7 Ways to Get Over or Prevent a Grumpy Mood!

A few words/phrases related to Grumpy: Grouchy, Crabby, Irritable, Sulky, Down in the Dumps, Pissy, Petulant, Cantankerous  

So you're feeling one of those ways. Now what?  

(1) Listen to music that is uplifting or reminds you of a happy memory. --My go to songs are either showtunes (ie Rent), nostalgic pop (ie NSYNC), hip hop (ie Waka Flocka Flame) or something ridiculously silly (ie Jump Smokers "Don't Be a Douchebag")

(2) Don’t let your blood sugar level go nuts. Feeling grumpy can often be avoided by taking a few minutes to eat something healthy for breakfast or eating a healthy protein such cheese as a snack. If you have to miss a meal, at least have a piece of fruit and drink enough water to stay well hydrated. --Or if you're me, maybe enjoy some Swedish Fish (probably not doctor recommended sugar though :-P ).

(3) Get enough sleep. Get to bed a half hour early tonight and set your alarm for an extra 10 minutes of snooze time in the morning for the next few days. --This is most definitely a problem area for me.  I am a night owl even when I need to get up early.  The result is not very pretty.  Give me 20 minutes to indulge in some caffeine and I'm okay (also probably not doctor recommended). 

(4) Ask a friend you can trust for a reality check. Allow yourself to vent about what is bothering you for 10 full minutes while your friend simply listens with no judgement or criticism. Verbalizing the problems that are bugging us can go a long way toward releasing pent up emotions that cause a grumpy mood. --My close girlfriends and I allow each other to take "crazy" time.  Fortunately, we don't all experience it at the same time.  Some days you just need to blab about everything that sucks.  Afterwards, we usually try to cheer each other up.

(5) Get some exercise outside.  A short walk allows us to get some exercise, exposure to sunlight, and time to clear our minds. --I find that a walk outside during my lunch break gives me just enough time to de-stress.  Spinning classes at the gym also leave me feeling relaxed and accomplished.

(6) Plan a future activity that puts a smile on your face. Today might be a terrible day, but your mood will be uplifted just thinking about fun future plans! --This could be anything as small as planning a dinner date with a friend or a long weekend out of town somewhere or a vacation.  Usually looking forward to the weekend is enough for me!

(7) Make a gratitude list. Don’t be surprised if you feel your grumpy mood lifting by the time you reach to 10. --There are times I'm in a bad mood and have forced myself to do this.  I tend to just do this in my head.  Chances are you are actually doing very well once you think about it.


There are so many other things you can do to cheer yourself up, but here's my list for now!  Please feel free to leave comments with your ideas! :)

Monday Mentions: Actions Can Be Powerful

Celebrating Living a Quarter of a Century: My 25th Birthday!

Turning 25 - Fun Facts:

• Car insurance discount
• Easier and cheaper to rent a car 
• No longer in the 18-24 age category 
• 10 years from legally being able to run for president (not a chance)
• Required to get an updated driver's license 

June 14th Throughout History:

• 1777– The Stars and Stripes is adopted by Congress as the Flag of the United States.
• 1916- President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially established June 14 as Flag Day (United States)
• 1789– Whiskey distilled from maize is first produced by American clergyman the Rev Elijah Craig. It is named Bourbon because Rev Craig lived in Bourbon County, Kentucky.
• 1947– Roswell UFO incident A supposed UFO crash lands in Roswell, New Mexico.
• 1987- I was born.

Random Facts:

• I was almost born in the car.  My mom wanted my dad to pull over.  Eventually, they made it to the hospital where they threw my mom in a room and a Resident caught me bare-handed. 
• I am a Gemini- "Geminis born June 14 combine a winning personality with a penetrating intelligence that is truly disarming. They are "idea" people. They aren't shy about expressing their opinions yet don't insist that people agree with them." TLC
• My due date was June 6th.  (I was late...surprise, surprise!)
• My 5th birthday party was Barbie themed.  (Shocking, huh?)
• I got my belly-button pierced on my 15th birthday. (10 years ago--gosh I feel old now!)

The 5 Dating Non-Negotiables: What Are Yours?

My 5 Dating Non-Negotiables 
(Creation of list inspired by Patti Stanger of Millionaire Matchmaker on Bravo--Click here for more information.)


High Integrity--Someone who know what their values are and lives up to them.  Trust is huge for me and reciprocal trust is very important for a healthy relationship.


Family-Oriented--I have 5 siblings and my parents are still married.  I'm not saying the person has to have parents who are still together, but if you are not close with your family, how can I expect you to want to be close with a family of your own?  Or become close with my family?  You don't have to be best friends, but it certainly makes life a lot easier if you are friendly with one another.


Ambitious/Confident--I am a very driven woman.  I need to be with someone who isn't just a dreamer, but also a go-getter.  That type of person keeps me wanting to challenge myself.  Confidence is important in achieving your goals.  I also added confidence because insecurity is an extreme turn off.  Everyone has insecurities, but dating an insecure man makes me feel like the guy in the relationship.  I like when someone is confident in who they are and what their value is without needing constant reassurance.


Great Sense of Humor--What can I say, I am a goofball.  There are times to be serious and the rest of the time I would like to spend laughing.


Physical Attraction--I know this sounds terrible, but I have tried dating men who look great on paper and fulfill every other non-negotiable of mine.  The demise of those relationships has been because I am not physically attracted to them.  I'm not saying that they were unattractive, but I was just not feeling it.  It made me feel shallow at first including this, but I had to honest with myself that it will not work out if that one is not there. 

-Dating without a concrete idea of what type of person you are searching for is like impulse shopping at the grocery store without a list. You might end up with a lot of fun things in your cart but once you get home, you realize you forgot the essentials. 
-Be proactive and clear about the non-negotiable issues in order to maximize the effectiveness of and minimize the wasted time spent in the process of dating.

My 5 Dating Negotiables 
(I just did this to be silly--I know this guy doesn't exist--that's why they are called negotiables)


Loves Penguins as much as I do--If not, then he at least supports my love for penguins.


Quotes The Office frequently--He will have to in order to communicate with me.


Enjoys my Blog posts/Raps--if not, they will likely inspire one or more.


Karaokes with me--I would love to do a duet with someone who is not tone deaf and also not afraid to look like a fool.


Obsessed with giving Massages--I should specify that they are good massages...a girl can dream right?

If I could add a 6th Negotiable it'd be: Does a killer Blue Steel look.