Can you change your mood?

This picture was taken in Rocky Mountain National Park. It is along the trail to one of our favorite lakes, The Loch. Whenever I feel melancholy or have had an angry exchange with someone or just feel down, I lie back, close my eyes, and imagine myself sitting on a rock with this view. It doesn’t take long for me to feel my usual upbeat optimistic self. So the question is: can what you think, what you imagine change your mood, your emotions?

For all too many years I had to get up early to catch the 6:15 train to go downtown to work. It was rare that I dreaded this journey. Early on I trained myself to find something to look forward to- meeting a friend on the train, the apple fritters at the bakery, maybe lunch with a colleague, resolving a problem, coaching a supervisor. In the summer I could look out of my bedroom window and see the trees when I woke up, always an upbeat sight. To this day, seeing the trees when I wake up gets me out of bed with a positive attitude.

So ask yourself what do you think of or imagine just as you wake up? How does this effect your attitude? What thoughts and images make you feel happy to get up and which make you want to hide under the blankets? Do you think your thoughts affect your emotions? Your brain does not seem to know the difference between actual real experience and that imagined or remembered. Close your eyes and imagine sucking on a lemon. Notice how your body responds. People who have trauma flashbacks relive the experience as if it were happening now. So, can you train yourself to change your mood at will? Well, who runs your brain? Try changing your thoughts the next time you feel down and imagine a peaceful place or happy outcome. Sounds, looks, feels simplistic? Maybe. Just remember to include pictures, sounds, and feelings when you do this.

Next time self-talk! We do it all the time. Why not do it with a positive purpose.