I’m irritable right now. I am beyond irritable – I am crawling out my skin with grumpiness.
I’m well versed in the idea of “man plans, and God laughs” – no matter what time I get up in the morning or how detailed my to-do list is, things never quite go how I lay them out.
And that’s okay!
I will say that the days when I don’t get some alone time to recharge, I can get super grumpy!

I’ve always needed time to center myself and take mental breaks – very hard to do now with a busy toddler. I use nap time just for me, but on days when my husband works late, a 1.5 hour break out of a 12 hour day doesn’t feel like enough.
So, here are some things I do throughout the day to get out of a bad mood – quick!
- Drink water
- Have a snack
- Do a 5 minute clean of my space
- Meditate
- Do a quick exercise
- Text a friend
- Put my face in a bowl of cold water
- Go outside
- List 5 things I’m grateful for
- Write it out
I think the most important one for me on this list is doing a 5 minute clean because now that I have a toddler, it’s one mess after another. I can never seem to keep on top of it all! There is always laundry to be folded or dishes to be washed or toys to put away. I know that this is a big source of stress for me so I plan on getting super organized in the new year!
Another one that almost always works for me is drinking water. I always feel like I’m doing my body a disservice by not staying hydrated, so this one really helps.
As you can see, a lot of my discontent stems from not having enough time or poor planning – definitely things I need to work on!
At the end of the day, when I take a step back and realize the things that I get stressed out about are fixable and not immediate.

I know that my job these days is to be present for myself and my child. The laundry can be folded later, the mess can go another day.
I always feel good when I’m plugged into the moment and rooted in gratitude. Spending quality time with the people I love, writing, moving my body and connecting with the world is when I feel most fulfilled – not when my house is sparkling clean or I’ve checked everything off of my to-do list.
I definitely need to remember that when I get a little grumpy!
What do you do to get out of a bad mood? Do you also believe you have to make a choice to get out of a bad mood?
Do you use anything on this list?
Let me know below!
O.