Control Your Mood, Before It Controls You I 8 Minute English I 🎧 Learn English Daily Podcast

Hey everyone, and welcome back to the Learning English Podcast. I'm your super energetic host, Max. And guess who's back with all the smart stuff? It's the amazing Lisa. Hi Lisa. Hello Max. Hi everyone. I'm happy to talk to all of you again. Lisa, today you've got something really interesting for us, right? It's all about controlling our mood. Wow. Like sometimes I feel great, sometimes not so great. It really changes everything. That's right Max. Think about it. How much of your day depends on how you feel? When you feel good, work is easy. You do everything. But when you're in a bad mood, it's like everything stops. You feel lazy, unhappy. Exactly. It's like my mood is the boss of me. One day I'm super productive, the next I just want to stay in bed and watch movies. It's crazy. And that's what we're talking about today. You don't have to let your mood control you. You can learn. To take charge. I want to share some habits that can help you feel good more often. They can make you happier, less stressed, a better you. Ooh, a better me. I like the sound of that. So why is this so important, Lisa? Why should we even try to control our moods? Well, I've thought about it. And there are three main reasons. First, it's about personal growth. Think about becoming the person you want to be. Getting what you want in life. If your mood is good, you work better, you use your time well. But if you always depend on your mood and you're not feeling it, you won't do the things you need to do. It slows you down. Ah, I get it. So if I'm always in a grumpy mood, I won't do my best work and I won't reach my goals as fast. Makes sense. What's the second reason? The second point is about energy. When you're in a bad mood and you don't do anything, how do you feel? Uh, guilty, lazy, not good about myself. Exactly. That's a low energy feeling. And when your energy is low, you tend to attract other negative things. It's like, bad vibes attract bad vibes. But if you feel happy, grateful, enthusiastic, that's high energy and you attract good things. Wow, like a magnet. So good mood. Good things coming my way. I like this idea. You said there's some science behind this too? Yes. A researcher named Dr. David R. Hawkins talked about human energy in units called Hertz. He found that the lowest energies are things like shame and guilt, the feelings we often have when we're in a bad mood and do nothing. And fear is that low energy attracts more negativity. Okay, so bad mood is like a low battery for my whole life. Got it. What's the third reason, Lisa? The third reason is our health, especially stress. When you're in a bad mood, you don't do things. You feel guilty. You blame yourself. You have less energy. And then you get more stressed. It's a bad cycle. And stress, as we know, can affect our physical health too. Ugh, stress. Nobody likes stress. So managing our mood can actually make us healthier too? That's a big bonus. Okay, Lisa, I'm convinced. I want to be in a good mood more often. How can we do it? What's the secret? Well, it's not really a secret, Max. It's about understanding our hormones. These are like messengers in our body that control our emotions. We need to focus on the happiness hormones. Happiness hormones. Sounds good. Tell me more. There are four main ones, dopamine, endorphins, serotonin, and oxytocin. We can call them desohormones to remember them easily. Dopamine makes you feel excited to achieve things. Serotonin helps you feel calm and stable. Oxytocin is the hormone of love and connection. And endorphins help with pain and make you feel good after exercise. Wow, deso. I like that. So when I'm in a bad mood, it means I need more of these desohormones? Exactly. And we can trigger these hormones with certain habits. But be careful, Max, because some negative things like too much social media or unhealthy habits can also give you a quick boost of some of these hormones, but it's not good for you in the long run. We want to get them from positive things. Okay, okay, I'm listening. What are these amazing mood-boosting habits, Lisa? I'm ready to become a happy person. The first habit, and you've probably heard me say this before, is keeping a gratitude journal. Writing down things you are thankful for every day. Oh yeah, you always talk about that. But why does it work? Because when you focus on gratitude, your brain releases those desohormones. And Dr. Hawkins said that gratitude has a very high energy frequency. When you're feeling down, being grateful can really lift you up. Plus, if you train your brain to see good things through gratitude, you'll start seeing the positive in other areas of your life too. So writing down even small things I'm grateful for can actually make a big difference. Like I'm grateful for my morning coffee. Exactly. It trains your brain to look for the good. And the second habit is meditation. Meditation? Hmm, I've tried that sometimes. It can be a bit difficult to focus. It takes practice, Max. But meditation lowers your stress hormone, cortisol, and increases your happiness hormones. It also helps you be more mindful, to live in the present moment. When you're in a bad mood, it's often because you're worrying about the future or regretting the past. Meditation helps with that. Ah, so it stops my brain from going all over the place. And you said it helps with self-awareness too? Yes. When you meditate, you observe your thoughts without judging them. You understand yourself better, what you're thinking, what you're feeling. It can also help you connect with your intuition. That sounds really helpful, Lisa. Okay, gratitude journal and meditation. What's habit number three? Habit number three is walking. It also increases happiness hormones and lowers stress hormones. And it gets your blood flowing to your brain, which can improve your thinking and creativity. Walking. I like walking, especially when the weather is nice here. So just a simple walk can boost my mood? Absolutely. And if you walk mindfully, paying attention to how your body feels with each step. It's like a form of meditation too. Plus, it's good for your health. Double win. Okay, what's next? The fourth habit is connecting with nature. Nature has a high energy frequency. When you spend time in nature, it can lift your mood. I love being outside, seeing the green trees and the flowers. It always makes me feel a bit calmer. So that's the high energy of nature rubbing off on me? Exactly. It's often called grounding. Even just being barefoot on, the grass can help you connect. The fresh air, the sunlight, it all contributes to feeling good. That makes sense. Okay, nature time it is. What's habit number five? Habit number five is eating healthy food. I've noticed myself that when I eat a lot of unhealthy food, I feel low energy and lazy. Me too. After a big plate of fried stuff, I just want to take a nap. Right. And it turns out that food also has energy. Processed, fried foods tend to have a low frequency, while real foods like fruits and vegetables have a higher frequency. Also, too much sugar can cause big mood swings. So, more healthy food, less junk food for a happier me. Got it. What's number six? Habit number six is reading books. From a hormonal perspective, reading can also increase happiness hormones. And words and sentences have energy too. I do feel good after finishing a good book. Like I've learned something new or escaped into a different world. So, reading is not just good for my brain, but for my mood too. Exactly. Especially books that help. You grow and learn. It feels good to invest in yourself. Okay, I need to pick up a new book this week. What's the final habit, Lisa? Number seven? Habit number seven is exercising, sweating, moving your body in any way you enjoy. Ah, exercise. I always feel great after a good workout. Even if it's hard while I'm doing it. Exactly. Exercise increases happiness hormones and reduces stress hormones. You also feel proud of yourself afterwards, which boosts your mood. Plus, it releases negative energy and emotions. So, even a little bit of exercise can make a difference. Like a quick jog or some stretching. Absolutely. And the more you exercise, the more you become aware of your body and what it can do, which also makes you feel good. Wow, Lisa. These are all really great habits. Gratitude journal, meditation, walking, nature, healthy food, reading, and exercise. It seems like doing good things for myself actually makes me feel good. Exactly, Max. Anything that makes you feel like you're taking care of yourself can boost your mood because it makes you feel valuable and worthy. This has been so helpful, Lisa. I feel like I have a toolkit now to help me manage my moods and feel happier more often. And remember, even small steps with these habits can make a big difference over time. And as I was saying, it's important to do your own research too. Because the more you understand the benefits of these habits, the more you'll want to do them. Oh, that's so true. Like when you know something is really good for you, it makes you want to do it, right? Yes. So, you mentioned 10 habits in total, Lisa. That sounds like a lot. For someone who's maybe not doing any of these right now, where should they even start? It feels a bit overwhelming. That's a very good point, Max. If you're new to all of this, please don't try to do all habits at once. That will probably make you feel even worse if you can't keep up. Oh yeah, I can imagine. Like setting a huge goal and then feeling bad when you don't reach it immediately. Exactly. The best way is to start slowly, one by one. Choose the habit that feels easiest for you, the most doable in your daily life. Just focus on that one first. So, maybe someone could start with just writing down one thing they're grateful for each day? That seems pretty simple. Yes, that's a great start. Even one small habit can make you feel better and help you appreciate yourself more. Once that feels like a regular part of your day, then you can think about adding another habit. Now, Lisa, you also had a really important message at the end of your initial thoughts. You said that feeling out of mood or lazy is normal. Yes, absolutely, Max. It's important for everyone to understand that feeling down sometimes, feeling unmotivated, wanting to do nothing. That's a normal human experience. Even I still feel those things sometimes. Really? Even the super organized and logical Lisa has bad mood days. That makes me feel a bit better. Of course, we're all human. Knowing these habits doesn't mean you're never allowed to feel bad or take a break. It's okay to have a day where you just need to rest and do nothing if you need it. That's good to hear. Sometimes I feel guilty when I'm not being productive. Don't feel guilty for taking a day for yourself. The important thing is not to let that bad mood or laziness drag on for days and days, and especially not to let it happen too often. So it's about having the tools to deal with it so it doesn't take over our lives. Exactly. By knowing these habits, you become more aware of how to help yourself get back on track. You have more control over your mood so that it doesn't control you for too long. That's a really empowering thought, Lisa. It's not about never feeling bad, but about knowing how to feel better and not getting stuck in those negative feelings. Precisely. So it's okay to take that time when you need it. Be kind to yourself. But then remember these habits and use them to help yourself feel better again. That's such a balanced and healthy way to look at it. Well, Lisa, thank you so much again for sharing all this incredible information with us. I'm feeling inspired to focus on my happy habits. You're very welcome, Max. I hope it helps everyone listening too. I'm sure it will. So everyone, let's start building those happy habits, one step at a time. And don't forget to subscribe for more great tips. Until next time, stay happy. Goodbye, everyone. Bye.