Mood Follows Action
You can't see the rainbow from inside your cave
I was having a low day while working from home.
I had a work meeting that wasn’t as successful as I had wanted it to be which put me in a bad mood (you’ll notice that this is a pattern over my letters, a digest for another time.)
It was one of those Mondays where I didn’t speak to a single human being, except for a couple people over Zoom.
But then I remembered the notion that “mood follows action” so I surveyed the room and asked myself what I could do to feel better.
Meditation sounded too exhausting. And calling a friend seemed like a big to-do.
So I told myself to go for a walk. After all, it was getting late and I hadn’t gone outside all day.
It took me about 90 minutes to muster up the strength to change my clothes, and then of course it starts to drizzle.
This is such a rare occurrence in LA that I (of course) took it as a sign I wasn’t supposed to go.
I opened my computer and continued to be mute.
As my mood continued to sink and the sun began to set, I decided to drag myself up and into my car an hour later.
Low and behold…
The second I’m on the road, my mood lightens.
Even as the rain hits my windshield I tell myself, “This is no big deal, YOLO, who cares, I will wash my hair.”
I park the car, determined to have an adequate time, and the universe does me one better.
As I walk toward The Strand in Manhattan Beach, I see the most beautiful sky, with hints of pink.
With pep in my step I turn on my music and start my walk, the sky moving with me. It turns from light pink, to bright pink, to purple, to double rainbow, to radiant red.
Everyone is out on the path, taking photos and basking in the beauty of the night. We exchange a few “oohs” and “ahhs” about the view, nice, non-transactional human interaction.
I see the most adorable puppies and give them some love.
My partner calls me to check in.
I take deep breaths of Jasmine in the air.
I literally stop and smell the roses.
Another friend calls me and we talk for an hour.
I could name 100 amazing, perfect, wonderful things that happened that night.
And they happened because I was looking for it.
I challenged myself to notice all of the good.
Because goodness exists when you put yourself in a place to receive it.
When you open your eyes, your door, and your mind.
Otherwise everything just stays the same.
Trust me, I understand how hard this can be. It is extremely challenging to lift yourself up when you’re down, and to take action when you’re low.
But you can do it.
You can find the rainbow after the rain.
It is always there in some form.
My Tips To Lift a Low Mood:
Again, mood follows action. So take action! It can be anything and can be super small, but make a change. Switch up your environment, go for a walk, play different music, take a shower, anything that can help you shake it off and reset.
Try new things. Albert Einstein said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results”, and I agree. You may not know what feels good for you yet, and that is totally ok. This is your opportunity to explore new practices like painting, running, or reading. Build habits with what lifts you up, and ditch what doesn’t.
Remember that a low mood is temporary! Sometimes there is no action that can help a low mood, and in that case, know that the feelings will go away. They will not last forever. If it doesn’t go away, please seek professional help.
Bonus: My therapist recommend this app to learn more about emotions and check-in regularly, and I couldn’t love it more. Highly recommend as a fun activity to do by yourself or with a partner.
I hope this helps! Let me know what you think :)
With love and light,
Liv
Needed this!!!