SHOUT Out that Bad Mood!
December 15, 2015
There’s nothing like the holidays to show us just how human we are. I, myself, just realized we are only a few weeks from that special morning of ritual, family, and lots of shiny objects under the tree! Now I gotta go get those shiny objects! I have to admit that this time does bring me both lots of joy and lots of stress, which can lead to bad moods. Now, I know I’m not alone in this, and the last thing any of us need (or our family and friends!) is a lack of joy. Especially with all the sad and scary news we are hearing daily, what we need to do is really focus on the power that this season of gratitude and spirit has to lift up all of our spirits and shift our focus to all the wonder we live with daily.
So here’s what I do to kick my bad mood to the curb! Try my SHOUT recipe for yourself and let’s get the cheer on!
S is for SILLY! Get Silly! Drop everything you are doing and stomp out that stress immediately. One of the easiest and fastest ways for me to do this is with my daughter, Nia. She just loves to be silly and forget the world we’re in and trade it in for a world of imagination! We love to take silly pictures together!!
H is for HAVE! Have Your Pity Party! Have you heard this before? “I don’t have enough time, energy or money for this!” Yeah, yeah, yeah. Shout it out to whomever will listen, stay in your jammies and eat ice cream for a while and wallow. Then, shake it off and get going! It really isn’t normal for us to not acknowledge when things don’t feel right and just keep pushing. It’s actually very healthy for our body, mind and soul to consciously choose to sit with how we feel for while before we move forward. Wallow on, but not for too long!
O is for OUT! Get out of your head and your body! This is one of those Tony Robbins strategies I just love and truly believe in. He tells us that in order to change how we feel and get the results we want to experience, we must CHANGE OUR STATE. One of the best ways to do that is to get up and get out! Sometimes I change my state with a hot and/or cold shower or bath, and many times all it takes is a speedy walk in nature.
U is for UNDERSTAND! Understand that it really isn’t that bad! This is about perspective. Our emotions and added stress tend to put us on that elevator that drops us down to the darkness. With some understanding we take that elevator back up to the light and see that we really got it good. This too shall pass.
T is for TRUST…Your Trusted Advisors! Sometimes, nothing works better for me than picking up the phone and calling one of my best buddies to dish to! I feel blessed that I’ve got many trusted advisors in my corner– both family and friends who listen to my silly rants and let me get it all off my chest so I can go get silly! So go shout it out and forget it!
I can honestly say that by using one or all of these simple steps (that may not seem so simple in the moment!), that I can regulate my mood fairly quickly and not let those shady thoughts linger and interfere with what’s really important.
Can one of these work for you? What strategies can help keep that bad mood at bay this busy holiday season?
Would love to hear your shares!
Happy Holidays,
Monique
Illumined Life Leadership 