Check
Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself: What to Assess When Your Mood is Low
If you are noticing a dip in your mood, there are a variety
of things that you can look at and try to work on. Perhaps you are eating more
fast food, not working out, have hormonal changes, are taking certain
medications, or are hanging out with negative people. All these factors will
contribute to a dip in your mood. However,
there are other factors that play a role in mood that require you to be honest
and open with yourself. It is not always easy fessing up to having a pessimistic
outlook, acknowledging that you enjoy throwing yourself a pity party, or becoming
aware of the fact that you feel you have lost direction in your life. Although
these areas are not easy to examine, the reality is that they are necessary to
look at in order to be true to yourself, find fulfillment, and get that pep in
your mood back. Here are 3 areas in your life you can assess when your notice a
mood drop:
1.
Check
your Attitude
A dip in mood could mean a dip in the way
that you are seeing your world. With the hectic-ness of life it is easy to slip
into negative thinking at times. But it is also important to catch the bout of pessimism
and work through it. In order to work through a negative mood you have to start
looking at more of what you do have as opposed to all the things you don’t
have. Being grateful and aware of all things that you have earned, received and
been given is what makes our life fulfilling and upbeat. The more you focus on
what you have the more you begin to feel positive about life. You will also notice
more opportunities, supports and friendships as you refocus your vision. When checking
on your attitude look to see if your focus is more on what you do have or what
you don’t have.
2.
Note
Your Ability to be Resilient
Resilience is the ability to
bounce back up after life tries to knock you down. If you are noticing that the
bouncing back is more like falling and staying down, perhaps your level of
resilience is low. While we should all be grateful for each day, the reality is
life also delivers trials that don’t go unnoticed. When the trials build up and
we do not have some sort of release for the stress that builds, we begin to
lack the energy (or resilience) to bounce back up after we are hit. In order to
increase your resilience, take stressors off your plate. Sit back and look at
what is weighing you down in life that you no longer need to carry. Then, take
that off your back so you are freer to bounce back when you get knocked down.
To build up your resilience, you
can also stay ahead of your challenges. Reflect on some major barriers that
could potentially lie ahead of new projects or goals and put a basic plan into
place to be prepared for those barriers. This does not mean to let fear rule
you as you think about every little detail that could go wrong, but it does
mean acknowledging that barriers arise and you can prepare become adaptable and
flexible in order to overcome those challenges.
3.
Evaluate
Your Passion
One of
the hardest times in life is when you realize that you have lost a spark. That
spark is often referred to as passion
and sometimes we lose it in our personal or professional lives. It can be hard reflecting on life at missed opportunities
or regrets. But focusing your time on opportunities
that you have missed puts your focus in the past. The past is in a time you cannot
get back and thus it distracts you
from the opportunities in the present. Opportunities are around you each day. In fact, every
problem is an opportunity. Opportunities spark passion.
When
you have lost passion in your life you may find that you come to two roads. The
first road allows you to
work to re-spark up passion. Take this time to review or clarify your visions
in life or business. Reflecting on why you started a mission or
goal and taking a moment to look back at
all the hardships you have already made it through might empower you to keep
pushing with desire and renewed passion.
Rekindling your passion will boost your self-esteem, creative side and generate a whole bunch of happiness.
The
second road you may face when you have lost your passion is the road of brand
new beginnings. Instead of
dwelling on time lost for something that did not work out, channel that energy into working on new passions. Going
back to the start line is sometimes the biggest step forward you could ever take. For many people they lose
passion in their careers, and do not leave
their jobs. If you choose not to leave a situation in your life where passion
no longer exists, be sure to search
for outside of work passions like taking up certain sports, hobbies or activities
that will create passion
once more in your life. Creating passion in one sector of your life will rub off in others and give your
mood an overall boost.
Dr. Jaime Kulaga is a Certified Life Coach, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Motivational Speaker. She is the author of the upcoming book "The SuperWoman's Guide to Super Fulfillment: Step-by-Step Strategies to Create Work-Life Balance," to be published in March 2015. She is the inspirational founder of the nationally known SuperWoman Workshops. Dr. Kulaga has been featured internationally for her expertise in Work-Life Balance. http://www.mindfulrehab.com
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