“Moods are central to meaning in life…and more important than money, status, and even personal relationships because they affect the happiness quotient that we assign to life activities.” –William Broad
So, what is mood? By definition, “mood is a state or quality of feeling at a particular time.” It is an emotional state that projects into psychological processes affecting the behavior of an individual. Moods are directly proportional to happiness. The better mood you are in, the happier you feel.
There is no question that there is a genetic component to moods. Some people by nature have sunnier dispositions, while others are inherently gloomy. It is also known, however, that you can affect moods deliberately. Where do you start looking for better moods?
1. Know yourself. Keep a journal so that you can reflect back on which situations bring certain moods. Over time, you may notice there are certain patterns that can put things in perspective.
2. Don’t always be in a good mood. Fake-happy takes a toll on your well-being. Relax into what is. Stop working your face to produce a smile when you don’t feel like it. Living life is about experiencing a spectrum of emotions.
3. Realize that everything passes. No matter how unsettling, uncomfortable, or horrible something feels in the moment, that moment will pass.
4. Life goes on. There are no fixed states, neither in nature nor in life. In spite of clinging to the idea of permanence, accept that change is inherent to life. It is the only certainty.
5. Give up control. Whatever walk of life you come from, there is only an illusion of control. There are many forces beyond you. You make plans, but they only come undone by what seems like an accident.
6. Every new day brings new weather. Whatever the weather of the day–accept it. There is no reason to fight what is. Embrace it.
Good mood can be found by having a philosophical take to life because you become aware of the fleeting nature of everything. Moods define your day to day being and quality of life, therefore, strive to be in a good mood (most of the time).
