Today, I woke up in a really bad mood. I was exhausted and it was early, I took a shower and then my hair came out REALLY badly, I couldn’t find anything to wear even though I own way too many clothes, and I was obviously running really late. All I wanted to do was put on my sweatpants, crawl back into bed, and wake up the next morning to start things over again.
I didn’t. I’m at work, and I’m still sort of in a bad mood.
So, I’m writing this article because being in a bad mood sucks! When you’re feeling grumpy, angry, and miserable, you want that to change… but at the same time, you don’t really want to do anything. However, there are some things you might be doing that you had no idea are actually making your bad mood worse – which is the last thing you want to do! To make yourself cheer up, or to at least not make things even more sucky, here are 10 of the worst things you can do when you’re in a bad mood. Avoid them at all costs!
Faking A Smile
New research shows that faking a smile doesn't make you feel better - in fact, it just makes you feel worse. I'm honestly not surprised. If you're in a bad mood and have to be in public, your instinct might be to fake a smile and act like everything is fine. But I've never really understood that. Why act like everything is okay if it's not? You're only hurting yourself more. I'm not saying you have to sit there and sulk and cry at an event, but it's okay to let people know that you're just not in a great mood at the moment. Source: ShutterStockEating Junk Food
Studies have proven that eating junk food when you're sad only makes you feel worse - especially if you already have body insecurities. When you're feeling really angry or upset, you might want to reach for ice cream or a bag of chips. But trying to get rid of these bad feelings by overeating isn't going to work. When you're done binging, you're probably just going to feel guilty and angry at yourself. I'm not saying you can't eat any junk food, but overdoing it is probably only going to make you feel worse. Source: ShutterStockNot Venting And Keeping Everything To Yourself
When I'm in a bad mood, I become pretty private - I don't usually like to share what's bothering me. This has only hurt me in the past, so now I make a point to try to vent to someone. Venting is a good thing! It lets you get things off your chest, and really does make you feel better. Venting can also help you work through your emotions, and maybe even figure out a solution. Find a friend or family member you can vent to and let them know you just need to rant, you don't want their advice just yet. if you don't feel comfortable talking to another person, write it down. I usually turn to my journal when I'm in a particularly foul mood, and after I write, I almost always feel better. Source: ShutterStockGoing On Facebook
Recent studies have shown that bad moods can spread through Facebook. In other words, if you read other angry or sad statuses from friends, you're not going to feel any better, you're going to feel worse. Plus, going on Facebook may also bring up triggers to make your bad mood worse (like, if you're upset a friend ditched you, seeing pictures of her with other friends isn't going to help with anything). I've always found that it's best to stay away from social media when I'm very grumpy. Source: ShutterStockNot Thinking About What's Bothering You
Acting like nothing bad is going on, and pushing away your negative thoughts is never going to make you feel better. Those things that are causing your bad mood are left right below the surface, waiting to come back. And studies have shown that when you repress those thoughts, they come back through dreams when you're sleeping. Basically, if you ignore what's bothering you, you're most likely going to dream about it later on. And do you really think that will make you wake up feeling happy? Source: ShutterStockTurning On All The Lights
You might think that flooding your room with sunshine will put a smile on your face, but actually, it might do just the opposite. Research has discovered that light intensifies your feelings, whether they're negative or positive. So, if you're already in a bad mood, bright light is going to make you feel worse. That doesn't mean you should lock yourself in a dark room all day, but try dimming the lights or just avoiding bright lights if you can. Source: ShutterStockLaying In Bed Doing Nothing
I'm in a terrible mood right now, and there's nothing I want to do more than lay down in my bed and close my eyes... for the rest of the night. But honestly, I know deep down that that will make me feel worse. Laying in bed for a little while for a pick-me-up is fine, but spending hours there with just your thoughts and imagination is probably going to just make you feel worse. There's very little to distract you, meaning you can really just focus on how much everything sucks. Instead, try doing something, at least for a little while. Personally, I usually try to exercise - the quote from Legally Blonde is correct: "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands. They just don't!" Exercise makes you feel happier! You don't need to do an hour of cardio, just walk around for 30 minutes. Source: ShutterStockFocusing Too Hard On Getting In A Better Mood
Trying too hard at anything usually results in a fail. It's no different when you try way too hard to cheer up. Sometimes you just need to think about why you're angry, try to resolve it, and then try to distract yourself a little. I find that when I do this, I usually just naturally end up in a better mood. Source; ShutterStockNot Taking A Break At All
Like I already said, distracting yourself is good. But distracting yourself so much that you ignore the problem altogether is not good. Sometimes when people get in a bad mood, they run around doing a million different things in an effort to turn off their brain. Not only is this going to probably make you feel more stressed, but you're probably not going to be very pleasant to anyone. It's okay to give yourself a break to have some time alone. Do something that usually makes you happy! Source; ShutterStockTrying On Bathing Suits
I know this sounds weird, but seriously: a study has found that trying on bathing suits puts you in a worse mood. In fact, I find that when I'm in a bad mood, trying on anything new makes me angry and frustrated. Shopping is a comfort activity of mine, but I try to stay away from it when I'm really in a nasty mood. I know it's not going to make me feel happier! Source: ShutterStockWhat do you do when you’re in a bad mood? Do you agree or disagree with any of these things? What did I forget? Tell me in the comments.
8 ways to make yourself feel better after a crappy day
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