Does it seem like you are always in a bad mood? Why is it harder to get out of a bad mood than to get into it?

We are emotional beings, and we are also the managers of other beings and their emotions. That is a lot to deal with.

Getting out of a bad mood is an extremely useful tool for you, and very important to teach your children as well.

So here are 10 Easy Ways to Get Out of a Bad Mood. And as usual, I had my husband double-check my work to make sure these things actually work on me. (and him!)

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1. Listen to Someone that Makes You Laugh

Sometimes the best medicine really is laughter. So, why not listen to your favorite comedian, who is sure to make you laugh? Better yet, call that friend of yours who always seems to find a way to help you laugh? By the time you hang up, you’ll probably have forgotten why you were grumpy to begin with.

2. Do the Next Right Thing

Sometimes life gets overwhelming. Everything can go wrong in the span of one minute. This past Sunday, in the span of 2 minutes, I sat on pee that was all over the toilet seat from my potty-trained son, my daughter got into the dogs’ water dish, and then my son poured out all the cereal onto the table. TWO MINUTES. And in that moment, my first two thoughts were: scream or cry. But then I remembered this phrase, “Do the Next Right Thing.” Which was, get the daughter to safety, clean up the water and tell my son to go to his room. And by doing the next right thing, I was able to put my mind to use instead of flipping out. (This is also a good opportunity to call that funny friend.) If you need some ideas of how to fill your day with more positive things, check out my previous blog post 14 Activities To Fill Your Day As A Stay-At-Home-Mom 

3. Listen to an Uplifting Song

This doesn’t have to be Mother Maria singing “Climb Every Mountain.” Put on your favorite dance song and pull out some of those high school moves for 3 minutes. Your kids will probably laugh, which will help you laugh too. My kids love when I put a record on. They know that it’s dancing time, and I love watching them dance.

4. Light a Candle

One scent can trigger an emotional response to your brain. The smell of coffee almost completely rejuvenates me and awakens me. The smell of cookies brings back positive memories of childhood. And certain candle smells bring an automatic feeling of comfort. So, grab a lighter and light that candle in your house when you are grumpy. I guarantee it will trigger a positive response out of you.

5. Go for A Walk

If you’ve read any of my other posts, you may begin to realize that “going for a walk” is one of my answers for everything. It’s an amazing time to clear your head.

6. Eat Something

Do not misunderstand me. I did not say, “Eat the whole carton of ice cream.” Find a healthy snack or at least drink some water. No one likes a HANGRY mama.

7. Stay Away from Social Media

You might think this is a way to escape the “real word.” But chances are you are just going to get frustrated by your lack of messages or notifications. Or worse yet, all of your friends will STILL be posting about politics. Believe me, it’s not going to help your mood.

8. Stay Away from Stress Triggers

What are your triggers? What are some things that really stress you out? Here are some of mine: getting my son to eat his food, researching, running errands and a dirty house.

When I feel myself getting moody, I try to stay away from them. I ask my husband to be in charge of making sure my son eats his food, and I save the errands for tomorrow.

If your kids are your trigger, you can’t always just leave them alone. So, take a moment, put away your to-do list. Pray for strength. And play with them. You won’t regret it. Pretend to be Mrs. Doubtfire if you have to. (7 Ways to Stop Being An Angry Mom)

9. Journal

Make a list of what is annoying you. This gives your brain a moment to calmly process. Then, write a list of the things you are grateful for.

10. Rest

Children aren’t the only ones who get cranky when they’re tired. Set a timer for 10-20 minutes. According to the Huffington Post, anything over that will mess up your day and overdo it. Take a moment to recharge your batteries, gain some perspective, and boost your overall mood. If you need to put on a short show for your kids, do it. Letting them watch a little TV is better than exploding in anger because you didn’t get enough sleep.

How do you get out of a bad mood? As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts.

If you liked the post, check out these other posts: 7 Ways to Stop Being an Angry Mom, 10 Quiet Time Ideas for Moms with Kids, Where Can I Go to Meet Other Moms?