Each new day brings a rainbow of emotions. With the good also comes the bad. Some days, we can be caught in a gloomy funk with no clear way out. Having a bad mood isn’t the issue. It’s how we handle it that is. A typical response to a bad mood is to try and push it away or force it to stop. Controlling your mood can actually make you feel even worse. Pushing the discomfort away amplifies the feeling. Instead of swimming against the stream, just swim with it.

Learn to let your mood pass with these three simple steps.

Step One: Honor How You Feel

The first step toward getting out of a bad mood is to honor your emotions. Find a comfortable, quiet space and sit for one minute of stillness. Become aware of how your body feels and how your mood is affecting you physically. Identify the tension in your body and take five deep breaths in and out. Breathe into the discomfort and allow yourself to be present in the experience. This step will help you accept whatever it is that you’re feeling. Use the power of your breath to soften the discomfort.

Step Two: Flow with It

Now that you’re aware of how your mood feels in your body, it’s time to just flow with it. Take action by doing some kind of physical activity like dancing, running, or stretching. Move with your emotions, and, eventually, they will move through you. Even a five-minute walk around the neighborhood can get your energy flowing and shifting. Continue to use your breathing exercise from step one by breathing into the mood as you move with it. Combining these two steps will help you shake up the stagnant energy in your body and release you from your bad mood.

Step Three: Choose to Let It Go

Often, we get stuck in a bad mood because we’re unwilling to let go of negative thoughts. Now that you’ve taken the necessary steps to shift your energy, it’s time to shift your mind. Commit to letting go of your bad mood through the power of positive thinking. Set your alarm clock with the affirmation, “I choose happiness instead of this.” Set this alarm four times throughout the day. When the alarm goes off, recite the affirmation in your mind. Continue this step throughout the day each time the alarm goes off. Your mental commitment combined with your breath will create miraculous shifts.

Use these three steps any time you get into a funky mood and trust that swimming with the stream will always lead you in the right direction.

Featured on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday as a next generation thought leader, Gabrielle Bernstein is making her mark. Gabrielle is the New York Times Bestselling Author of the book May Cause Miracles—A 40-day Guidebook of Subtle Shifts for Radical Change and Unlimited Happiness. Her earlier titles include Add More ~ing to Your Life—A Hip Guide to Happiness—and Spirit Junkie—A Radical Road to Self-Love and Miracles (published by Random House). Gabrielle is also the founder of the social networking site HerFuture.com for women to inspire, empower, and connect.

*Photo Credit: Viewminder via Compfight cc