Being in a bad mood can compound on itself, have you noticed? We tend to see the world through darker shades when we’re feeling rotten and things that wouldn’t have bothered us before seem quite irksome. So how do we pivot when this ‘momentum’ is starting to build? Keep the 3 R’s in mind: Reboot. Reframe. Respiration.

Reboot

Reset your brain by taking a break from rehashing the past (sadness) or rehearsing the future (anxiety) to divert your attention to something pleasing. Take a mental break by doing such things as listening to a favorite song…while singing along or moving your body if you can to get more engaged. Create a playlist based on mood so you’ll have it when you need. I simply call mine “feel good mix.” Watch a funny YT video so you can start feeling the emotion of humor. Set up a playlist of funny videos so you’ve done your digging ahead of time. Even anticipating that something will be funny that hasn’t happened yet tricks our brain to light up the same regions! Interesting, right?

Reframe

News flash: not every thought we think is a fact. And yet it can FEEL as though sometimes those pesky perspectives we subjectively have ARE true. One of the biggest contributions the world of psychology has to offer is this life changing skill of reframing or ‘reappraisal.’ When you find yourself recycling thoughts that don’t feel good ask yourself the question, “Is this true?” Your mind might respond with a fast ‘Yes!’ but slow it down. Is it REALLY true? 100% with no room for tweaking? What’s the evidence?

Respiration

Breathing! Something we do all day everyday and yet active, intentional breathing is so often overlooked…yet so deceptively simple. When we’re feeling scattered becoming more present and just ‘being with’ our breathe can help center our attention. And if you begin feeling stressed, anxious, or angry try deep breathing – but not through the lungs. Through the belly. When we expand our diaphragmatic muscle (think of a spare tire) it inflates and stimulates a nerve in our back along our spinal column called the vagus nerve. This, in term, activates a relaxation response, the body’s braking system, to help us cool our jets (called the parasympathetic nervous system).

So the next time you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, come back to these tried and true research-based ideas to get you back on track: Reboot. Reframe. Respiration.