What does our mood depend on? Simple tips for a good mood.

Human mood is an unpredictable thing. Sometimes it can deteriorate for no apparent reason (fortunately, the opposite phenomenon - causeless high spirits - is also not uncommon). Why does this happen? What does a person’s mood depend on?

So, moods are more stable and last longer than feelings and emotions, but less intense. Since moods are not directed towards any specific object, it is often very difficult to understand the cause of a particular mood. However, there is always a reason.

A person’s mood can be influenced not only by mental, but also by physiological reasons: in all emotional processes, in addition to the mental component, there is also a physiological component. Hormones that are released in response to certain situations are “to blame” for everything.

For example, in stressful situations, adrenaline begins to be produced, which has a stimulating effect on the body. As a result, the body mobilizes to eliminate the threat (the so-called “fight or flight” response: adrenaline forces us to either attack the source of the threat or flee from it).

Perhaps the most striking example of the relationship between physiological factors and mood is the notorious premenstrual syndrome (PMS). One of the reasons for the development of this syndrome is a change in hormonal levels during the period between ovulation and menstruation. The body can react to this with irritability, tearfulness, and aggressiveness.

Fortunately, the relationship between hormones and mood can work for us: if our mood changes depending on our hormone levels, we can influence our hormone levels and lift our mood. It’s not for nothing that chocolate is considered a cure for depression: the substances it contains stimulate the production of endorphins, which are called “hormones of happiness.” Also, substances that can improve mood are found in nuts, brightly colored fruits and vegetables, cheese, eggs, fatty fish and a number of other foods.

However, you should not think that our mood is influenced solely by physiological factors. Much depends on the individual characteristics of the human psyche (however, it is worth remembering that it is impossible to completely separate the psyche from physiology; they do not exist separately from each other, but are closely interrelated). Let's say that for some, gloomy and rainy weather is a reason for annual autumn depression, while for others, weather fluctuations do not cause mood swings.

We have already said above that mood is an expression of our attitude towards the life situation as a whole. And our attitude to certain life situations is determined by our mental “baggage”: characteristics of temperament and character, basic values and attitudes, self-esteem and personality type (extrovert/introvert/ambivert). For example, if a person is sensitive to criticism addressed to him, even a remark expressed in a mild form can spoil his mood.

By the way, people with different types of temperament change their mood at different speeds. This depends on such properties of the nervous system as strength, balance and mobility of the processes of excitation and inhibition. A choleric person, for example, is an unbalanced type of temperament; a choleric person’s mood changes abruptly and is difficult to control. And phlegmatic people have a mostly even mood.

What conclusion can be drawn from all of the above? Human mood depends on a lot of reasons, many of which we are not aware of, and some of them are physiological in nature. You can influence your mood by trying to change your attitude towards the situation. In addition, one of the keys to a good mood is good physical well-being, which can be achieved through proper nutrition, good sleep, fresh air and physical activity.

What does a person’s mood depend on?

First of all, from his latest impressions and thoughts flowing at the moment. In all of this there is a part that is completely measurable and understandable, and a subconscious part, barely discernible and not immediately realized. Each of them can only be understood and analyzed in detail through close observation.

It happens that a person has just woken up, and, it would seem, no events have happened yet that could affect his mood, but it is already spoiled - there is no joy, thoughts are heavy, mostly pessimistic... About such a case they say “I didn’t get up.” off the wrong foot” or “in no mood in the morning.” Three different reasons can create this situation:
A difficult, unpleasant dream (dream), which was forgotten by the morning (or remains in the memory)
Negative thoughts before bed that make you feel scared or sad
The first thought in the morning was directed toward the negative (for example, after waking up, thinking: “Back to this tedious job! How sick of everything I am!”

How to remove these morning impressions and start the day in a good mood?

Remember the dream and say to yourself: “This is all a lie, how wonderful it is that this is just a dream and there is nothing like this in life!”
If you don’t remember the dream, ask yourself the question: “What happened? What is the reason for a bad mood? - if the answer doesn’t immediately come to mind, then the real reason doesn’t exist, so you don’t need to think for more than one second, otherwise your imagination will pull some problems out of your memory and pass them off as worries early in the morning)
The thought with which you need to fall asleep: “The morning is wiser than the evening, tomorrow I will look for a solution to this problem with a fresh mind, but not now, it’s too late” or some other similar thought. There is no need to try to change the world for the better right now, before going to bed.
Shift your focus when you wake up to something pleasant. For example, “what delicious coffee I’m about to brew for myself” or “aromatic tea with delicious toast awaits me, a great start to the day.” You can go step by step: Right now I’ll stretch out funny, then I’ll get up and put on a robe... and with each new step, mentally pronounce the next one, focusing on the positive:
good weather (if not, then the solution is “I’ll take an umbrella”, “I’ll dress warmly”, “I’m not afraid of the wind”...)
a beautiful sunrise (or a funny cloud, thick fog like a blanket, what a bird on a branch, a girl outside the window wearing a hat of my favorite color...)
tasty breakfast
soft towel
I'll wear a nice blouse
you can stroke something nice (it’s very convenient to have a cat, he comes in the morning on his own, hinting at a reason to have breakfast :-)) and just smile.

What processes in the subconscious affect mood?

Sometimes a negative thought or event is forgotten, but the impression that it made remains and, as it were, goes in the background to all further incidents. Positive thoughts act in a similar way, so it is very good to fill your mind more often with pleasant, beautiful, joyful impressions. This can be done in different ways, for example, like this and like this. Being filled with wonderful impressions, our subconscious will create an excellent basis for a good mood and soften any unpleasant event, brighten up the news, and help keep us from getting upset and irritated. There is something beautiful in every day, even the most “ordinary” one. Moreover, there are a lot of joys in every day - you just need to develop the skill of noticing them.

Another reason for the subconscious process influencing our mood is our own actions and the subsequent response of conscience. Having done something good, we can get inspiration and warmth in our souls even without good news or pleasant changes. Having committed an offense and experiencing a feeling of guilt, our subconscious can be filled with heaviness and coldness. And then we feel very uncomfortable in our souls, even if everything around us is wonderful.

We cannot influence all the events that happen to us and around us, but we can easily learn to control our mood. Experience shows that this is what makes us happier and more successful at times. This includes independence, ease of character, a healthy habit and resistance to stress. In addition, this is an excellent personal example for our children.

Can all processes in thoughts and subconscious be controlled?

For the most part, thinking processes are completely controllable. It’s just impossible to completely turn off the emergence of new thoughts - sometimes they come to mind by themselves. We have the power to go through all these “suggestions” - to think about some, to take them into service, and to drive others away from ourselves, not allowing our minds to give them even the slightest thought. For example, if you know your tendency to be suspicious and overthink, a thought starting with “what if...” can play a cruel joke on you and it is better to simply not give it any chance to continue.

Where do so many negative thoughts come from?

A modern person has a lot of opportunities to become negative. This includes bad news reported by the media, and gloomy movies with tragic events and the suffering of the main characters, and the long-standing habit of seeing something bad everywhere, and pessimism, pointing to past failures, and communication with “difficult people” under whose influence a person falls , not knowing how to resist.

To prevent this from happening to you, I advise you to do three things at once:

Remove as many reasons as possible for the development of negative thoughts.
Learn to separate yourself from other people and upsetting events
Fill the mind and subconscious with joys and beauty, then negativity simply will not have a place to settle

For the first time in the history of the development of medical science, it was found out that there is an intestinal microflora that can influence a person’s mood and behavior. This is possible due to the interaction of bacteria with the responsible brain areas. Such a discovery is a sensation of American professors concerning the healthy part of the world's population. The news was published in Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Behavioral Medicine.

Previously, researchers only assumed that the microbiocenosis of the mammalian intestine is the most important factor for the emotional sphere and physical health. A few experiments on laboratory animals helped doctors confirm their guesses. In addition, bacteria also influenced the behavioral characteristics of animals. Unfortunately, at that time, not a single experiment could be carried out on humans.

American Kirsten Tillish from Los Angeles (specialist in the Department of Digestive Diseases - Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, professor) took up this issue closely. She conducted an experiment involving 40 practically healthy women. Kirsten analyzed the intestinal microorganisms of the entire group, and then checked all the brain structures in the MRI images. The second study was carried out while women observed photographs that caused pronounced emotional lability.

The result was two groups of subjects:

33 women were distinguished by the predominance of so-called bacteroids in their intestines.
7 women had mostly prevotella.

According to the MRI results, in the first group, attention was drawn to the pronounced thickness of the gray matter in the area of the frontal lobes, hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus (the area responsible for memory). The second group did not differ in the volume of the gray matter of the hippocampus. However, the interconnections of their sensory, visual and emotional areas turned out to be richer. Women with a predominance of prevotella in their microflora were more likely to express negative emotions (anxiety, irritability and excitement). This manifested itself while looking at photographs with corresponding images of people, landscapes, houses, and household items.

The results of Professor Tillish’s experimental work allowed us to think that our microflora is capable of influencing the brain activity of a healthy population. It is possible that the nervous system can also mutually influence intestinal bacteria. This study is a prospect for further work on studying the emotional sphere of a person.

Previously, scientists only said that the bacterial flora of the intestine affects appetite, body weight, the immune system, appearance and taste functions of the oral cavity. But it turns out that not all the secrets of our body have yet been fully revealed. For more reliable conclusions, more than one study should be conducted, and on a larger scale.

In scientific terms, mood means a fairly long-lasting emotional process of low intensity, which forms the emotional background for ongoing mental processes. Mood should be distinguished from emotions and feelings. Emotions are shorter in duration than moods and are also more intense. Feelings are directed towards a specific object (event, person, etc.), and moods arise in relation to the life situation as a whole. So, moods are more stable and last longer than feelings and emotions, but less intense. Since moods are not directed towards any specific object, it is often very difficult to understand the cause of a particular mood. However, there is always a reason. A person’s mood can be influenced not only by mental, but also by physiological reasons: in all emotional processes, in addition to the mental component, there is also a physiological component. Hormones that are released in response to certain situations are “to blame” for everything. For example, in stressful situations, adrenaline begins to be produced, which has a stimulating effect on the body. As a result, the body mobilizes to eliminate the threat (the so-called “fight or flight” response: adrenaline forces us to either attack the source of the threat or flee from it). Perhaps the most striking example of the relationship between physiological factors and mood is the notorious premenstrual syndrome (PMS). One of the reasons for the development of this syndrome is a change in hormonal levels during the period between ovulation and menstruation. The body can react to this with irritability, tearfulness, and aggressiveness. Fortunately, the relationship between hormones and mood can work for us: if our mood changes depending on our hormone levels, we can influence our hormone levels and lift our mood. It’s not for nothing that chocolate is considered a cure for depression: the substances it contains stimulate the production of endorphins, which are called “hormones of happiness.” Also, substances that can improve mood are found in nuts, brightly colored fruits and vegetables, cheese, eggs, fatty fish and a number of other foods. However, you should not think that our mood is influenced solely by physiological factors. Much depends on the individual characteristics of the human psyche (however, it is worth remembering that it is impossible to completely separate the psyche from physiology; they do not exist separately from each other, but are closely interrelated). Let's say that for some, gloomy and rainy weather is a reason for annual autumn depression, while for others, weather fluctuations do not cause mood swings. We have already said above that mood is an expression of our attitude towards the life situation as a whole. And our attitude to certain life situations is determined by our mental “baggage”: characteristics of temperament and character, basic values and attitudes, self-esteem and personality type (extrovert/introvert/ambivert). For example, if a person is sensitive to criticism addressed to him, even a remark expressed in a mild form can spoil his mood. By the way, people with different types of temperament change their mood at different speeds. This depends on such properties of the nervous system as strength, balance and mobility of the processes of excitation and inhibition. A choleric person, for example, is an unbalanced type of temperament; a choleric person’s mood changes abruptly and is difficult to control. And phlegmatic people have a mostly even mood. What conclusion can be drawn from all of the above? Human mood depends on a lot of reasons, many of which we are not aware of, and some of them are physiological in nature. You can influence your mood by trying to change your attitude towards the situation. In addition, one of the keys to a good mood is good physical well-being, which can be achieved through proper nutrition, good sleep, fresh air and physical activity. What does a person’s mood depend on? First of all, from his latest impressions and thoughts flowing at the moment. In all of this there is a part that is completely measurable and understandable, and a subconscious part, barely discernible and not immediately realized. Each of them can only be understood and analyzed in detail through close observation. It happens that a person has just woken up, and, it would seem, no events have happened yet that could affect his mood, but it is already spoiled - there is no joy, thoughts are heavy, mostly pessimistic... About such a case they say “I didn’t get up.” off the wrong foot” or “in no mood in the morning.” Three different reasons can create such a situation: A difficult, unpleasant dream (dream), which is forgotten by the morning (or remains in the memory) Negative thoughts before bed, which make you scared or sad at heart The first thought in the morning was directed towards the negative (for example, after waking up to think: "Again to this tedious work! How sick of everything I am!" How to remove these morning impressions and start the day in a good mood? Remember the dream and say to yourself: “This is all a lie, how wonderful it is that this is just a dream and there is nothing like this in life!” If you don’t remember the dream, ask yourself the question: “What happened? What is the reason for a bad mood? - if the answer doesn’t immediately come to mind, then the real reason doesn’t exist, so you don’t need to think for more than one second, otherwise your imagination will pull some problems out of your memory and pass them off as worries early in the morning) Thought with which you need to fall asleep: “Morning the evening is wiser, tomorrow I will look for a solution to this problem with a fresh mind, but not now, it’s too late” or some other similar thought. There is no need to try to change the world for the better right now, before going to bed. Shift your focus when you wake up to something pleasant. For example, “what delicious coffee I’m about to brew for myself” or “aromatic tea with delicious toast awaits me, a great start to the day.” You can go step by step: Right now I’ll stretch out funny, then I’ll get up and put on a robe... and with each new step, mentally pronounce the next one, emphasizing the positive: good weather (if not, then the solution is “and I’ll take an umbrella”, “and I’ll I’ll dress warmly,” “but I’m not afraid of the wind”...) a beautiful sunrise (or a funny cloud, thick fog, like a blanket, what kind of bird is on a branch, a girl outside the window in a hat of my favorite color...) a delicious breakfast, a soft towel, I can put on a beautiful blouse pet something nice (it’s very convenient to have a cat, he comes in the morning on his own, hinting at a reason to have breakfast :-)) and just smile. What processes in the subconscious affect mood? Sometimes a negative thought or event is forgotten, but the impression that it made remains and, as it were, goes in the background to all further incidents. Positive thoughts act in a similar way, so it is very good to fill your mind more often with pleasant, beautiful, joyful impressions. This can be done in different ways, for example, like this and like this. Being filled with wonderful impressions, our subconscious will create an excellent basis for a good mood and soften any unpleasant event, brighten up the news, and help keep us from getting upset and irritated. There is something beautiful in every day, even the most “ordinary” one. Moreover, there are a lot of joys in every day - you just need to develop the skill of noticing them. Another reason for the subconscious process influencing our mood is our own actions and the subsequent response of conscience. Having done something good, we can get inspiration and warmth in our souls even without good news or pleasant changes. Having committed an offense and experiencing a feeling of guilt, our subconscious can be filled with heaviness and coldness. And then we feel very uncomfortable in our souls, even if everything around us is wonderful. We cannot influence all the events that happen to us and around us, but we can easily learn to control our mood. Experience shows that this is what makes us happier and more successful at times. This includes independence, ease of character, a healthy habit and resistance to stress. In addition, this is an excellent personal example for our children. Can all processes in thoughts and subconscious be controlled? For the most part, thinking processes are completely controllable. It’s just impossible to completely turn off the emergence of new thoughts - sometimes they come to mind by themselves. We have the power to go through all these “suggestions” - to think about some, to take them into service, and to drive others away from ourselves, not allowing our minds to give them even the slightest thought. For example, if you know your tendency to be suspicious and overthink, a thought starting with “what if...” can play a cruel joke on you and it is better to simply not give it any chance to continue. Where do so many negative thoughts come from? A modern person has a lot of opportunities to become negative. This includes bad news reported by the media, and gloomy movies with tragic events and the suffering of the main characters, and the long-standing habit of seeing something bad everywhere, and pessimism, pointing to past failures, and communication with “difficult people” under whose influence a person falls , not knowing how to resist. To prevent this from happening to you, I advise you to do three things at once: Remove from yourself as many reasons as possible for the development of negative thoughts Learn to separate yourself from other people and upsetting events Fill your mind and subconscious with joys and beauty, then negativity simply will not have a place to settle

How strange it turns out - just a minute ago I was in a wonderful mood, I wanted to sing, dance and have fun, when suddenly - and everything is bad. And it seems that no one is to blame, no one spoiled the mood, just thoughts in my head. Why does this happen?

Changeability of mood often depends on the changeability of others. Still, sometimes you expect one thing from a person, but you get something completely different. But I was already so tuned in to what was expected, I had made so many plans, I had already planned everything out in my mind... and then there was this turn of events. Everything we had dreamed of disappeared in one moment.

Of course, you can attribute everything to the fickleness of your own mood, but so abruptly... no, this cannot happen. Still, there is a reason for this. As an example, cases from the life of one person.

“It’s spring outside, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, you want to walk and enjoy the huge puddles in the yard. And then suddenly you realize that you can’t leave - the house hasn’t been cleaned, dinner hasn’t been cooked yet, and the socks haven’t been washed. There is no trace of my mood anymore, and I have to carry out my duties, which have turned into a routine.

Oh well, so what! “These are my duties that must be fulfilled. Now I’ll cook my beloved something delicious for dinner, and then let’s go for a walk.” And now you’re hovering around the stove in a great mood, and not only is your loved one delayed, but also “I had a snack on the way, I don’t want to eat.” Well, who were all these efforts for? I'm in a bad mood again. There is still hope... but even here “no festivities - it’s cold, damp, and I’m tired and brought a lot of work home.” Just like that...again, not a trace of my mood.

Or another thing - they were going for a walk after all. We planned to go shopping and stop at a cafe. Of course, you want to dress nicer for such an occasion, rather than the usual jeans and sneakers. Coat, scarf, heels... and all this beauty makes its way through the mud along potholes to the embankment, where there is a terrible wind and cold. Yes, it’s a good walk, but that’s not what we expected!”

It looks kind of strange. So it's always someone else's fault? That was not what was expected of him; he did not act as we wanted. And again he ruined everything. The smile is replaced by sadness and tears from the injustice of life. Or maybe our mood changes simply depend on ourselves? We just invented something for ourselves that cannot be, or we simply expect something completely different from those around us. And when dreams do not coincide with reality, joy immediately gives way to sadness and for a long time. Or you just want everything at once. What to do with it?

Or another option - it’s better to do everything yourself. I wanted to take a walk - go ahead, nothing is holding you back! I always wanted to see a vase with fresh flowers in the house - you don’t have to wait for them to be given as a gift - it’s easier to buy it yourself. If you want some trinket, why not buy it yourself? Why expect anything from others? Then you can smile safely, and nothing will ruin your mood. More precisely, no one will spoil it.

In a word, you shouldn’t blame everything on others. First of all, you need to look for the reason for mood changes in yourself.

Our mood depends entirely on ourselves. The way we perceive life can make the same day seem gray and wet or fresh and bright. After all, big and small joys happen in any weather.

If your days have become similar to each other, if you do things through force, if you are tired of everything, the diagnosis is clear: joy has left your life. This means that we need to return it in quite accessible but effective ways. Here are some simple tips to improve your mood.

Get some sleep

Maybe you are chronically sleep deprived, and your body is no longer happy at all, as they say, “if only I were alive.” Lack of sleep leads to overstimulation of the nervous system, memory problems arise, irritability increases, and appetite increases. So take the next weekend to catch up on sleep.

But do it beautifully. Don't fall like a heavy sack onto wrinkled, stale sheets. Lay down clean linen, take a shower or a relaxing bath, open the window, turn off all phones and ask your family not to wake you until you wake up. If you have trouble sleeping, take tinctures of calming herbs. But you definitely need to get enough sleep. There can be no talk of any joy if your eyes are constantly drooping.

Look through the photo album

As a rule, we capture ourselves in moments of joy. Look at photos of you smiling happily - either on your last vacation, or in the arms of a loved one, or with a small child in your arms, and try to recreate the mood that you had then. Psychologists generally advise choosing a photo in which you are young, healthy, beautiful and happy - and placing it on the mirror. Every time you approach it, your body, your psyche will begin to adapt to that wonderful state. Keep photographs of deceased relatives and people with whom difficult memories are associated separately.

Take a walk

No matter how nasty the weather outside the window is, you need to drag yourself outside. The lack of oxygen has a detrimental effect on the brain, heart, and muscles. However, do not consider the walk from the bus to your house along a busy highway to be a walk. You need to walk in beautiful places - in a park, a forest, if in a city, then in some quiet, ancient part of it. Try to disconnect from your usual thoughts and perceive the pictures of nature that have opened up to you. Views of water and sky spaces have a good effect on the nervous system. Choose places with a distant horizon line. Let the sky into you, feel the infinity. You need to walk for at least two hours to feel any changes in yourself.

Rearrange the furniture

If in a beauty salon you yourself changed, while the environment remained the same, then in this case the environment will become different. This means that something will change in you. Although you will probably entrust men with rearranging heavy furniture, this task will also require some physical effort from you. And good! Surely your muscles have been asking for some kind of exercise for a long time. And, as you know, warmed up muscles contribute to the release of endorphins, joy hormones.

Smile!

In general, an adult should be able to adjust his mood. We just need to remember more often how much we have been given: health, a roof over our heads, loved ones, some money... And every morning we need to smile. Even through force. It has long been proven that even the position of the facial muscles when smiling can improve your mood. Smile at yourself - at your reflection in the mirror, at your friends, loved ones and work colleagues. And soon you will feel that there is no trace left of your bad mood.