# Is bad mood part of your life? Don't let it stop you from being happy > Why are there periods when bad mood becomes part of our daily life? Has it ever happened to you that you suddenly get into a bad mood and you don't understand... - **Author:** mireia-navarro-vera · **Category:** Adultos - **Published:** 2017-12-14 · **Updated:** 2018-03-02 - **URL:** https://elteuespai.com/en/bad-mood-part-of-life-dont-let-it-stop-you-being-happy/ - _Translation pending clinical review._ --- Why are there periods when bad mood becomes part of our daily life? Has it ever happened to you that you suddenly get into a bad mood and you don't understand why? Are we aware of how often we get into a bad mood and how long it lasts? Mood changes can be a source of distress that affect all aspects of our life, they make arguments more likely to appear, we are more distracted, and of course, they are something unpleasant. ## What are the reasons why we get into a bad mood? - **When we get frustrated because we don't achieve what we want:** if we have low tolerance for frustration, since we are one of those people who want everything immediately or we are not used to facing negative consequences, the slightest frustration puts us in a very bad mood. Moreover, many times we are aware of what we want to achieve, and we know how and why we don't get it, but other times, our bad mood does not seem to have a justified reason. In the past we were aware of something we wanted, but after a while it became something unconscious, which appears without premeditation. - **Irritation or even unexpressed anger**, caused by stress, social relationships, unmet expectations… - **Pessimism:** many times our thinking is very negative, **we tend to see the negative side of things** and therefore to get into a bad mood. Above all, we tend to have a more cynical and pessimistic way of thinking when we suffer from stress. Our behavior turns into tantrums since we interpret everything in a negative way. - **Excess of self-centeredness: **those people who live focused on themselves and who do not accept opinions or points of view different from their own, are irremediably condemned to a continuous bad mood. They find it very hard to be altruistic and to give in to others, and therefore **the inner self is always at odds with the world around it.** - **![angry man](/images/blog/2017/12/humo-orejas-300x200.webp)Habit:** people who are normally in a bad mood usually have no real reasons to spend so much time living with that irritation; if we pay attention to what happens to them, everything bothers them. They are bothered both by being alone and by being accompanied, they complain about their problems constantly, but they do nothing to solve them nor do they accept help from others, they present themselves to others as intolerant and dissatisfied people who spend all day complaining about something. **This way of living and seeing the world has become a habit that does not allow them to be happy.** - **Lack of sleep:** not sleeping enough has an important influence on how we think and how we feel, since our brain does not have time to fully recover, and that makes it have to face the day-to-day tasks with limited resources. **The result, then, is that we tend to think worse and we have difficulty managing our attention well**. In addition, this makes us frustrated and makes us feel bad, which makes it easier for us to get into a bad mood quickly. ## What can you do? - The first step we have to take in order to manage it is **to recognize whether we get into a bad mood frequently**, to stop and think about all those situations that upset us and why. Many of us do not realize it, until some person makes a comment about it, but it is important to observe ourselves more and to correct ourselves. - If we detect that the **bad mood is due to stress**, it is very important to give ourselves enough time to do things and thus avoid unnecessary stress. - On the other hand, **when we try to achieve a goal and we don't succeed**, it is important to analyze the situation carefully and learn from what happened. We have to see it as an opportunity to learn and to be able to improve, since it is not possible to succeed at everything we set out to do. Equally important is not to compare your achievements or failures with those of others. - When we are in a bad mood, it works **to recall some pleasant or funny anecdote.** It will be impossible to be angry while laughing as you remember that moment. - **![relaxed girl lying on the grass](/images/blog/2017/12/chica-en-cesped-300x200.webp)It is important, when we feel irritated, to take a few minutes to relax.** Close your eyes, keep your back straight and try to take several slow, deep breaths. Imagine that each time your body fills with air, it fills with well-being, and each time you breathe out, you expel all your bad mood. - When** we are in a bad mood because some person has done something we didn't like**, the best thing we can do is to talk it over with them. It is of no use to us to get angry and irritated, since that is not going to solve things in the long run. It is important to do it at the right moment, place and manner. ## Does bad mood have any positive effect? Of course, if we manage bad mood properly so that it lasts as little as possible, it will always provide us with acceptable benefits. According to **Tal Ben Shahar**, professor at Harvard University, **bad mood acts as a kind of valve with which we relieve the pressure to which we are sometimes subjected.** If I block myself and remain permanently wrapped in a bad mood, I will never manage to move forward or take on problems. But if I get angry, take on my rage, my bad mood, and then seek some relief and clear my ideas, I will surely end up managing that situation correctly.