Five Quick Ways to Calm Down
It’s patronizing when someone suggests that you’re over-reacting due to a physical problem. Even as kids, we were bothered by it. No one wanted to be called “cranky” after all, or told that their issues and problems stem from “not enough sleep” but like it or not, that’s the science. If you’re in a bad mood, your body is the thing that’s processing it. And if you haven’t had enough sleep or food to keep that body running, any annoyance or problem is going to seem that much larger.
Keep Some Perspective
I was recently upset about a grade on a Math exam. I’m not going to tell you the score, but let’s put it this way, if my score directly correlated to a decade of American history, Nixon would have been the president.
That said, who cares? There are three tests, plus homework to grade on. Also, I have lots of classes. Also, I don’t care about math. Or my GPA. I’m just here to write things and eat hamburgers. Also, I live in a world and situation where I can both write things for money and eat hamburgers purchased with that money. If I’m still mad about a math grade, everyone from the 18th century on would like to trade places with me.
Change Your Place
If you’re mad at home, go to the library. The problem might be the same, and the materials you have with you might be the same. Heck, you may even be stalling on the same websites, but a change of location means your mind has to re-contextualize things. It’s as simple as that. If you want to leave your problems or frustrations behind, leave them physically behind as well. Move on to move on.
A bad mood can be the result of a lot of things, but one constant remains: you want to punch it in the face.
Use that energy or blehs as motivation to get moving. It’ll help you do something productive and you can forget the direct motivation for your frustrations. And if you’re in more of a sedentary depressed bad mood, even better: now you have to get active to get out of it. Endorphins are natures anti-depressant. Get active and get busy: it’ll help you forget your issues in a heartbeat. Think about it. If you’re struggling on a treadmill you can’t remember to be mad.
Talk It Out
The old classic still works. Talking out your problems has tons of possible advantages. First, it requires you to be social, which always helps. A sympathetic ear can help tremendously, and even better, the other person might have some constructive ideas. And, if it turns out that your problem is both unsympathetic and unsolvable, maybe you should let it go. Talking about some insanely minor problem with tons of fury is a great way to realize how silly you sound.