How a Moment Can Shift Your Mood

Recently I was stopped at a red light at a very busy Washington, DC area intersection during rush hour. I was in the far-left lane of four lanes, waiting for the arrow to change from red to green. It was dark and cold outside.

To my left was a median, and then beyond that more lanes going in the opposite direction.

On the median was a teenager waiting for the walk sign to change so he could complete his street crossing. He was wearing a backpack and earbuds, and dancing as cars whooshed by him.

I smiled as soon as I saw him. He was truly enjoying himself, seemingly unphased by the congested intersection that required him to wait for two rounds of the walk/don’t walk sign to change.

When he got his green sign, this happy kid sprinted across multiple lanes to safely arrive on the other side. I was sorry to see him go.

That kid’s energy stayed with me long after I made my left turn, found a parking space, and entered my destination.

That moment of watching this upbeat, joyful teen made me feel more upbeat and joyful, too.

Since we can’t count on happy, high energy teenagers to show up on demand, we need to have an arsenal of feel good tools to shift our moods.

What are your mood shifters?

What has worked for you in the past?

If you don’t have any, have fun experimenting.

Start by turning on music and dancing for a few minutes. It’s nearly impossible to feel down while dancing.

It worked for “my” teenager. I think it will work for us, too.