Bad mood. In the horrors. Fowler. Whatever your chosen term is. The reality is that at some point every single human being experiences this.

Bad mood. In the horrors. Fowler. Whatever your chosen term is. The reality is that at some point every single human being experiences this. There may not be a particular reason for the turn in the mood. Maybe you woke up on the wrong side of the bed, stubbed your toe and found a ladder in your tights. Maybe it's hormonal and expected. Or maybe it's due to some bad news. All of these reasons are legitimate and   a bad mood can actually be fairly debilitating on the day in question.
 
When you have children the luxury of shutting off for the day just isn't there. You can't keep your head down at your desk and hide away from the world that day. You can't grab an early night and order a take-away. There's mouths to be fed, homework to be done and people whose hobbies include accompanying you to the toilet.
 
When I wake up in a terrible mood there are certain things I have to do to help myself snap out of it. I simply can't put an “out of order” sign up and disappear for the day.
These things tend to help, and maybe they'll help you too.
  • Have a shower. Some of us shower every day. Some of us don't. Having a shower seriously does something for me in terms of shifting my mood. I kind of seeing it as a “washing away the negativity” ritual. You also naturally feel better when you are fresh, clean and ready to start the day.
  • Plan your meals for the day. Let's face it, when you are in a bad mood you are likely to reach for all things sugary. The problem with this is the inevitable crash that comes afterwards. The low after the high. That sense of lethargy is likely to make you feel worse. Throw dinner in to the slow cooker, make a soup or stock up on some healthier treats. You'll feel a little more “on it” for the day and that sense of being organized tends to help you get out of a funk.
  • Take some time for you in the day. The house-work and chores will always be there. You probably never feel 100% on top of it all anyway. Taking 15-20 minutes out for a coffee and a read of your book could be the very thing that will give you that bit of breathing space today.
  • Communicate to your partner, friend or colleagues that you are in a bad mood. It'll prevent 90% of the “what's up with you?” questions which make you feel worse. Sometimes saying it out loud is a remedy in itself
  • Do one productive thing that day. Chances are you feel like ignoring everything on your to-do list but at the end of the day you will feel a whole lot better if something is ticked off the list. There is a sense of accomplishment which has that feel good factor too.
If all that fails, ignore everything I've said and pick up a family sized bar of chocolate for when the kids go to bed. Tomorrow is a new day. 
 
Written by Tracey Quinn, staff writer with Family Friendly HQ

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