How do you pull yourself out of a grouchy mood?

Well, I play with my dog or watch his antics outside.

I create a little ritual just for myself: maybe a cup of tea and a holiday treat or a singalong to some Christmas music or a hot bath with candles and music.

I kick a few dogs and throw a few widows and orphans out into the streets… No honestly, I listen to music that will relax me. I find a certain band that I’m fond of and crank it up, or I deliberately pick classical music and keep it low. It depends on what sort of black mood I’m in. I also gravitate towards junk food to make my body sigh and mellow out. Sometimes I just sit in absolute silence and watch my cats groom themselves.

Go out, find a nice café or coffee bar, say “Hi” to complete strangers, park your car further away than necessary, walk briskly, buy yourself one pair of stupid socks and remind yourself of life in Afghanistan (for women, in particular).

If that doesn’t work, tickle Frankie.

A hot bath and a snuggle with Frank may do the trick.

Get outside and walk,Missy! If you lived closer,I would bug you to go with me every day!

@lucillelucillelucille I wish that we did. I love bundling up and going for a brisk walk. We have some pretty tails here.

I had Rudy out last night and my 14 year old puppy and I were playing in the snow. That never gets old. :)

Playing with animals or little kids.

I’ve reduced any holidays-related stress to about 0 by having a very minimalist Christmas.

All I do is exchange Target gift cards with my brother and continue paying for our niece’s cell phone service.

My SO and I don’t exchange gifts.
We’d rather just have fun together rather than be out hassling traffic and crowds alone trying to guess what to get each other.

I’ve had bad moods that have lasted for about an hour since we’ve reduced it a near zero Xmas, but that’s about it.

Take a long hard look within and realize your mood is being influenced by your thoughts most likely, unless you are physically sick or exhausted, in which case your mood may improve with some self care.

Observe your thoughts, what are you telling yourself about this situation or any situation that you find yourself feeling grouchy about.

Our thoughts create our feelings, this is FACT!

Change your thoughts and you change your feelings.

If you are telling yourself how much you hate the holidays, resenting buying great aunt Betty a gift, hate dinner with the family, either get in touch with these thoughts and take action, or choose to not do whatever it is that you are resisting.

@Coloma I am just missing my Mom.

@Jude -Yes! :)

@Jude The first holidays after something like that are a bear. Here’s a hug for you.

Back to what Lucille said, for me, I find that getting out and breathing the cool, crisp air makes me feel alive. Last night, it was pretty. There were a ton of stars out and it wasn’t bitter cold. Just going for a walk down by the waterfront and watching the freigthers drift on by felt wonderful.

I need to do more of that. :)

Thanks, jellies.

@Jude

Aaaah, well, hang in there, this too shall pass. :-)

Just realize that the grouchy mood is just that – a mood. It’ll pass. If it helps to just be grouchy for a little while, just let it happen. Now that you’ve identified the cause behind it (missing your mom – so sorry about that), you can justify it. And I think you can justify it – being without someone who means a lot to you is more than enough to get you down.

Take some time for yourself. Listen to a song or watch a movie that cheers you up. Finding Nemo always does it for me.

Check your friends. Bring over some fried chicken and some drinks and maybe a movie and just kick back, tell them your problems or if you dont want to just relax and have some laughs.

Most recently, I was feeling really blah and low energy because there’s been a lot of clouds and rainy weather. There’s a Windham Hill Celtic Christmas album from 1995 that is super special to me, which I put on and immediately felt better. Blueroses was having a really crummy day that day, too, so I sent her the album, and it cheered her up, too! She said the music was beautiful and transporting.

I can send you the album, if you like.. maybe you need to be transported. :)

When I get home, a hot bath, getting into my jimjams, snuggling with my boys and watching a good movie. For me, when I feel anxiety, I tend to want to get all snuggly warm. It’s comforting. I am feeling anxious right now.

Tomorrow, I go to my girlfriend’s. It’ll be good to hang out with her. Next Weds., we’re driving to the Carolina’s to have Christmas with her family. I am looking forward to it. Honestly, though, I’ll be happy when the holiday season is over.

@MissAnthrope You’re awesome. Send away and thanks!

Making some love is another option….

@EGGIE Perhaps, tomorrow. Ha! :)

tomorrow can wait….go get some now!!

@EGGIE Not interested.

@Jude My s/o’s mother passed a few years ago. We did the whole hospice thing, so it wasn’t a surprise. She sniffled a little at the funeral, nothing much though. Next Mother’s Day, we went outside to let the dogs play for a little. I looked back and she was sitting on the porch steps and the waterworks were going big time. I’d never witnessed that much emotion before, or since. I think it’s natural to feel it a little more on special days. It gets easier with time. That’s the best I’ve got.

@Jude – Okay, it’s sent! Check your spam folder if you don’t get it sometime soon.

Got it. Thanks!

I hope it helps! I think it’s lovely and it’s my favorite Christmas time/winter album. I’m a grinch and don’t much like the stuff I hear from Thanksgiving to 12/25.

This actually made me chuckle. I didn’t know that Frosty was one of the Wisemen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE4B97Tp2dE

Most of the time, I just think about how my moods affect the people I live with and how their moods affect me. My kids walk around like the walking-wounded and it is so hard to watch and realize that it is my fault. So I snap out of it. Coffee often helps! Oftentimes moods follow actions, so I may pretend for a while that I am in a good mood, and then I am. I know it sounds silly, but try it.
Having said all of that, there are times when I am a grump, and I know it, and too bad for everyone else…my evil twin. Fortunately, the latter times are rare…I really like to be joyful!

Imagine how ennobling this is.

Is it wrong that I want to be alone this weekend?

Awwwww.. now I know you’re not feeling yourself. :(

take my dog for a walk in the mountains. That’s only an option for me because of where i live but going for a walk anywhere is fine.

Four things work for me, depending on the color and flavor of the mood:

1. Wallow in it, and even feed it with music that matches my state of mind. Be saturated with it until it exhausts itself.

2. Get completely engrossed in something, some task or project that fully occupies my mind.

3. Put myself somewhere or in some situation in which I positively cannot afford to indulge the mood. This often means doing something to take care of somebody else, but also it may mean performing in some professional capacity, such as meeting with a client.

4. Get myself some quiet time alone, preferably well away from the thousand things. If I can’t go far, even a park bench overlooking a pond or a solitary spot on a grassy hillside will do for this. Sometimes it’s just meditating in the garden, where shrubs block the house from view, or sitting by the front window and watching the rain. The main thing is to let the rushing waters come to stillness and all the sediment settle into clarity.

@Jeruba I like number 4 a lot.

I don’t allow grouchy. If it tries to sneak in, I examine it, see what is causing it, and throw it out. Long ago, I made a pledge to myself to be happy every single day for the rest of my life. Every morning I wake up and ask myself what is the happiest thing I am going to do today, and then I do it.

I work more and tell myself I’m doing something good. Maybe I’ll be able to pay down/off a bill, buy someone a gift, put $ aside for a bigger project. By the time I’m home then I feel I’ve channeled my anger into kind of outwitting myself by making it pay me back for it’s headache and innconvenience.

Smoking weed is most effective.

@tapestryofregret Not if it makes you feel that life isn’t worth living, as you said in another question.

@YARNLADY I felt that way long before I ever started smoking weed. Besides, I said it will make you less grouchy- I think most people who have partaken can testify to that :P

I listen to music and go for a walk or pace around a bit then go see/call some friends. ‘That usually works…of course if nobody answers or you have noone to ring it generally makes it worse….whoops. I dunno just be a little kind to yourself..i think a lot of people secretly or in my case openly find the holidays to be pretty shitty. Dont worry they will be over soon and janruary is a whole new year :)

Also dont worry about all teh overly smug optomists out there its okay to be a little grumpy sometimes we’re only human afterall.

Music, painting, drawing or some form of art….all relax the soul!! Maybe a run/walk down the road outside or at the park.

Sometimes it’s the change in weather and the stress from things revolving aorund the holidays.

You might try excersize, or swimming. Excersize change the chemicals in your body, giving you positive feelings. :)