There are days, like that … Is it because we got up with our left foot, or because we had a little argument the day before with our partner, that we ruminate on a remark that we do not believe in. didn’t like it, at work or elsewhere, in short, that’s how it is… We are in a terrible mood, and we have only one desire, to cry out to the whole Earth for our discontent… But, above all, we want to more quickly find the smile and the gaiety, in short, his good humor. And things are, sometimes, are simpler than you think! 

“Talking about one’s ailments, we often relieve them”, writes Pierre Corneille in Polyeucte. So, if you are in an unfortunate mood, being able to express your hurt will help you push it out. Finding an attentive ear, making a phone call to a friend or loved one, being in touch, being able to confide, will allow you to feel better very quickly. “Suffering is never a good, the true attitude consists in welcoming it first, the better to fight it”, used to say Father Roquebert, priest spiritual accompanist sometimes nicknamed “the Rock”.

Call a friend or, better yet: go see him. Plan for periods of social ties, times in your schedule when you meet relatives: this is also an effective way to fight against bad mood. And it is thus, through the encounter with the Other, by the discussion and the feeling of being listened to without being judged, that by expressing them, “Words become a remedy for ailments”. 

To get out of difficult times, such as an execrable mood is, the philosopher Maurice Bellet, trained in psychoanalysis, advised to “Do everything you can right away: everything in my life that seems positive, useful, fruitful; all that is efficient service to others; all that is the true expression of what is true in me, I must devote myself to it immediately ”. And he added: “I will not wait to have to give”.

In a fairly similar vein, that of being active in order to be better, the team to which psychologist Robert Thayer belongs has published a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology : it indicates that doing physical exercise appears to be the most effective behavior to improve its mood. Are you in a terrible mood? It’s simple, start by going outside: changing your environment, walking in the open air, if possible in nature, will do you the greatest good. Put on your sneakers and run away on the paths for a pleasant moment of jogging. Put on your swimsuit, dive into the pool, practice your favorite sport, in short, exert yourself physically! The production of endorphin, a neurotransmitter responsible for well-being, will reward you very quickly and will effectively contribute to making you smile again!

Three other neurotransmitters are also involved in well-being: dopamine, which we secrete for example during a feeling of excitement, when we think we can have a reward. Serotonin, on the other hand, is produced especially during a feeling of pride, when one has the feeling of feeling respected by others. And finally, oxytocin, sometimes also called the attachment hormone, is involved in our desire for social connection, our desire to make friends and trust them, in the feeling of belonging to a group. ; this oxytocin is also produced during the sensation of touching and being touched.

“Learn to surrender” is one of the solutions proposed by Father Roquebert, who was also a former Centralien. He suggested, thus:  “It is less a question of building oneself than of receiving from another”. “If you do the board, you are carried”, he said again, suggesting to learn to let go of oneself, in order to attain grace.

And so, through prayer, it is possible to give thanks for all that one already has. In a fairly similar way, meditation teaches us to live the present: so many spiritual practices that allow us to get rid of a sad disposition, and often fleeting, of his character. Listening to a piece of music that we particularly appreciate, another form of spiritual activity, can also help to quickly feel in a better mood.

Reading or writing are two pleasures that can be intense, and allow you to overcome a terrible mood. For some, feeling in a better mood can also go through watching their favorite television show: and thus, vicarious experiences, lived through the history of other people, for example when reading a novel, will manage to make us happier.

If, despite all these avenues – and others that have not yet been mentioned: taking a shower or a bath, performing dance steps while listening to your favorite song, eating a healthy meal, dark chocolate, or simply smile – your mood is still detestable, there are at least two reasons to be reassured. On the one hand, you have to keep in mind that it is normal to have emotions and that you cannot be happy all the time. Depression is a part of life, and is not unhealthy until it turns into depression – which is deep sadness that lasts for several months. Finally, it is also possible to do a deeper work, on oneself, with a therapist, such as a psychologist, a psychotherapist, even a psychoanalyst or even a spiritual accompanist …