WHAT’S YOUR MOOD?
Moods can come in all shapes and sizes: melancholy, anxious, irritable, stressed-out, depressed, scared, joyful, excited, and many more. Most of us have a default mood that we easily slip into without even noticing. Unfortunately, more often than not, that mood tends to be more negative than positive and can keep us from being truly present in the best moments of our life.
My default mood tends to be one of apprehension and impatience. It’s a sense of restlessness that makes me feel like I just can’t enjoy what is in front of me because I need to be thinking about what must be coming down the pipeline, or the next thing that must get done. I would venture to guess that this mood is common amongst physicians. Our training demands that we always try to be a step ahead of the next issue or problem. This is a great skill to have when preparing for the potential complications, side effects, or sequela our patients may face, but it does not serve us well when we are trying to celebrate and fully enjoy a moment with our loved ones. In fact, falling into our default mood (whatever that may be) can rob us of the possibility of being fully present and connecting more deeply with those we love.
It is for this reason that it is crucial for us to learn to identify our default mood and learn how to shift out of it. One way to do this is simply to take a few minutes to consider what your mood has been over the last few hours. As you do this, close your eyes and allow yourself to feel the sensations that that mood creates in your body. Is it palpitations, tension in your chest or shoulders, restless legs, etc. Focus on the strongest sensation and then do PQ reps on that sensation. That means remaining intently focused on the sensation while breathing in and out, in a natural rhythmic pattern, through your nose. After doing this for one to two minutes, the sensation will dissipate and you will be able to reach a place of greater calm. If you continue this practice, over time you will be able to readily catch yourself when slipping into your default mood and command your mind to shift to the current moment in a focused and calm manner.
This practice has allowed me to be mentally and emotionally engaged with my life and my loved ones much more than I ever was in the past. And, for those of you that are skeptical, or think that this would “just take too much time”, the ability to be present for the moments that really matter, actually saves you a great deal of future time and energy that would be spent in regrets and trying to salvage stressed relationships.
So true!