Annoyed

January 14, 2021

Reflection: Being in a bad mood robs us of the present moment.

Today, I'm grateful for: Tools to reflect, and help me remember what matters most.

Challenge: Don't let a bad mood get the best of you.

Do you ever have those days (or weeks) where you're just generally annoyed? Everything sets you off, and nothing seems to be going quite right?...I'm having one of those weeks, and it's making this week d r a g. So now it's Thursday (Friday eve for my glass-half-fullers), and I'm ready to end the funk. So I was looking for some tools to help...*Googles "How to get out of a bad mood*. What I learned was a bit surprising, and it all started with what causes a bad mood. I picked a few of my favs:

1) Guilt: It was interesting to me that this was one of the first things identified as a bad-mood-causer. I mean, it makes sense when you think about it, but it didn't really feel relevant to my current situation. The more I sat with the idea, the more I questioned, "Do I feel guilty about just generally being in a bad mood?...which is then contributing to my bad mood?" Whatever this vicious cycle is (or isn't), I decided it was time to let go of any of these feelings. It's OK to have negative emotions. And it's OK to acknowledge them. And, most importantly, it's OK to let them go. So I decided it was time to kiss the guilt and negativity goodbye.

2) Small rejections: Things like not getting likes on your social media, or not getting a thoughtful response from someone. This one surprised me a bit because as much as I say I don't take things personally or care about likes or hits or clicks, I think there's just something innate to my marketing background that gets caught up a bit in the analytics. When I launched my blog, I did it entirely for me. But the more I saw others engage and started to get great feedback that it was encouraging others, the more it motivated me. I'm questioning if I've perhaps gotten a bit too caught up in the numbers. How many people virwed my post? How many followers do I have? It's time to get back to what drove me to this effort in the first place.

3) Outstanding tasks: This one hit home. Between work and home, this week has been full of "hurry-up-and-wait" situations that lead to things remaining undone, and my ever-growing to-do list getting longer. This stresses me out, especially when I can't get answers or tools I need to get the job done. I'm hoping to be able to buckle down and check some things off the list to help bring me comfort and lower the water level on my stress-o-meter.

4) Low self-esteem: I think this is contributing on a micro-level as well. My typical fitness routine has been less-than-stellar since the New Year and that little voice in the back of my head saying "You're gonna look like a cow if you don't work harder" is always there ready to creep in whenever I'm feeling weak. Positive self-talk is a must for me (see yesterday's post on Affirmations), and it's a conscious effort for me to do so.

5) Fear of failure: No surprise here! As a clinically-diagnosed perfectionist, this is a reallllll tough one for me. And I think it serves as a trigger for many of the others listed above. I think this one is being primarily driven this week by my outstanding tasks. Again, I'm hopeful that I can buckle down yet this week and tackle some of these outstanding stressors.

6) Small annoyances: I feel like this one is just a snowball. One small annoyance leads to another and another and next thing you know, you're ready to blow your lid over a bunch of little things that probably don't really even matter that much. It's in these moments I look to focus on what I have to be grateful for and what truly matters most.

7) Exhaustion: As a mom, this is basically written into the job description. But I think it's just a good reminder to remain dedicated to a strong sleep routine, and fueling my body with the things it needs to function properly. It looks like we may have a snowy weekend ahead, which offers a perfect excuse to snuggle up and rest.

Walking through these 'bad-mood-causers' was a really helpful exercise to help pull me out of the anxiety and frustration, and into the present. I have SO much to be grateful for in this moment, and there is no sense in robbing myself of the present, when most of these potential challenges are for the future! Today, I'm choosing to be grateful, and to let go of the negativity, the annoyance, the anxiety and frustration.

How do you get out of a bad mood?

XO

SS