Bad mood: you can make it go away in 90 seconds

Il moodiness It's a waste. Of time, of health, of human relationships. But if it hasn't yet slipped into a depressive state, if it's merely transitory and not an existential habit, there are simple steps to push it away.

Ninety seconds and your bad mood will pass. It's not a parlor game, but a small but very effective therapy suggested by philosopher Elsa Punset, an expert in managing emotions, in a very useful text, entitled The Book of Small Revolutions (De Agostini editions).

Before examining Punset's suggestion in detail, it is important to define the category of bad mood. And, for example, not to confuse it with trough, which instead requires specific therapy.

Bad mood is a transitory state of mind by nature, sometimes caused by the most banal things: a rude response at work, a child's tantrum, the whim of gossip about you, a lack of attention from someone you care about very much.

As a state of mind, however, a bad mood, especially if it resurfaces, can cause a lot of harm. You don't like yourself, you feel uncomfortable, you struggle to connect with others, you become sensitive. All paths that lead to a dead end.

This is why bad moods need to be eliminated quickly, without wasting the ninety seconds that Elena Punset suggests. Why 90 seconds? Because that's the time during which a negative emotion normally invades us, and the body needs precisely a minute and a half before producing the hormone. stress. and then return to normality.

In these ninety seconds, you need to concentrate, without thinking, to welcome the negative emotion, the dark mood. You need to be overwhelmed, not push away this feeling. Then, as soon as it begins to fade in intensity, simply focus on the good things that have happened recently, and then, in a few minutes, the negative chemistry that has been generated will fade, until it disappears. And the bad mood is gone. All in just 90 seconds.

There are some simple but effective natural remedies to keep bad moods at bay and prevent them from becoming permanent.

• Food. Allow yourself some indulgence in food if it gives you pleasure and satisfaction. Some foods seem to be designed specifically for this purpose: for example, chocolate,
• Open air. A walk in a park, or even just a nice stroll, are ideal choices for eliminating a bad mood. A real cure-all at no cost.
• Funny friends. Friends are always the oxygen in our lives, but those who make us laugh, with the right humor, are even more valuable. Cultivate them especially in times of bad mood, and remember that laughter is one of the things that is best for the mind and body.
• Physical activity. Any physical activity, from gymnastics to swimming, helps distract you, oxygenate the brain, and improve your mood.
• Very sleepy. Those who sleep regularly and for the right number of hours are much less likely to slip into the shadows of bad mood. Sleep is man's first medicine, even against mood swings.
• Discover new interests. New interests, new passions, new curiosities: all paths, even rather linear ones, that lead to good humor.

There's no single cause for mood swings. They can be caused by environmental factors (the weather changes), life cycles (menopause in older women, or menstruation in young women), or frequent alcohol and drug use, which can cause mood swings among their side effects. These can be quite severe. Then there are psychological conditions, such as any form of depression, and hormonal factors, such as altered levels of dopamine and serotonin.

The symptoms of mood swings are very obvious. Among the most significant and frequent are:

• Strong irritability, without specific reasons
• Excessive laughter, almost hysterical, again without much reason
• Crying fits, and the tendency to cry easily
• Some gastrointestinal disturbances
• Tension in the muscles
• Poor appetite or compulsive hunger
• Irregular sleep
• Sadness and thoughts not inspired by melancholy. But by sadness, precisely.

Waking up in a bad mood should never become a habit. Therefore, it's important to understand why it happens. Most likely answers: we slept poorly, we had restless sleep, we're still tired, we have the stress of a difficult day ahead. Finally, a hormonal problem: it's no coincidence that the majority of people who wake up in a bad mood are women.

Read also:

• How to stop complaining: It's pointless. It's much better to reflect and take action.
• Postpone today, postpone tomorrow and in the end you risk inconclusiveness
• Laughter is good for your health and is life. The laughter club also meets on Skype.