7 Steps to Avoid being at the Mercy of Your Moods

If you are at the mercy of your low moods you will miss out on many of lifes opportunities.  Low mood can put you off visiting a friend or attending a party.  It could result in poor performance at work or during an interview.  Occasionally we can make the mistake of doing what our mood dictates without too much damage.  Permitting daily activities to be dictated by poor mood will eventually restrict work, life and love opportunities.  The build up can be slow, therefore
un-noticed, until becoming a real problem.

Being in control of your subconscious mind is a daily and ongoing process of defense against low self esteem.  You can nurture some good habits in this battle as follows:

• COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS – It is surprising how uplifting this process can be.  Consider starting your day by acknowledging some of the great things in your life.  Offer a little thanks for those wonderful people or things and for the prospective joy.
• POSITIVE THOUGHTS – Being aware of your thoughts is the first step.  The aim is to halt all negative thoughts aimed at yourself and replace them with a positive slant.  You are dealing directly with your subconscious mind which can not distinguish between fact and fiction.  You are simply helping it to move in the right direction.
• REJECT RUMINATION – The process of going over old ground in your head can help to sustain the dark cloud.  Give the issue due consideration, make a decision and move on.  Disengage from this process and take control of your feelings and the emotions that emerge.
• WORRY – Similar to ruminating we can get specific and begin the process of anticipating unhappy events. Possibly only 2% of the things we worry about actually happen, which would indicate a lot of wasted time and a good deal of unhappiness.  Consider possible pitfalls by all means and then devise an action plan to avoid or reduce the impact.
• LANGUAGE – Part of the thought cycle this area can be addressed with the use of positive language.  Replace ‘I can’t, might, try’ with ‘I can, will and do’.
• AFFIRMATIONS - Positive affirmations in any area you feel exposed can be powerful aids in you battle of control.  Use as a daily mantra or when uncertainty strikes.
• FOCUSED ACTIVITY – There’s no denying that an active life can restrict some of the unhelpful mind chatter.  It is important that you are ‘present’ in all that you do, mentally and physically.  Being focused will give you better results all round and offer feelings of accomplishment.

These steps will take you closer to great self esteem and help you move on with confidence and determination. Believing in your self is possible when all the clutter is cleared.  The more often you stop and change the unhelpful action the stronger your resolve will be in the future.

Optimise your potential for a great life.  Out with the old inhibiting behaviour and replace with a positive mental attitude.