Here’s how to master your mood everyday.
Your “mood” is a way to describe your day-to-day emotions. Those can go up and down pretty easily. We’ve all fallen victim to a mood swing, right?
Therapist and clinical social worker Nichole Conrad wants to help master your mood. From the good to the bad to the neutral, she believes we shouldn’t allow our circumstances to call the shots.
Understanding Mood
When asked to describe the concept of mood, Nicole said, “Mood is pretty synonymous with our emotions or what we’re experiencing in the present moment. It’s such a natural reaction and part of our experience of being human.”
She pointed out that labeling emotions as good or bad can be problematic because it creates judgment around what we’re feeling. “The language we use around emotion can actually make it better or worse,” she added.
Let Go of Self-Judgment
According to Nichole, mastering your mood involves several steps. The first step is letting go of negative self-judgment.
“An emotion is just part of our day-to-day experience. It’s normal. There are reasons we feel the way that we do. And so, if you can let go of that criticism…it actually makes it easier to move through the emotion,” she explained.
Emotions as Information
Nicole emphasized the importance of recognizing that all emotions are information. “It’s moving away from giving a negative meaning or a judgment towards what we’re feeling. It’s just saying, okay, I might be feeling jealous in this moment. What does that tell me? What you do with the emotion is important, but at the end of the day, the emotion itself is not wrong,” she said.
Suppression vs. Control
Nichole clarified that suppression is not the same thing as control. “Just because you’ve suppressed or pushed away an emotion doesn’t mean you’ve dealt with it. It means you’ve just swept it under the rug. And… buried feelings never die,” Nichole continued, “You might think, okay, I just kind of ignored it. I pushed it away. But typically, those things will grow over time. And then you’re dealing with a much bigger emotion because it’s grown,” she explained.
Focusing on What’s in Your Control
Nicole advises focusing on what’s in your control.
“Focus on your own thoughts, feelings, and emotions. And when you focus on that, it actually helps you feel more in control. It helps you feel more empowered,” she said.
Identifying the Unmet Need
The last step in mastering your mood, according to Nichole, is identifying the unmet need.
“If I’m feeling lonely, this is telling me that I might need some connection right now,” she illustrated.
You can find more from Nichole at Resilient Life Counseling in Farmington, where she is currently conducting a motherhood workshop series. Visit their website at resilientlifecounseling.com to join her.
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