This too shall pass: don’t fan the flames of your moods.

Fluctuating moods are part of the human condition. Moods are like the tide; they flow in and flow out. Go with the flow of your moods and don’t strain to resist the low ones. That just makes things worse and extends them. The lows can help you appreciate the highs and remind you that everything will pass.

The noise can precipitate depression. There are many times when it’s helpful to resist, counter, or ignore the noise so it doesn’t bring you down into a low mood.

There are times when you’re better off to accept it and let it be. As Paul McCartney told us, “Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.” The mood will pass sooner if you don’t fight it and compound it with more chatter. Too many of us start to over-analyze and allow moods to create headlines or conclusions about our life. We think we’re seeing things clearly, but we’re not. Learn to question your judgement when you’re in a low mood, how you’re seeing things, and take everything with a grain of salt. That is not the time to draw conclusions or make major life decisions.

Sometimes we just have to leave things alone. Don’t try to fix things. Don’t feel bad or guilty. Just stay with it. Especially if you’re tired or hungry, all bets are off. When I’m tired, it seems like there are pressing matters that must be resolved stat. That’s seldom true. 

Things will seem better in the morning. Accept that it will pass. It’s okay to have a bad day. You don’t need to assign a label to it, or yourself. We need to dial down the drama and dial up the perspective.