How do you get out of a bad mood?

[Dillow4092]

I've been in the worst mood for the past week. Just seems like everything, and I mean everything out of the norm just pisses me off. Can't seem to shake this off. So what do you all do to get the funk out?

[Dr. Tweedbucket]

1. Work out.... start some kind of cardio workout thing .... that really helps even out your body and head at the same time. (one workout won't get it, you need to get into a routine).

2. Remember the world doesn't revolve around you. You are not the most important thing on this Planet. Everything isn't specially geared to make life easy for your and make you happy.

3. Go visit some 3 world country for a month and donate your time to help people who don't even have a good meal to eat each day.


That may help you realize how spoiled you (and me) are. I have to step back and look at the big picture every now and then myself. :(

[Blix]

I'm very rarely in a bad mood anymore.
Having been through some pretty bad times financially and dealt with how that affected me on numerous levels, it gave me another perspective on things, and I stopped letting little things getting to me at all, it's just not worth it. Wasted energy.
Now I'm happy with having a job, money for the rent and food on the table, a great son that just turned 10. A few fun hobbies and some great friends.

I mean, how could I possibly be in a bad mood! :)

Oh wait, I'm currently single, that might be it. :D

[big mike]

Hit the gym, do something out of your comfort zone, and crank the volume on the amp.

Usually one or a combination of the above does it for me.

[photoguy]

I've never gotten out of the shower in a bad mood, even if I was in one before taking one.

[French Fry]

This one got me out of a funk a while back, and I once in a while I like to watch it again. Definitely worth a couple minutes in my book.

98qk-VKmXZc

[dkaplowitz]

I shout "SERENITY NOW!" over and over again.

[TaylorPlayer]

I just play my acoustics for awhile. Never can stay in a bad mood after playing some fingerstyle blues baby!

[Amp360]

Yell at the kids and make them clean their room
Yell at wife about her out of control spending
Go online and laugh at guy with $5000 guitar, $4500 amplifier and $100 spent in guitar lessons who is recording all this with $40 of recording gear
Yell at cat for scratching couch
Maybe fire an intern
Call my sister in law and tell her she's a moron
Go to bed

[Teleplayer]

Is it just a bad mood, or is it situational depression? What is the root cause of it?

Exercise, make certain you are eating well and get some sleep/rest. Indulge yourself - get foods you like to eat, go to a flick, get a massage, etc.

[MudPies]

Make sure you're getting some natural light in the AM if you can too. This time of year is notorious for this type of issue.

[jaycee]

Man, i wish i had some good ideas. THe change of the seasons really gets me. It just hit me last week which is a little late but man, Friday was a bad day. Fortunately i had band practice that night. Playing loud plus a couple drinks really helped but it's still somewhat with me.

[strat6866]

Wait it out and try to keep busy and excercise. It goes in cycles.

Late fall and winter makes it harder though.

[pickaguitar]

Maybe commit a crime? They'll lock you up and you won't be able to do anything

[Dillow4092]

Maybe commit a crime? They'll lock you up and you won't be able to do anything

No thanks, someone might think I'm cute or something:D

[crzyfngers]

pick up a guitar.

[derekd]

No particular order.

Yoga
Journaling
Listening to mood lifting music
Play guitar

[StompBoxBlues]

I'd tell you, but I'm afraid you'll just SNAP at me....


Seriously, no idea. BUT...you ARE halfway or more there, becuase the worst with folks in a bad mood is when they don't even admit (to themselves or others) that they are in one...and in fact get mad if you point it out.

For me, when I notice I am, it helps a lot to think about why...what am I pissed about...but sounds like you tried and have no one thing you can point to about it.

Hang in there...jog a little, hit a pillow, play like a madman, do something you enjoy?

[alberob]

Play guitar very ,very loud with tons of Fuzz [Lunar Module] into my Red Iron Bronx amp.My ears are still ringing but I feel better.:bonk

[Big_Daddy]

Make sure you're getting some natural light in the AM if you can too. This time of year is notorious for this type of issue.

/\ /\ /\ Most North Americans suffer from a Vitamin D deficiency and ample sunlight can fix this (or supplementation). Depression can be brought on by this deficiency as well.

[gainiac]

As a former ticking time bomb I've learned that self awareness and the ability to disarm oneself is key.

Don't take your work home. Make sure you leave with the understanding that you did an honest days work.

Rationalize shit. If it don't involve life threatening, survival, etc.. scenarios then it's not worth the aggravation overload one can so easily self generate which then can manifest itself physically.

Don't let others tick you off. You see, most of the time they're ticking you off because they haven't done the above (rationalizing shit..). Some folks just aren't that self-reliant, help them by becoming a font of patience!!! hahahahaha!

When anger is about to escape yer maw, STOP and think FIRST. Usually within that nanosecond you'll realize that you're not about to accomplish something positive. Blowing off steam needs to be tangential, not in series. I had to do this ALOT this weekend, my teenage daughter, raging with hormones really got under my skin and I wanted to knock her block off (I've never raised a hand..), but I kept my mouth shut and rationalized, the moment passed. She got a lecture though! Lecture= Rational, constructive behavior critique and the outline of not so enjoyable (lack of..)activities if such behavior continues.

Keep yourself busy. Always have things in your life that are outlets you enjoy no matter how trivial. It's important to have at least ONE you can just kick into in an impromptu fashion.

Meditiation, light, has done wonders for me. Just looking in and relaxing and thinking about how foolish getting worked up over most things is.

Physical stuff is good. Guitar practice don't work for me, I need to relax prior to playing usually.

If you're still alive you can still succeed.

[Travst]

I'm going to try the Vitamin D tip. I work in an interior office with no natural lighting.

[Big_Daddy]

I'm going to try the Vitamin D tip. I work in an interior office with no natural lighting.

Just be careful. Too much supplementary Vitamin D can be toxic. ;)

[Travst]

Just be careful. Too much supplementary Vitamin D can be toxic. ;)

Thanks. I actually picked up that fact in a survival school where the instructor warned us about not eating the livers of certain animals for that reason... they are too high in Vitamin D. Weird fact...

[SlyStrat]

I always feel mellow after weight lifting or running.
Jamming along with a cranked cd always makes me feel better.
My Vitamin D was low. I started taking 5000 mgs a day. Now its up in the average zone.

[mark norwine]

When situations beyond your control get you bothered / pissed / mad / depressed, just remember that you have choices. Remind your self of those choices by remembering:

"I can have [situation causing stress] and an ulcer......*OR*.....I can have [situation causing stress] and a smile"

Think about it & your whole outlook will brighten.

[jzgtrguy]

Watch something really funny like a Peter Sellers movie like the Pink Panther, or Top Gear or ....

I had a horrible day at work a while back and came home just pissed and anxious. Went into my room and played guitar for an hour........ahhhh so much better.

[Pfeister]

Working out helps balance you out. Especially running. I get plenty of exercise at work, so I don't really work out, but running still makes me feel great (when I'm done).

Also, sex.

[Lution]

In contradiction to the first point Tweedbucket made, You actually are the center of your Universe. Understanding self-awareness, that you are the witness - the watcher on the hillside of everything that revolves around you, and that you think for the mind, not with the mind, is key to calming and gaining control of it.

Here is a great little exercise, written by Alberto Villoldo, that helps me find my self and works every single time.

The Practice of No-Mind


When the mind starts to busy itself crafting a story about how we've been wronged, or daydreaming about what our lives could be like if we could only find the right person or the right situation we need to extinguish it. We can do this through the practice of No-Mind. Practicing no-mind requires you to break free of your thoughts and get in touch with the sage within (your true self), who is beyond thoughts. You don't have to spend hours of meditation to do this. When you become aware of how your mind foolishly jumps from thought to thought like a monkey, you can just sit quietly, amused by its activity. The parade of thoughts will continue, but you won't get caught up in it. There will be only the sage (you).

Thus you'll be able to say "There goes my mind again, obsessing about how it believes I was wronged. That's how my mind acts up when I'm feeling like a victim." And then, a few moments later, you'll forget that you're the sage, and you'll once again identify with the gymnastics of your mind. Then you'll remember! and inquire, "Who is it that was wronged?" and "who is asking the question?"

You make the switch from identifying with the chatter to becoming the sage by asking questions such as "Who is hurt?" "Who is angry?" and "Who is late for work?" what brings you home to the sage is always this: "Who is it that is asking the question?" The moment you ask yourself this, you break the trance and the mind dissolves. Only spirit remains, because spirit is the sage. . . and the sage is you in true selfhood! The chatter in our minds will only stop when the mind is extinguished. Until then, we can simply observe our thoughts, be amused by our "monkey-mind," and not identify with it.

No-Mind Exercise:

Sit quietly and comfortably in your favorite chair and dim the lights. Light a candle if you wish, but make sure you are in an absolutely quiet place because you WANT to listen to the chatter of your mind. Close your eyes and begin to take some deep regular breaths. . . count your breaths from one to ten, and then start at one again. After a few minutes, you may notice that you're counting up to 20 or 35, as the mind becomes absorbed with what you need to do later in the evening, what you failed to do at work, or how upset you are with someone. Bring yourself back to counting your breaths. Now ask your self, "Who is angry?" "Who is late?" Who is breathing?" and then, "Who is it that is asking the question?" Be still, and observe what happens when you ask this. Try to make this query regularly throughout the day, even when you're not sitting in meditation. The more the sage (you) rises to the forefront of your awareness, the longer he or she will remain in residence.


Resource: "The Four Insights – Wisdom, Power, and Grace of the EarthKeepers" by Alberto Villoldo

[DWB1960]

Take a walk and think about all of the people in the world who have it so much worse than you do.

[tildeslash]

Angry sex with your partner.
Give me a call - I'll tell you things and make you feel better.
Hug someone.

[joemilitello]

Exercise, hot tub, smoke a J, go snowboarding

[kurtsstuff]

Simple....Find the source of your bad mood then.....kick the living shit out of it... :rotflmao

[Shiny McShine]

You have to face the true horror of life and realize that there are reasons that it's the way it is. For example, you are above average in intelligence and it's a daily rub to have to deal with hoards of people who just don't get things. Also, you're a sensitive person, that is, astute and aware, and can see all the ways things could be better if people could get out of their own little worlds.

When you accept this, it makes it more understandable and less of a surprise that it's so difficult. Consequently, you'll go out and when things go smooth or right, you'll know that's the exception.

[skillet]

Go here, pick a letter, and read a few of these (try to do so with Berman's voice, it makes it even funnier): Chris Berman's Nicknames (http://funny2.com/berman.htm)

Later, while wiping tears of laughter from your eyes, you'll have an epiphany: Let that which truly does not matter slide. Then, just for the hell of it, read some more until your ribs hurt.

[Pfeister]

Angry sex with your partner.
Give me a call - I'll...

I stopped reading right there.

[Zero]

Wait.

[frankencat]

They used to tell me "you can start your day over at any time". That used to really piss me off.

:D

Seriously though, you can start over any time....

:D

[1973Marshall]

Play guitar and tweak my rig or go guitar shopping!

Cmon this is tgp!

[hellbender]

Wait and tell myself this will pass in X amount of time just like a bad trip. It probably is very similar to a bad trip, chemically speaking, with what happens to trigger a foul mood in the individual. Some bizarre meld of adrenaline, poor food choice, external stimulation that sets the scene. Lack of endorphins usually

[Dexter.Sinister]

I watch children play
I listen to Bobby McFerrin
I go for a walk in Nature
I call an old friend and forgive them for an old slight
I call an old friend and ask for forgiveness for an old slight
I leave the country on a solo trip to some place that I don't understand
I play guitar with an ensemble of unknowns and make something beautiful
I meditate
I clean my desk...then my house
I paint
I look for somebody in need and do something to help
I exercise
I avoid mind-altering substances
I spend time with people that love me unconditionally but kick my ass
I breathe and find joy in the inspiration

DS

[phoenix 7]

Buy a pedal! Or an amp! Or a guitar! A great new piece of gear can make me smile for days.

But for a deeper sense of well-being -- eat right, sleep well, exercise regularly. Getting laid helps too.

[deltaboy]

ill just go browse stuff i like on a saturday. REI, Guitar Center. Really miss rocking about with 100 watters with a loud drummer. The noise pressures would really alleviate stress.

[wareagle]

I shout "SERENITY NOW!" over and over again.

Answer and reference of the day :bow

[Zero G]

I play with the cat, play guitar, read, exercise, play X-Box. Anything to distract me from focusing on the mood.

[gainiac]

In contradiction to the first point Tweedbucket made, You actually are the center of your Universe. Understanding self-awareness, that you are the witness - the watcher on the hillside of everything that revolves around you, and that you think for the mind, not with the mind, is key to calming and gaining control of it.

Here is a great little exercise, written by Alberto Villoldo, that helps me find my self and works every single time.

The Practice of No-Mind


When the mind starts to busy itself crafting a story about how we've been wronged, or daydreaming about what our lives could be like if we could only find the right person or the right situation we need to extinguish it. We can do this through the practice of No-Mind. Practicing no-mind requires you to break free of your thoughts and get in touch with the sage within (your true self), who is beyond thoughts. You don't have to spend hours of meditation to do this. When you become aware of how your mind foolishly jumps from thought to thought like a monkey, you can just sit quietly, amused by its activity. The parade of thoughts will continue, but you won't get caught up in it. There will be only the sage (you).

Thus you'll be able to say "There goes my mind again, obsessing about how it believes I was wronged. That's how my mind acts up when I'm feeling like a victim." And then, a few moments later, you'll forget that you're the sage, and you'll once again identify with the gymnastics of your mind. Then you'll remember! and inquire, "Who is it that was wronged?" and "who is asking the question?"

You make the switch from identifying with the chatter to becoming the sage by asking questions such as "Who is hurt?" "Who is angry?" and "Who is late for work?" what brings you home to the sage is always this: "Who is it that is asking the question?" The moment you ask yourself this, you break the trance and the mind dissolves. Only spirit remains, because spirit is the sage. . . and the sage is you in true selfhood! The chatter in our minds will only stop when the mind is extinguished. Until then, we can simply observe our thoughts, be amused by our "monkey-mind," and not identify with it.

No-Mind Exercise:

Sit quietly and comfortably in your favorite chair and dim the lights. Light a candle if you wish, but make sure you are in an absolutely quiet place because you WANT to listen to the chatter of your mind. Close your eyes and begin to take some deep regular breaths. . . count your breaths from one to ten, and then start at one again. After a few minutes, you may notice that you're counting up to 20 or 35, as the mind becomes absorbed with what you need to do later in the evening, what you failed to do at work, or how upset you are with someone. Bring yourself back to counting your breaths. Now ask your self, "Who is angry?" "Who is late?" Who is breathing?" and then, "Who is it that is asking the question?" Be still, and observe what happens when you ask this. Try to make this query regularly throughout the day, even when you're not sitting in meditation. The more the sage (you) rises to the forefront of your awareness, the longer he or she will remain in residence.


Resource: "The Four Insights – Wisdom, Power, and Grace of the EarthKeepers" by Alberto Villoldo

This needs to be quoted. It's what I've been trying to practice. My shrink turned me onto this method.

[paulscape]

Go and cook some hot thai food

[Dr. Tweedbucket]

You actually are the center of your Universe.



Well, maybe in a sense, but if it's the mindset that you are the most important thing going on in this universe, it sets you up for a huge fail ........I can't elaborate on it here any more than that. :bonk

[riff1006]

If I'm in a bad mood, it's usually because I'm being self-centered. Going and doing something for somebody generally does the trick, but do it for the right reason. YMMV

Edit - I didn't read the whole thread but I see it's been covered, and that's no surprise.

[StompBoxBlues]

Working out helps balance you out. Especially running. I get plenty of exercise at work, so I don't really work out, but running still makes me feel great (when I'm done).

Also, sex.


This is very true. When I was doing Aikido regularly (on a typical night, I think I calculated once I had thrown someone, and someone thrown me (which means having to roll out and up again) about 200 times each in the frame of two-three hours. It's more workout when you are less skilled..so for me, aerobics time :D) I can SO remember letting the small stuff roll off my back.

It was pretty amazing, but the hard part were the evenings I came home tired, and just wanted to sink down on the sofa...when I went to aikido I felt GREAT afterwards, the times I didn't I got grumpy.

Sex to is a great happy-maker.

[StompBoxBlues]

This needs to be quoted. It's what I've been trying to practice. My shrink turned me onto this method.


Heh...I've been using this (just stumbled into it on my own) for my tinnitus.."Who is it making that damned NOISE??"...

Seriously though, just knowing we choose to be the injured party, the wronged one, etc. helps also free up.

And with tinnitus, I actually have been sitting as an observer (drives me less nuts) and seeing if I can strain even to hear the noise that won't go away, and it starts lessening....then I suddely think "oh..keep doing it it is helping" and it comes back...heh...it's the old Zen thing, "get rid of your desires" but it's always in search of an advantage...which is a desire, etc. Vicious circle.

Soon as you "try" you missed it...I should probably have posted this in the "in the Zone" thread instead.