Mood is an emotional state of mind triggered by an unexpected event. Unlike temperament or personality trait which lasts longer, moods, which can either be positive or negative, are passing in nature. However, their being temporary must not be taken lightly for they can be dangerous killers, if left uncontrolled, of your productivity.
To prevent your negative moods from being endangering your productivity, here are some tips to follow:
• Empty your mind of mental blocks. These are limiting ideas based on your past experiences that prevent you from performing well. Your sour mood can magnify these thoughts. At times like this, you can either or both follow these methods:
1. Box them in. As soon as you become aware of them dominating your time while at work, drop whatever you are doing because it will only aggravate the feeling. Take a few deep breaths and literally box in the limiting thoughts together with your bad moods in the little corner of your brain. Putting them out of your mind and out of the way of whatever you are doing make them harmless.
2. Set up your internal auto-mode. These are the habitual processes or routines in doing certain jobs. When you fall into a bad mood, avoid tasks that require deep concentration. Rather, switch to routine jobs that you can follow regardless of your feeling at the moment. By doing things auto-mechanically, you can still be productive despite the uninspiring mood you are in.
• Turn off all distractions. Letting the people around you aware of the mood you are in will warn them to keep a respectable distance from you. This will avoid misunderstandings and unnecessary altercations with anyone. They may even sympathize with you in what is causing your sour mood. Also, turn off your social media (especially the email) and switch your phone to vibrate mode to help you focus on your work.
• Listen to music. There are subliminal music and sounds available online you can listen to sooth your bad mood away. Music therapy has been used for centuries. It has been proven scientifically that listening to classical music restores energy, improves moods and even helps the body to heal naturally.
• Flex your muscles. Exercise and stretch your muscles to improve your blood circulation. They send oxygen and nutrients to your brain. They also trigger the release of stress-relieving hormone endorphins that promotes that feeling of well-being that results to a productive mind.
• Massage away tension. Together with muscle-flexing, a soothing massage of your muscles loosens them up. This decreases mental and physical anxiety and tension. It helps regain the clarity of your focus and dissipates bad mood.
• Laugh away your bad moods. Humour is the best and cheapest antidote to bad moods. It has been medically and scientifically proven that laughter has myriad of benefits both mentally and physically. Among them are: it adds zest and joy to life, boosts immunity, lowers stress hormones while increasing the release of the “happy hormone” endorphin, eases anxiety and fear, improves mood, relieves stress, etc. While mood is fleeting, laughter and its effects remain with you even after the laughter subsides.
• Keep a positive outlook at all times. When your mind is filled with happy, productive thoughts, bad moods are crowded out of your psyche. Because of the close link between your heart and your mind, it is important that you keep them both in positive and happy modes.
No one is immune from bad moods but you can minimize their killing effect to your productivity if you follow the simple tips discussed.