Being happy and upbeat 24/7 is a totally unrealistic requirement, yet one we are marred with. Nevertheless, feeling down very frequently could also be a symptom of depression or even anxiety. In reality, our moods go through ups and downs, but, the low points are usually influenced by factors that we would never even dream of suspecting.
8 Elements that negatively impact your mood
You could be in for a surprise...
1) The weather
If you're anything like me, you'll struggle to leave the comfort of your bed whenever you hear raindrops thrashing against your windows. Yet, when the sun is shining, and you are woken by its gentle morning rays, it's a whole different story! When the weather is good, we simply feel better within ourselves and find it much easier to adopt a positive mood, and even to step out of our comfort zone. Whereas, when the temperatures wouldn't look out of place for the Arctic, we can barely be bothered to move from the kitchen to the couch.
2) The media you follow
At the height of the Coronavirus pandemic, many of us noticed that our mental health was negatively impacted by the constant anxiety-raising subjects that 24-hour news channels bombarded us with. Being constantly exposed to gloomy death figures and other sad events can definitely wear us down and sap our quality of life. It is certainly important to remain informed in this day and age, but that's not to say that the media we consume should have side effects on us. Plus, it's primordial to know when enough is enough for you and to therefore switch off.
3) Social networking sites
Time often seems to stop still when we scroll through Instagram and various other social media sites, and although this seems pretty inoffensive, the content we see often plunges us into a bad mood. By flicking through stories and looking at posts, we subconsciously compare our bodies to those of the models we see and even start to feel bad about not looking like the filters we use. These platforms typically plunge us into a spiral of negative self-esteem and reinforce within us the idea that we simply aren't good enough.
>>> Read; Why are Instagram filters dangerous for our self-confidence?
4) Your diet
Let's face it, everyone likes to binge out on a good burger and fries every once in a while, however, certain foods really make us feel bad about ourselves. Instead of opting for complex carbohydrates the next time you're looking for a snack, why not go for something a little richer in fiber? Your body will definitely thank you afterward.
5) Your sleep quality
Your parents no doubt drilled into you the necessity of 8 hours of sleep per night, yet, that's not to say you ever follow their advice. However, it is in fact scientifically proven that a poor sleep pattern can plummet your mood and make you feel terrible. When you are sleep-deprived, you simply don't want to do anything other than feel sorry for yourself, plus, not getting enough beauty sleep makes many of us extremely irritable too...
6) How busy you've been
Stress and anxiety are two of the 21st century's biggest enemies. Nowadays, we never really seem to have the time to relax. What with our bosses expecting us to be at their beck and call 24/7 and various other societal pressures, we barely ever get time to wind down and blow off steam. Sitting around and doing nothing is a simple pleasure, but it is a necessary one.
>>> Find out what anxiety can do to your body
7) How much you feel loved
Naturally, when we feel loved and cared for, we feel good about ourselves. However, at times, even the slightest of hiccups can put us on edge and make us doubt things; whether that be an argument with our partner or even a disagreement with a family member. Feeling unsure of other people's feelings towards us is certainly a surefire way to throw us into a terrible mood.
8) Lack of exercise
Now, I'm not saying that running a marathon a day is the solution to happiness, however, light daily movement, such as a short walk, or a yoga session, has what it takes to get us smiling and feeling positive about life.
How do I know my mood?
Identifying your mood is an essential step in taking care of your mental and emotional health. To do this, it's helpful to ask yourself a few simple questions throughout the day. Take a moment to think about how you feel inside and to name your emotions: are you happy, anxious, sad, angry, calm, or excited? Try to put your emotions into words. Then look for physical signals: muscle tension, rapid breathing, or a feeling of well-being? When you can name and identify your emotions, you can better understand what triggers them and how they influence your actions and reactions. It also enables you to look for ways to manage your emotions in a healthy and constructive way, whether through meditation, exercise, communication, or other stress management techniques.
Editor's opinion - Toxic positivity isn't the solution, either...Feeling down is normal, but because expressing negative feelings is pretty much taboo, lots of us pretend to be happy, when on the inside we feel awful. Feeling judged for feeling down is fairly common in our society, and this added pressure often pushes us towards toxic positivity and therefore leads us to bury our feelings and place a band-aid upon them. Whatever you feel; positive or negative, you should be able to express your emotions in a safe environment.
🤗 Understand yourself, accept yourself, be happy... Let’s do it here and now!
#BornToBeMe
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