The Origin of Everyday Moods summary

Most people believe that moods are caused by external life events. If you ask your friend why they’re in a bad mood, they’ll likely say, Well, this or that happened, and because of it, my mood shifted.

External events and our thoughts about them can, of course, alter our moods. However, that relationship isn’t a direct cause-and-effect. What really matters is our interpretation of the events and problems we experience. And those interpretations can be influenced by many factors, including the weather, the time of day, food, drugs, social interaction, and even PMS.

Imagine being a caveperson, heading back to your abode. You suddenly hear a growl, a yelp, or a rustle in the trees. How do you react? If the source of the danger isn’t immediately clear, you probably freeze in place. You evaluate the circumstances, listen carefully, and prepare to react.

This is what’s called a freeze response, and it comes before the well-known fight or flight response. When we freeze, our bodies grow very tense as we prepare for a potential energy expenditure.

Visualize getting home from work after a long, hard day. You flop down on your bed and suddenly remember that yesterday you left your clean laundry in the basket. You need to put away your clothes, but right now, the task seems insurmountable. Ultimately, you decide to put it off until tomorrow.

Later on, you might berate yourself for being too lazy to complete the task. But in fact, there’s no guilt necessary. That’s because your body is constantly assessing its own expendable resources. And when it tells you to put off a task, your body is saying that it doesn’t have enough energy.

Throughout each day, we constantly seek pleasure and avoid pain. Over time, our minds begin to develop an association between particular activities and feelings. This is how we develop habits that shape our behavior.

Consider smoking, for instance. Cigarettes are a powerful mood regulator. Before an addicted smoker lights up a cigarette, her feelings will have told her that she must smoke now. Then, after she’s done so, her feelings of relaxation will provide another reinforcement. That cigarette was indeed exactly what she needed.

One day, a student was listening to the author’s lecture on mood-regulation differences between males and females. The author explained that women often seek social interaction as a remedy for bad moods. Men, on the other hand, are more likely to immerse themselves in hobbies. 

For this student, the author’s words struck a chord. Whenever she and her husband got into an argument, the student always wanted to continue talking about the dispute. But her husband would instead head to the garage to work on his car.

We’ve learned that tense-tiredness is the cause of most bad moods. So when you’re feeling down, how can you most effectively battle tense-tiredness and achieve a better mood?

Well, it’s as simple as increasing energy and reducing tension. And for the majority of people, the best way of increasing energy is through exercise.

Everyday moods often have fairly simple causes. You don’t have to be an expert psychologist or a mind-reader to anticipate how you’ll be feeling and when. 

As we know, many people turn to sugar-snacking in order to boost their energy. Next time you feel the urge to snack, rate the urge as strong, moderate, or weak. Additionally, rate your energy and tension levels according to the same scale. Then, do another round of ratings immediately after you’ve eaten the snack, an hour later, and two hours later.