Becoming Your Own Mood Expert

Do you know that, by using some easy-to-apply tools, you can have a profound positive effect on your mood? If you practice my principles consistently, you won’t believe what a game-changer they are. ALL of us experience moments of highs and lows. They’re a natural part of life. What I’m talking about is learning how not to let our moods get the best of us. It’s about purposefully doing the specific things that lift you up or calm you down: whichever’s needed at the time. And it works for everyone. For people with mood disturbances like depression, and anxiety disorders, medications are rarely enough. What you DO daily has the potential to help you achieve a more balanced mood.

Knowing how to regulate your mood is at the core of what it means to create a life of balance. It’s why I speak so often about building JOY into your life. Because happiness doesn’t happe
TO us; it happens FROM us.

There’s a place for mood medications: anxiety-reducers, anti-depressants, mood-stabilizers, etc. But many people are taking them when they don’t need to or are taking more than they need to, and that frustrates me. I love that medications are there to help people feel more balanced, yet they can also take a toll on your body. If there’s a way to manage anxiety or depressive mood through your actions, I think you want to know about it. And for those for whom it is responsible and makes sense to take drugs prescribed by a physician, there may be things you’re not doing that could help you take fewer medications or lower doses of them.

When it comes to our physical health, most people know that how you feel is affected by what you put into your body. If you had a poor diet, went to the doctor and learned you have diabetes or high cholesterol, you wouldn’t be that surprised, would you? Apply that to your emotional well-being. It’s the same thing with your emotions and moods. Your moods are not “who you are.” They are in large part the results of what you do. If you’re not making lifestyle choices and engaging in behaviors that support a balance in mood, why WOULDN’T you feel…depressed, anxious, lost, overwhelmed, irritable? The good news is that you can do much more to feel better than you realize.

Of course, if you are taking any medication to balance your mood, you’ll want to speak with your doctor before making any changes. You may even want to share my thoughts with them so that they can incorporate them into your treatment plan.

Not only is this a big topic, it’s an important one as well. So to do it justice, I’m giving it a blog to it’s own, so stay tuned next week as we dive deeper into becoming your own Mood Expert. We’re going to be focusing on four key principles:

1.Staying Positive

2.Creating a Treasury of Mood Adjusters

3.Assessing your Lifestyle Choices

4.Practicing Gratitude

Start brainstorming now. What signs do you observe when your mood starts to go a little off-track? What activities bring you joy and happiness? I can’t wait to hear what you come up with!

By Dr. Lee Odescalchi