Originally posted March 9, 2015. Updated Sept 2018.

Monday Motivation today, huh? I’m not feeling it. Just sayin’. I know we all have days like this. If I didn’t have so much to get done, I may have climbed back in bed after breakfast and played hooky from work. So what am I going to do to not be a total downer for my colleagues, friends, family and clients? I am going to start with a smile:

It sounds cheesy, but just the act of smiling can elevate a mood. People around you can see and feel the change in your energy. If you answer the phone with a smile, you can HEAR the difference. If you approach a stranger with a smile, the ice is broken easier. Walk in the door to your home and greet your spouse with a smile – I promise the interaction will be much more enjoyable.

It’s the first step in breaking out of a crummy mood. If you’re feeling a bit grumpy, try it. Sit there and put a goofy smile on your face. Hold it for 30 seconds. Do it again.

A key to battling your inner Grumpy Cat is to make sure that you don’t drag others around you down the drain. You can literally change the energy of a space by walking in grumpy.

Instead, change your mood by focusing on filling people up, bringing happiness to the air around you and them. (Well, maybe you can’t actually manage a glittery-sparkly-happiness, but just a general positive mood will do the trick.)

One of the things we do at the studio is to give each other a “disclaimer” when we aren’t feeling so social – and maybe a little grumpy. Just letting the trusted friends and family around you know you’re not feeling yourself should provide you a little grace and space so that you can come back around to a happier place. Or. Just not tick you off even more. haha. (I’m only kind of joking about that.)

In the meantime, don’t focus on the not-so-positive things that happen…they always seem “bigger” when you’re in a crummy mood. They’ll usually work themselves out AND feel a lot less overwhelming when you are feeling more like yourself.

Any tricks you have for getting yourself out of a funk? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below.