Bad moods happen to us all.  It might be irritability, sadness, frustration, anxiety or just a funk, but whatever you label it, it isn’t fun and you just want it to stop.  It is important to allow these unpleasant feelings so that you can discover the origin and remedy the root cause, if that is possible.  Buried feelings cause more discomfort and anxiety and are eventually expressed in ways that we may not intend like an explosion of anger or physical and emotional symptoms. 

If you are empathic and easily influenced by the feelings of others, the bad mood might not have anything to do with you personally and if this is the case, you can release it to God, the universe, nature or whatever feels good to you.  Even if you know the cause of what is bothering you, it might be a situation you cannot control like the behavior of someone else, a legal situation, the passing of someone you care about or issues at your place of employment.  It might be tempting to push down feelings when you don’t feel you have any control but identifying them is the first step in being able to change your own response, which you can control. 

No matter what the origin of your emotional pain or funky mood, there are things you can do to help yourself feel better.  Here are a few low cost or even free options that have helped me and my clients:

1 .  Get out in the sun. Do it safely with non-toxic sunscreen but sun is great for your mood.

2.   Buy a small plant or go out in the woods and transplant one and bring it home.

3.   Take a walk, dance or move in some way.  Movement creates endorphins.

4.   Call a friend. Isolation is tempting when we feel down but it makes us focus on negative thoughts.

5.   Listen to uplifting music.  Something cheerful that makes you move and smile.

6.   Be in nature, even if it is just your backyard or a small park. 

7.   Put yourself in or near water.  It evokes a sense of calm.  The beach is my happy place

8.   Have a cup of tea.  There are so many options on the market to assist with mood but no matter what the flavor, sitting down and slowly sipping a hot beverage can be zen.

9.  Try aromatherapy with essential oils or other natural scents.  Artificial fragrances are highly toxic but natural aromas like lavender, frankincense or your favorite have been shown to help with mood

10.  Meditate.  This might seem like the last thing you want to do if you aren’t familiar with it but it has been shown to reduce cortisol levels which can lead to anxiety.  There isn’t one perfect way to meditate