Happiness is not something you are born with. It’s a lifelong journey
that requires constant work.
Everyone has low days.
Everyone. But we all differ in how frequent our low days are and how severe our
low mood is. Something that I have come to realize over the years of working as
a therapist is how much people struggle with low mood and never tell anyone.
There is this idea that «happy» is a personality type, you either have it or
you don’t. People struggle with comparing themselves to those who seem to have
it all figured out, which causes them to feel even worse. In reality, happiness
is not something you are born with. It’s a lifelong journey that requires
constant work until your last day on earth. Life is full of ups and downs, and
there are many events, situations, or people that can temporarily send you into
a sad or low mood. And these moods can last for days or weeks, making your life
feel gloomy. Low mood has the ability to affect your daily activities and stop
you from living life to the fullest. A low mood normally becomes problematic
when it is frequent, persistent and begins to seriously affect work and your
relationships. It is normal to feel a bit down and low from time to time and
this is usually a response to the challenges that life throws at you. There are
many things which can set off a low mood. These can range from a bad day at
work to crowded public transport. There are of course more serious factors like
health, money and relationship problems which can all play a significant part
in how happy, or not, you are feeling. If you are dealing with low mood these 3
coping strategies may be of help: 1) Think About What Went Well – Reflect on
three things that are going well or three positive moments in your day, and
even replay them in your mind. 2) Keeping Active – Another significant coping
strategy for many people is keeping active through exercise and sport. Get out
of the house, go for walks, and enjoy some fresh air. 3) Allow Yourself To Vent
– There are some advantages to venting about a problem to a friend and helping
with your mood is one of them. Venting helps restore your equilibrium. So while
you don’t want to be the person at home or work who is always focusing on the
negative, there is definitely a time and a place – not to mention a therapeutic
reason – to vent when needed. There’s no reason a bad mood should ruin your day
– or even a portion of your day. Often times when we’re down about something at
work or a minor conflict, a quick boost is definitely within your grasp; you
just need a conscious desire to feel better and a willingness to take a few
mindful steps towards it. And if you’re finding that your bad or low moods are
lasting longer than they should, or as if you can’t seem to shake them, never
be afraid to reach out to a professional. You can visit
www.centeronetherapy.com for information on how to get help in your area.
Avi Benmordechai
