How to Be Less Grumpy

Let's Put a Smile on That Face

By Clay Standridge

I can’t deny it any longer. I am a grouch. I’m negative, I’m critical, I’m cynical. I live in a binary of things that are either ‘good’ or ‘bad’. There’s very little nuance in the life of a grouch. But recently, after realizing life is probably better when you’re happy, I’ve been trying to be less grumpy. Here are some things I’ve done to try and mitigate my crotchety ways.

Exercise

This is probably the biggest one for me personally. Exercise is a great way to decompress and manage stress. Studies show that exercise can increase serotonin, which helps regulate mood and sleep habits, and raise endorphin levels, which are a natural mood lifter. I recently started playing soccer again and not only is it a good way to get things off my mind, but there’s something freeing about running around with a ball. But even if sports aren’t for you and you don’t have the time to spend an hour in the gym, short workouts have been shown to be just as effective as longer ones when it comes to stress reduction. Nike Master Trainer understood that most people don’t need the performance benefits of long workouts and developed the Exercise Snack system, which involves a couple 15-30 minutes workouts a day.

Calm Down

The other day, I was walking through the grocery store and heard an awful cover of “This Charming Man” by The Smiths that really put me in a terrible mood. Doing breathing exercises, meditating or practicing mindfulness can all really help put things in perspective. Pour up a nice cup of mint or turmeric tea, which have calming properties, throw on some ambient music and focus on what you’re feeling, in your mind and in your body.

Pay attention to what you put in your body

Diet has a huge impact on how your body feels, which has a huge impact on how your mind feels. Of course I love grilling some burgers with my friends every Thursday night and drinking twelve beers, but the next day can be a nightmare, even when the hangover is more mild. Studies show that drinking disrupts the chemical balance in our brain which can lead to moodiness. Like the other things, eating healthy every once in a while is helpful, but being consistent with you diet is the best way to help your mind and body.

Let it go

The final tip I have is maybe the most difficult. When something gets on my nerves, I really like to think about it all day and get more and more upset about it. According to a study at the University of Texas, holding in one’s emotions can make the same feelings stronger later, sometimes leading to an outbreak. When I realize that a 45 second interaction shouldn’t ruin my entire day and can let it go, the day gets infinitely better. This goes hand in hand with the previous tip, but if you can just take a minute to think about how miniscule some things are, it will lift your mood and help you to move on.

When you’ve been grumpy for as long as I have (my whole life), it’s really difficult to try and stop. But if you can take a second, slow down, stop blaming your attitude on being from Boston (just me?), and just realize that many things in life don’t matter as much as you think they do, we can turn that frown upside-down.