My Strength Didn’t Come From Lifting Weights

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“My strength didn’t come from lifting weights. My strength came from lifting myself up every time I was knocked down.”

Training yourself to get out of a bad mood is synonymous to physical training: it involves a lot of patience but you’ll thank yourself for it. Problems and challenges are like weights being thrown at us by a gym trainer (life), and the only way to get used to it is to grow some muscles. The stronger you get, the easier it becomes.

Of course it’s easier said than done. Shaking off a bad mood has never been easy but it helps knowing what exactly is causing it, says Dr. Guy Winch in his article in Psychology Today, “10 Quick Ways to Get Out of a Bad Mood.”

Being aware of what’s causing it is the first step toward liberation. Waiting for the dark cloud to life may be a common and sound advice, but Dr. Winch maintains that anyone can get their groove back by recognizing emotional and physiological baggage, such as hunger, exhaustion, guilt, annoyance, disconnection, and low self-esteem. When these feelings go unnoticed, you are in a greater risk for negativity.

The greatest athletes subject themselves to rigorous training but they also devote enough time for maintenance, like eating well, getting enough sleep, and having a positive attitude. Some people underestimate their importance, not realizing that the most powerful engine is nothing without a fuel. As Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje put it: “I was always led to believe you should take care of yourself, trust in your abilities, and you’re the author of your own destiny.”