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By managing energy and tension we can maintain good moods, concentrate better and manage our emotional reactions to people and events around us.
We use the word ‘mood’ in everyday conversation – “he’s in a mood,” “I’m in such a good mood today,” and so on – but we rarely stop to consider what it means, and how moods affect our lives and work.
Moods are background emotions, and tell us about our inner state, what we’re taking on from the world. According to psychologist Robert Thayer, moods can be understood as product of two dimensions: energy and tension. Thayer suggests that people feel, and perform, best when they are in a calm-energy mood.
We all manage our moods instinctively through our daily choices and habits. By becoming more conscious of the actions we take to raise our energy and reduce our tension, and building positive actions into our daily routines, we can gain greater control of our moods, and maintain our resilience and mental performance.
This is all part of emotional intelligence, our capacity to understand our feelings and manage them appropriately. Moods influence our emotional reactions and affect our thought patterns, so by becoming more conscious of this, we can work better, improve our relationships, and make better decisions in our life and work.
Download our free tip sheet on how to master your moods (PDF, 123KB)
