Mood busters

Mama sent me this in an email. But if I could add one thing, piano music. Listening to someone calmly play majestic simple piano music could kick any rotten mood for me. Ps. I LOVE Eckhart tolle. Live in the moment As the old saw goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Living in the moment reduces significantly our exposure to blue moments. “Find the narrow gate that leads to life. It is called the Now,” is a wisdom of Eckhart Tolle, a “living in the moment” guru. “Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have.” When we bring ourselves into the present and truly experience each unique moment of our lives, we have no time for living in the past or future. Living in the past generates guilt, shame and disappointment. Those lost in the future create anxiety and fear by their endless worry. Both past and future are petrie dishes for the blues. Tolle continues, “The greater part of human pain is unnecessary. It is self-created. Worry pretends to be necessary but serves no useful purpose.” Spend your emotional capitol living in the present moment, not in the past which we cannot change, or the future which is not yet real. The blues and blahs will visit far less often. Exercise Exercise is a mood buster. Along with “improved mood, increased ability to handle stress, and improved self esteem, exercise results in increased feelings of energy and the decrease in symptoms of depression.” Even a brief walk at low intensity can improve mood and increase energy. As little as 10 minutes of aerobic exercise can have a positive effect. “For long- term benefits, exercise three times a week for 30 minutes per session at a moderate intensity," says the Association for Applied Sport Pyschology. "Programs longer than 10 weeks work best for reducing symptoms of depression.” Watch your favorite movie Sometimes I think that my son was raised by the high school football classic, “Remember the Titans.” He watched it countless times. One day I asked him why he watched it so often. His answer surprised me. “I just feel better after I watch it.” He had learned a way to regulate his mood. Just the act of taking care of self by allowing the taking of time to watch one’s favorite movie can change mood. Many mothers especially feel endless demands on their time and energy. It can be waring. Taking a moment of enjoyment for self sends a rather clear message, “I deserve this, and I am worth it!” That very true statement, in and of itself, can be a mood buster. Connect Spiritually Connecting spiritually means much more than the Sunday school answers of pray, read the scriptures and go to church. It means contemplating your place in this universe, the wonder of life itself and the connection we all have as we walk this path. No matter what our sense of God or religion is, connecting to the powers that guide our universe can bring comfort, peace and serenity into our lives. Take others with you One of the 12 steps of the self-help movement challenges those working the steps to “share this message with others and practice these principles in all you do,” this is also an appropriate guide for accomplished “mood busters.” One of our human quirks is that we are often chameleons when it comes to mood. We tend to take on the mood of those around us, or at least be affected by them. By avoiding down moods and being healthy in our approach to life, we can effectively raise the mood of those in our sphere of influence. Tuning forks pick up the vibrations of any other tuning fork and cannot avoid joining in. Being healthy and managing the elements that can create “bad” moods can be just as contagious among friends and associates. Eyore from "Winnie the Pooh" is known to be a mood killer for those he comes in contact with. Individuals that learn good mood management techniques are not. They serve as healthy emotional tuning forks whose "good vibrations" are shared by all that come in contact with them.