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.

Grumpy Cat

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.