Moods fluctuate and sometimes we may wish we could be more in control of our emotions. I have put together some great tips to help with mood management.
Mood management
Be more aware of your ‘mental diet’. What are you telling yourself on a regular basis? What do you believe?
Learn to recognise when your thinking is creating anxiety and/or moodiness. Ask yourself these questions to help you decide whether the thoughts are fact or opinion:
Am I jumping to conclusions?
Is there another way to look at this?
Am I mind reading, in that I am assuming I know what someone else is thinking? You can take a guess – you could be right but you could also be wrong.
Will worrying about it make me more prepared (no it won’t)?Will it allow me to control the situation? Even if I am more prepared, will it affect the outcome?
Where is the evidence to back up my thinking? If you are mind reading or catastrophising (worst case scenario), being self critical (eg. I am worthless – this is subjective, not fact. If it was fact the whole world would agree with you), predicting the future, only acknowledging the negatives in your life… you won’t find much evidence.
Write a gratitude journal to remind you of the positives in life – thie things you appreciate.
Instead of listening to the news, put uplifting happy music on instead.
Avoid watching the news. If you are feeling moody the news can exacerbate existing moods.
Plan one activity per week that makes you feel good – a massage, go for a walk, see someone whose company you enjoy etc
Put the ‘Serenity Prayer’ up somewhere where you can see it:
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Practise detachment:
Imagine that everything is unfolding as it’s meant to. Learn to relax, feel safe and have more peace of mind.
Be aware that you hold core beliefs about the world. These core beliefs are created as you grow up and experience life. Some of these beliefs may be distorted and inaccurate.
Mood management takes practise but one of the primary ideas is to understand the link between your thoughts and your emotions, and your emotions and behaviour.
Don’t believe everything you think!
Mandy X
Photo by Yoann Boyer on Unsplash
Author: Mandy Kloppers
Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.
