NE Life Coach Lou Laggan Ponders Grumpiness

Do you ever have those days when you’re just in a fettle, just plain grumpy?  You know the ones, the ‘meh’ kind of day.  Nothing goes well; you cannot fully engage with anything and you feel grumpy all the time.  We can all be in a bad mood now and then; it’s quite normal.  We’re affected by lack of sleep, physical ailments, too much work, not enough work; the list goes on.   I’m no different.  Here are some things that work for me when I want to overcome grumpiness.

Go for a walk.

It doesn’t need to be a hike or a ramble; it can be as simple as walking round the block or even just up and down the garden path a few times.  I’m lucky to live very close to some wonderful beaches and I know that a longer walk along the beach or the promenade will certainly blow any grumpiness away and leave me feeling refreshed and energised.

A little bit of pampering

Well it never did anyone any harm after all!  Spend some time on yourself and with yourself for a change.  I suspect that most of you reading this will spend your time looking after others, whether it’s at work or at home and you don’t get much time for yourself.  It may not be anything major, it might be as simple as sitting quietly with your cuppa; perhaps 10 minutes of uninterrupted reading!

Shake it up

Now you can do a couple of versions of this.  Physically shake it up.  Stand up and physically shake off your grumpy coat!  Any physical motion creates emotion and more often than not I end up having a good laugh about whatever made me grumpy in the first place, assuming I can remember what it was of course!

The other option with this is to completely change your routine.  We sometimes end up being grumpy because we are doing the same old thing day in day out.  Shake it up!  Take a different route to work, get up a bit earlier and go for a walk, try out a new recipe, or for the more ambitious amongst us redecorate a room!

Talk live with a friend.

We used to phone each other for a chat.  Now, we send a short text to say hello.  Don’t underestimate the power of the human voice.  Hearing another voice is wonderful!  It can distract you from grumpiness, it cuts through loneliness, it lifts your spirits, so pick up the phone and call someone instead of sending a text.

Be creative.

If you have the space and tools, start splashing some paint on canvas.  Just allow yourself to freely express your grumpiness – get it out of you on to the canvas.  If you don’t have access to an art studio, try the garage!  Is there a wall that could literally do with a good splash of paint?  Art therapy can be immensely helpful and by nature it can be a great mindfulness activity.  Think of how popular the mindfulness colouring books have become.  More people are baking, knitting, crafting.  Whatever it is, do something creative just for you.

Gratitude

This is something that is good for mind, body and soul!  Everytime you show gratitude you enhance your ability to improve your mood.  Show gratitude when you wake up in the morning; when you receive something from another person; think about everything that you have in your life and show gratitude for how blessed you are.

Do something for someone else

If you do something for someone else, even the simplest of acts, it leads to a feeling of contentment.  Take flowers to someone who is stuck in their house, help someone with their bags, hold the door open for someone, say hello as you pass someone on the street. All these little things have an incredible impact on your own mood as well as the other person.

Exercise your mind.

Doing a puzzle can be a great distraction.  Any puzzle book or jigsaw will keep your mind fully absorbed.  Even doing your accounts may be helpful! It doesn’t need to be for long, even a short time doing something like this can have a big impact.

Lose yourself in a book or your favourite movie.

Always keep a book handy.  It can be a lifesaver, particularly if it’s one of the numerous little books of positive thoughts or positive affirmation.

For some people, grumpiness can be an early warning sign and can spiral out of control.  It can then lead to negative thoughts and low self-esteem.  If you want to find out what support I can offer with this, please Contact Lou