Understand Your Mood Swings
"The Mood Elevator”: Understanding Our Emotional Shifts
Have you ever noticed how the same situation can feel completely different depending on your mood? One moment, your kids' tricks seem adorable, and the next, they feel like pure chaos. Why is that?
It turns out, our experience of life doesn't come from the outside world — it comes from within us. When we understand this, we can navigate life with more ease and clarity.
The Illusion We All Fall For
Most of us believe that external situations — a stressful job, a rude comment, or even the weather — are responsible for how we feel. But the truth is, our emotions are always a reflection of our own thinking in the moment.
When we feel anxious, overwhelmed, or frustrated, it's not because of what's happening around us. It's because of the thoughts we're entertaining in that moment.
Riding the Mood Elevator
Imagine your emotional state as an elevator that constantly moves up and down. When you're on a higher floor, everything looks clear and beautiful — you feel calm, creative, and connected. From this perspective, problems seem manageable, and solutions come naturally.
But when the elevator descends to a lower floor, your vision becomes clouded. Small challenges feel like major crises, and your mind spins stories of fear, doubt, and frustration.
The important thing to understand is this: your external reality hasn't changed — only your state of mind has.
What Makes the Elevator Move?
Most of us try to "fix" our bad moods by analyzing our thoughts, fighting against negative emotions, or distracting ourselves with external activities. But just like we can't force an elevator to move faster by pressing all the buttons, we can't think our way out of a low mood.
The secret is to do less, not more.
When we stop resisting and simply allow ourselves to be where we are, the elevator naturally begins to rise again. Our minds clear, our perspective shifts, and we reconnect with a sense of peace and wisdom that was always within us.
It doesn’t mean we don’t do anything - it means we can do whatever we want to do, but we don’t have to fight our mood so we can do what we actually wanted to do. Confused? Let’s look at a real-life example.
A Real-Life Example
I woke up feeling heavy and unmotivated. In the past, I would have fought against those feelings or tried to "fix" my mood. But instead, I realized I can follow a gentle inner nudge to go for a walk in the sun.
Without trying to "feel better," I ended up enjoying the simple beauty of the day — the light, the fresh air, and even picking up litter along the way. The heaviness lifted on its own, and a sense of calm and clarity returned effortlessly.
Sometimes, it doesn’t lift when I’d like it to. And that’s okay too. I know it will eventually. I will not get stuck in this mood forever. It sounds simplisitc but it’s not, it’s just simple.
What Can We Learn from This?
Your mood will naturally shift, just like the weather.
Don't take your thoughts too seriously when you're in a low state of mind.
The less you fight against your emotions, the quicker they pass.
From a higher state of mind, solutions and creativity come effortlessly.
A Powerful Insight for Life
Understanding the "mood elevator" allows us to stop being victims of our emotions. We can navigate life's ups and downs with more grace, compassion, and resilience.
So next time you find yourself stuck in negative thinking, remember:
It’s just the elevator moving down. Don’t panic. It will rise again on its own.
