One minute you’re stopping to smell the roses. The next, you’re cursing the day someone was born after they cut you off on the road. How can your mood shift so quickly? Have you thought about the reasons behind the shifts in your mood throughout the day or from one day to the next?
Our feelings are complex and prone to be influenced by many factors. To cultivate your emotional well-being and
lead a more meaningful life, you’ve got to pinpoint what affects your mood. Let’s discover the seven factors that dictate your mood!
1. Surroundings
Your surroundings greatly influence your mood, believe it or not. Things like your messy room, congested subway car, and even cluttered work desk can lead to emotions of stress and overwhelm. To contrast, clean space can offer the tranquillity you need to turn that frown into a smile.
Plus, a tidy room will give you a feeling of serenity and relaxation since you won’t be hunting for things in your chaotic space. A clean area with a mirage of plants is a great way to tackle stress and lift your spirit.
2. Social interactions
We’re human, and that means topping our list is socializing. How we connect with others can significantly impact our state of mind. Imagine constantly interacting with people that instead of feeling invigorated after a conversation, you feel drained.
Positive and meaningful social connections are on the totem of happiness and well-being. While unhealthy or toxic partnerships can drain our energy and ignite bad feelings. You can quickly and simply impact your mood by creating a barrier of positive and encouraging people.
3. Sleep
Your mental and physical health are intertwined, so catching some Z’s is essential to keeping up with your health. Your mood can change a lot if you don’t get enough sleep. It makes you irritable and angry and may make you less able to handle stress.
People who didn’t get enough sleep were also less likely than those who got enough sleep to exercise, eat well, have sex, and do fun things because they were tired.
If you sleep a lot, you are more likely to get depressed. Sleep experts sometimes still can’t determine which one came first in their patients because lack of sleep and depression are closely linked.
Start by improving your sleep hygiene by avoiding screens before bed and creating a relaxing bedtime routine to be well on your way to a good mood the next day. You’ll surely notice a boost in your energy and mood after it becomes a habit.
By getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and moving, you can boost your energy levels, increase your mood, and lower the risk of mood disorders by prioritizing a healthy lifestyle.
4. Stress levels
Being stressed out harms your mental and physical well-being, and prolonged periods can significantly affect your mood and health. The presence of high levels of stress hormones in the body has been linked to feelings of anxiety, irritation, and depression.
Everyone has a different stress level or how much they can handle. For example, people with very stressful jobs, like doctors in emergency rooms, have a higher stress threshold because they have to. On the other hand, they are often more likely to burn out.
If you feel like you’re feeling stressed. Take a second to think about your life. Do you have too much on your plate? You might need to reorganize your life and put things in order of importance, so you don’t try to do everything simultaneously.
Remember, stress or distress is normal but affects your mood and energy levels. The good news is that there are ways to avoid and deal with stress, so it doesn’t get too much. To combat this, find healthy ways to cope with stress, such as engaging in mindfulness practices, relaxation techniques, or hobbies and activities.
By taking a second to spend time on yourself, you can backtrack on the feelings of stress and improve your overall mood. Keep in mind, don’t be too hard on yourself. Try to see things as they really are. Everyone has bad days, after all.
5. Thought patterns
Have you heard the expression, “It’s all in your head.” Well, it’s totally accurate. The mind is potent and dictates our mood and feelings. For instance, if you’re feeling low and have feelings of melancholy, it can be because of negative thought patterns like frequent self-criticism or pessimism. Negative thoughts can have a domino effect, leading to even more negative thoughts.
We can slowly teach ourselves how to think using simple methods over time. A straightforward way is to write down why you have bad thought patterns. Writing things down instead of just thinking about them helps get them out of your head, and when you can see the words on paper or a screen, it’s easier to figure out what they mean and move on.
You can easily alter your mood toward a more optimistic outlook by developing a positive mentality, practicing self-compassion, and challenging negative beliefs for a better feeling overall.
6. Media consumption
Both the types of media and the types of information that we expose ourselves to can affect our mood. A consistent diet of depressing information, such as that found in the news or on social media, can lead to emotions of worry, dissatisfaction, and melancholy.
First, you need to analyse whether the media you’re consuming is making you better or worse? People who use their phones often and get a lot of messages could be less productive at work and less happy. Research shows that limiting social media use to about 30 minutes daily could greatly affect your happiness.
It is possible to protect your mental and emotional health by being conscious of the content you take in and by giving yourself regular pauses from media consumption.
7. Personal experiences & significant life events
Notable life events, such as shifts in work or relationship status or the experience of bereavement, can substantially impact one’s mood.
Events like small fights and differences that keep happening or bigger family problems like an affair, illness, or death are likely to change how you think, feel, and act. This can have an effect on how stressed you feel as a result.
During times like these, it is essential to recognize and work through the feelings you are experiencing and, if necessary, to get support from those you care about or from trained professionals.
