking care of your emotions is your responsibility. Human beings tend to fall prey to negativity more easily than anything else. Blaming it on the world comes in very handy but acting upon it and taking charge to cure it is difficult. Being conscious and self aware of your feelings is a sure shot way to achieve more clarity of thought and leading a sorted life.

Love.

Wheel of Life

How many of you are striving to achieve the balance in your life you have always desired for? But have you ever thought deeply how to achieve it? I am sure you all desire for that perfect body, the ideal relationship, a great vacation and a huge bank balance. We read so many stories each day of people becoming successful and envy them (admit it!) and keep wondering how do these people make it? Is it money? Is it sacrifice or just luck?  One common thing is that they find happiness in what they do! Are you happy with what you do? If not, then why? What is stopping you?

Sit back and ponder, what will give me happiness?  Great job, a big salary or something else. As a matter of fact we are looking for happiness to come to us rather than making it come from within. Yes success is important, but who defines it for you? Only you.

Having seen this syndrome in a lot of people and undergoing a few trainings, I came across one model that suited my ideology of success. In order to search happiness within, you should be able to enjoy everything that truly means to you.

The question is how to identify what is truly important for me? Let me clarify this with a small exercise.

An average human being would broadly classify his life into 8 areas-

•       Health 
•     Finance
•     Relationships
•     Fun & Adventure
•     Self Up gradation
•     Hobbies
•     Social
•     Spirituality

Get a pen and a paper and make a chart for yourself resembling the picture

Now go back 5 years in time and think how you were performing in all these areas. Give scores to yourself out of 10. The center of the circle is 0 and end of each spoke 10. Now make an arch in each section depending on your scores.

Your chart should look something like this-

Now do this exercise again for your present. Shade the region you have marked to look like this-(Excuse me for poor drawing skills :D)

The shaded region is your “wheel of life”. Bumpy, isn’t it?

In order to achieve inner happiness, you should spend time in each of these areas. Set goals for your health. Take target to lose those pounds. Set a goal to earn or save X amount in a year. Think of a place you would want to take a vacation to with your loved ones to nurture relationships. Let that adventurist come out at least for sometime during the year. Learn. It may be as simple as learning to cook a new dish or reading or to play an instrument. Do something for the society. And last but not the least spend some time for building that connection with the Almighty. Phew!! It may sound like a lot of work right now but there is nothing better than seeing yourself achieve goals that you have set! You never know what might click during the course and enlightens you.

Make a nice pictorial chart and put it in a place you see it every day. It would trigger something in you. And even if you don’t achieve them, you would still be happy that somewhere you were conscious in finding what really matters to you! Don’t just sit back and wait for miracles to happen. Believe in action. Remember; only you have the remote control of your happiness, don’t let life control it. You own this life so take charge!

Questions?? Please mention in comments.

Love.