Get OUTSIDE Yourself

This morning was an emotional roller coaster for me. Nothing tragic happened. I was just getting children ready for school and a Nutcracker Ballet performance and running late. Rushing at home and rushing in the car. A lady in front of me almost caused a car accident. Then the feeling of hurry, hurry we are LATE!! running through my head until I was able to get these lovely children to their destinations. Once I dropped them off my mental tank plummeted and I felt so tired. Like I wanted to go home and do nothing but lay in bed and watch a Christmas movie. Really negative thoughts were coming into my head. Boy were they distracting, but I resisted the temptation of my child-free bed and went on to Sam's Club.

I am a pretty stable person who doesn't usually get down, but this morning I just felt that way. I noticed the backstage mom at the Nutcracker looked at me rather oddly because I looked how I felt. As I encouraged myself to go into the store, I decided to talk to people and interact in the friendly way I usually do - not with the stressed look on my face that had been there.

It was amazing how different I felt by the time I left Sam's Club and then a local grocery store. I had consciously talked with people and tried to be helpful. I was able to push away the awful mood I was in and smile for real, not just pretend. I even started to think about ways I could serve other people and thinking about that made me happy. As oft quoted, "service is the best medicine."

My experience this morning can be so useful in any aspect of life - home, work, church, recreational. Many times our mood and thought patterns direct how our entire day will go. Even if we usually have a sunny disposition, there will eventually be a day where we wake up on the wrong side of the bed. Today was my day. It was amazing to feel the transformation from anxious and annoyed to calm and content.

Even though I didn't have access to this list this morning, I like the 10 ways Lori Deschene suggests to let go of a bad mood. (Although, I would add prayer in there) Here are the first three and feel free to read the rest on her website.

1. Get to the root. If you’ve ever snapped at someone who didn’t say or do anything to offend you, you’re familiar with this common dilemma: you feel something but you’re not entirely sure why. So you start looking for explanations. The kids are too loud. Or the TV’s too small. Or the car’s too dirty. Lashing out won’t address the problems that are creating your feelings.

2. Be real. There’s no point in pretending you’re full of sunshine when internally you feel like crying or screaming. You’re entitled to feel the full range of emotions and express what’s on your mind when you need to. If someone asks what’s wrong, be honest: “I’ve had a rough day, I don’t feel so great, but I’m sure I’ll feel better when I…”

3. Complete the “I’ll feel better when I …” sentence. Everyone has something that’s guaranteed to put a smile on their face. Playing with your dog. Watching re-runs of Friends. Jump roping to bad 80s music.