Do you ever find yourself in a mood that you don't like? Agitated? Sad? Angry? Frustrated? You try to "snap out of it" but sometimes can't even recongize what you are really feeling. Back in the 60's and 70's Mood Rings were all the rage. All you had to do was slip on a Mood Ring and it would change color. Luckily those handy reference charts interpreted the color to indicate your mood. I remember dreading it being "blue" or "black" for some reason. Anyway I digress. Of course you hardly need a silly Mood Ring to really tell you how you are feeling, although sometimes we don't always know why we feel the way we do. Regardless of how or why, sometimes we just feel the need to change your mood. This was the inspiration for this week's scintillating installment of The Saturday Seven: Ways to Change Your Mood At Home. You'll notice that this list does not include stuff you can do outside of home, that is another day's post altogether.... 
above: #1 Music: Playing music is probably my top way of changing my mood. It can cheer me up, slow me down, put me in the mood for whatever...I love music and it always affects my mood.
above: #2 A Kitty on Your Lap: Either pet will do I suppose. But there is something about having your cat snuggle up on your lap that grounds me and puts me in a good mood.
above: #3 The Fireplace: I love to sit in front of the fireplace. I find it mesmerizing and has a definite calming affect.
above: #4 Soft Lighting: I'll take a low wat soft light lamp over bright ceiling lights- or God forbid-fluorescent lights (gasp!). Good lighting has such an impact on my mood.
above: #5 Candles: Similar to the fireplace, candles create intimacy and make the room feel smaller. They tend to make me reflective and melancholy for some reason.
above: #6 Incense: Or even a potpourri or oil lamp. A smouldering scent filling the room alters my mind and puts me in a happy place. When I really need a brisk attitude adjustment, I break out the incense.
above: #7 Home Baked Apple Pie: A traditional favorite, everyone knows that the smell of a home baked apple pie is a subliminal stimulus of sorts. It brings back memories of childhood, being at home with Mom or Grandma as she baked pies. Mmmmm it makes me feel good just thinking about it!
What do YOU do at home to change your mood? Go ahead, leave a comment, I'd love to hear from you.
-Rick Rockhill
As soon as I enter the bowels of London underground I put on my MP3 player and get out my book. That itself always transports me to a different state of mind and anything work/stress related just evaporates.
ReplyDelete1) Music
2) Books
3) Food
4) Drink
5) Television
Good ideas all. How about adding a nice, hot, soaking bath to change your mood? That always works for me!
ReplyDeleteDepending on the mood, frame of mind I am in, sometimes if I just sit back, relax with a book or one of my embroidery or knitting projects, that will relax me. Granted the smell of something baking does give an uplift too but all too often to get things to the point of smelling it in the oven, takes too long and can be a bit of work as well. A nice, relaxing hot bath though, with a couple candles -perfumed, of course -sitting on the vanity and some good smelling bath oils will really usually do the trick though to relieve and relax all kinds of tension.
ReplyDeleteMusic -- definitely! McCartney's "Dance Tonight" to Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus" to Strait's "I Just Want to Dance With You" and everything in between.
ReplyDeleteFrom the oven-- fresh foccacia or sticky buns or anything with cinnamon.
I love a fire (we've gone through our third cord of wood already) on a cold, rainy day.
i thought for sure there'd be cake! ha ha
ReplyDeletesmiles, bee
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
My mood ring was always blue or purple...Yep, I had one....
ReplyDeleteI wish we had a fireplace in our condo... but, alas, no chimney in the highrise...
So true! I'll take an apple pie with some candles and a good book with Marina curled up next to me!
ReplyDeletegreat saturday 7!
:)
E
So true! I'll take an apple pie with some candles and a good book with Marina curled up next to me!
ReplyDeletegreat saturday 7!
:)
E
i very much needed this as i have been in a real funk this week. thank you. i'd have to say music is my number one way of dealing with my moods. i start with something that matches my mood and slowly work my way out into where I want to be or at least into something better. i've been convinced though, that perhaps this weekend i just need to drag myself outside my own four walls, so i am trying.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Jeni- a hot bath does wonders. I also do candles and music. I love this post today.
ReplyDeleteMusic definitely is a winner with me, but I also have gone to the gym and worked out. Getting physical (while wearing my iPod of course) will usually snap me out of a blue mood.
ReplyDeleteOnly after I switched to an oldies radio station on my drive to work did my mood improve. Too many depressing stories on NPR. Sorry, I really should care, but you hit the nail on the head with the music mood improver. Kudos for another great Saturday Seven.
ReplyDeleteYes yes! For all of those. Especially the candles, which can really bring the stress down a few notches.
ReplyDelete(By the way, I've left a big of Palm Springs for you on my blog today).
1. Candles
2. Music
3. Cat
4. "Special foods," like small hors d'ouvres instead of the usual large dinner.
5. Buy or clip some flowers and arrange them inside.
6. Slippers! When I put them on, I slow down.
Oh, and instead of a fire, I set a rack of candles in my fireplace! The way they built this fireplace wasn't very great in the 1930's. It doesn't draft very well and the house gets smokey! So the candles end up looking very nice and are just as relaxing.
ReplyDeleteSome of your suggestions are alreadsy on my list....MUSIC, of course, KITTY ON THE LAP---Yes, Yes, Yes!!! (So very relaxing abd calming....)
ReplyDeleteReading, Television, Something Yummy to eat, Taking Pictures of Nature....Having a friend ir two come over for a visit....OR, talking on the phone to a friend---particularly someone who is in another part of the country that I don't get to see that often....!
Etc., Etc., Etc......
Mostly I use music. Ella and Louis are a must when I am down. Beyond that a good book or a good movie works too. I also have discovered recently that some video games help. Oh and of course there is always being creative; writing and painting help a great deal.
ReplyDeleteOh those are all good, esp the kitty on the lap!
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend!
mo
I love mood rings, things that change color, or are iridescent. I have a mood pendant from the early 90s when they were repopularized.
ReplyDelete1) Music AND I sing along :)
2) What I wouldn't give for a bunny snuggle to make my heart happy
3) Fire mesmerizes me, I can't stop staring at it when it's flickering and crackling away there in the hearth
4) I think I have a weakness for lamps and urns, too bad I don't have a whole house to put them in
7) The smell of any sweet thing baking in a house in the middle of winter is a heartwarming thing
In addition to the things on your list,
8) Tea makes everything better, especially with a few fave cookies (currently Pepperidge Farm double chocolate Milano)
9) I spray my room with Egyptian cotton spray, which is like my default happy scent
I once read that it is impossible to be angry while smelling garlic bread. I've never had the chance to try it out on anyone though. ;)
ReplyDelete--snow
Great ideas Rick. Music is always my number ! for changing my mood. I have a playlist devised specifically for that one (composed of someone who is "almost your neighbor").
ReplyDeleteOther things I do:
1-Put in Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream House with Cary Grant--a total laugh fest
2-Write--this always help change how I'm feeling because I write about uplifting life experiences
3-Read your blog!