Shifting Mindsets: How to Beat Low Mood and Stay Motivated

Understanding Low Mood: Causes, Indicators, and Strategies for Improvement

Low mood, like a heavy cloud looming over us, profoundly impacts various facets of our lives, hindering self-growth, personal development, and motivation. Emotionally, it diminishes our ability to engage fully with life, making it harder to experience joy or enthusiasm. This emotional barrier can prevent us from pursuing new opportunities or challenges that could contribute to personal growth.

Cognitively, low mood distorts our thinking patterns, often leading to negative self-talk and pessimistic outlooks. This negative mindset can sabotage our efforts towards self-improvement by magnifying obstacles and minimizing our abilities and achievements. It becomes challenging to set goals or maintain the motivation needed to achieve them when our thoughts are clouded by negativity.

Physically, low mood manifests as fatigue, lethargy, and even physical discomfort, which can sap our energy and resilience. This physical drain makes it difficult to sustain the effort required for personal development activities such as learning new skills, maintaining healthy habits, or engaging in physical exercise—all of which are crucial for personal growth.

Behaviourally, low mood often leads to withdrawal from social interactions and activities we typically enjoy. This social isolation can further exacerbate feelings of loneliness and inadequacy, creating a cycle where opportunities for growth and development are missed.

Managing and preventing low mood involves understanding these interconnected factors—emotional, cognitive, physical, and behavioural—and taking proactive steps to address them.

Strategies such as cultivating positive emotions through gratitude practices, challenging negative thoughts with realistic perspectives, maintaining a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise and a nutritious diet, and staying connected with supportive relationships can all contribute to lifting the cloud of low mood and fostering an environment conducive to self-growth, personal development, and sustained motivation.

Let’s go into more detail….

What Influences Your Mood?

Such factors are interchangeable and influence each other.

Recognising When You're Slipping Into a Low Mood

Identifying early warning signs can help you take action before a low mood deepens. These signs might include:

• Feeling unusually tired or unmotivated

• Becoming easily irritated or frustrated

• Negative self-talk or persistent worry

• Avoiding social interactions or activities you usually enjoy

• Changes in appetite or sleep patterns

Pay attention to your personal patterns and triggers. For example, feeling overwhelmed at work or experiencing conflict in personal relationships might precede a low mood.

Common Thought Biases That Contribute to Low Mood

Our thoughts can be distorted by cognitive biases, leading to an inaccurate or overly negative view of situations. Recognising these thought patterns can help us challenge and change them:

• Mind Reading: Assuming you know what others are thinking about you (e.g., “They must think I’m incompetent”).

• Overgeneralization: Believing that one negative event means everything is going wrong (e.g., “I failed once, so I’ll always fail”).

• Egocentric Thinking: Interpreting events as being about you, even when they’re not (e.g., “They didn’t smile, so they must be upset with me”).

• Emotional Reasoning: Assuming that because you feel something, it must be true (e.g., “I feel unworthy, so I must be a failure”).

• Musts and Shoulds: Setting rigid expectations for yourself or others (e.g., “I must always succeed,” or “People should always be kind to me”).

Turning Bad Days Into Better Days

As we become more aware of our thoughts, it's important to recognise that each pattern of thinking is just one way of interpreting the world. By acknowledging this, we open ourselves to considering alternative perspectives. Identifying and labelling common thought biases can help us achieve this.

• Challenge Negative Thoughts: Question the validity of your thoughts. Are they based on facts or assumptions? Try to look at situations from different perspectives.

• Change Your Focus: Redirect your attention to things you can control or positive aspects of your life. Practicing gratitude or focusing on small wins can shift your mindset.

• Take Action: Small positive actions can make a big difference. Going for a walk, engaging in a hobby, or simply cleaning your space can provide a sense of achievement.

• Social Connection: Reach out to supportive friends or family. Sharing your feelings can provide relief and new perspectives.

• Practice Mindfulness: Ground yourself in the present moment through mindfulness or meditation. This helps you observe your thoughts without being overwhelmed by them.

Getting the Basics Right

To maintain a balanced mood, it's important to get the basics right:

• Sleep: Aim for consistent, restful sleep to support emotional regulation.

• Nutrition: A balanced diet affects your mood and energy levels. Include foods rich in omega-3s, complex carbs, and lean proteins.

• Exercise: Regular physical activity boosts endorphins and reduces stress.

• Routine: Establishing a daily routine provides stability and a sense of purpose.

• Limit Negative Inputs: Reduce exposure to stressors such as negative news or toxic social media.

When to Seek Help

If low mood persists or interferes with daily life, it may be a sign of a more serious condition like depression or anxiety. Don’t hesitate to reach out to a mental health professional for guidance and support.

Low mood is a normal part of life, but it doesn’t have to define us. By understanding the factors that influence our mood and recognising negative thought patterns, we can take proactive steps to protect and enhance our emotional well-being. Small, consistent actions can transform bad days into better ones, while mastering the basics—like sleep, nutrition, and exercise—lays a solid foundation for good mental health.

Though thought biases are inevitable, we are not at their mercy. Our minds naturally seek out evidence that supports our existing beliefs, shaping our perception of reality—even when contradictory evidence is present. During periods of low mood, we tend to focus on threats and losses. This negative bias can trap us in a downward spiral, deepening our low mood as long as we accept these thoughts as facts.

Breaking this cycle begins with understanding that our emotions don’t necessarily reflect the truth of our thoughts. Approaching our thinking with curiosity can also be transformative. By learning to recognise common thought biases, noticing when they arise, and labelling them as biases rather than facts, we can create the psychological distance needed to reduce their impact and regain control over our mood.