One of the best ways to brighten your mood is to use meaningful activity.
The last thing to do, when you’re not in a good mood, is do nothing.
It’s easy to fall into a trap of analysis paralysis or wallow in misery. I think the most powerful way to quickly change your state or mood is to do something physical.
Doing something changes what your body is doing. And that’s a good way to change what your mind is thinking and how you’re feeling.
In the book, Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy, David Burns teaches us that taking action is the way to break a negative mood.
Use Meaningful Activity to Brighten Your Mood
When you’re not in the mood, do something. You can change what you’re doing to change your mood. It sounds simple, and that’s the idea.
Via Feeling Good:
“Do you know why virtually any meaningful activity has a decent chance of brightening your mood?
If you do nothing, you will become preoccupied with the flood of negative, destructive thoughts.
If you do something, you will be temporarily distracted from that internal dialogue of self denigration.
What is even more important, the sense of mastery you will experience will disprove many of the distorted thoughts that slowed you down in the first place.”
Key Take Aways
Here are my key take aways:
- Don’t do nothing. Do something. When you’re in a negative mood, don’t do nothing, do something.
- Activity is one of the best ways to brighten your mood. Doing something is better than doing nothing.
Enjoy the Process