4 Emergency Bad Mood Busters

You know that feeling when a bad mood is creeping up on you. Your body begins to tense up, your jaw clenches; you can feel a surge of agitation running through your veins. Bad moods are unpleasant to say the least, and especially when you don't have time for the usual activities that lift our spirits.

What can you do in those situations when a bad mood threatens to take over and you need a quick fix? Below are four fast and easy ways to stop a bad mood in its tracks that you might not know about.

1. Smile for 90 Seconds

You may not realize it, but the expression on your face has a huge effect on the way you feel. If you are walking around with a frown, furrowed brow, or clenched jaw, you are sending messages to your brain that say you're anxious, upset, angry, or irritated. Soon enough you'll start to feel that way.

To reverse this try taking a deep breath and then putting a smile on your face for about 90 seconds; it takes about this long for any emotion to run its course through our bodies. After about 90 seconds your brain will get the message that you feel happy, relaxed, content, and at peace, which will help you to feel at ease again. If it makes you uncomfortable, find a place where you can have some privacy for 90 seconds while you do this, like the restroom.

2. Keep a Pleasant Photo with You

This could be a photo of someone you love, a relaxing nature scene, one of your favorite places, or anything pleasant. The important thing is that you feel good when you look at the photo. Just as you tried smiling for 90 seconds, it is a good idea to observe the photo for about the same length of time. As you look at it, think about all of the reasons you love it. Before you know it, you'll be feeling much better.

3. Positive Words from A to Z

This approach seems a little odd, but it works amazingly well. All you have to do is list every positive word you can think of beginning with each letter of the alphabet. For example you would begin: A, Amazing; B, Beautiful; C, Courageous, etc...

By the time you get to Z, if you do that is, you will likely have forgotten that you were ever upset.

4. Flavor as a Saver

This is not to encourage excessive indulgence, but try keeping a hard candy of your choice available to you. When you feel a bad mood approaching, pop the candy in your mouth and focus entirely on the flavor and texture. This works because it gives your mind something pleasurable to focus on, instead of the negative mood. Hard candy works the best because it lasts longer and usually has fewer calories.

Bad moods are inevitable, we all experience them from time to time, but we don't have to be powerless in their grip. Overcoming a bad mood doesn't take as much effort as we've taught ourselves to believe. 90 seconds devoted to feeling better is usually all it takes. You just have to be determined to not let the mood take you over. The next time you start to feel bad; try using one of the above techniques. You may be surprised at how well they actually work.