It’s just the way of life. We get hit by it and we are in a bad mood until the unpleasant feeling subsides after a while. William Shakespeare said, “Expectation is the root of all heartache.” Whoever shares knowledge about disappointments can state it as “a feeling of false expectations.” That would be the shortest explanation. However, as every bad mood has a remedy, disappointment does too. I would like to jump to the five ways to overcome disappointments so I can help you pass the sad feeling.
1. Identify what made you disappointed
I know I am stating the obvious, but finding the rebel that made you feel sad and displeasured is the first step to the remedy. The rebel is false expectation, but if you already find yourself caught in the trap, you should see the reason for it. Your girlfriend or boyfriend cheating on you can be a vast disappointment. It can be cured only if you consider what sphere in your faithfulness needs to be lowered. Of course there is a way and that’s the end of your relationship, but consider the feeling gone once you “see” what made you feel that way.
2. Find pleasure in the disappointment
Finding pleasure in disappointment is about strengthening your character. Pleasure is about satisfaction, and your satisfaction should be that you passed one massive “character” test that made you stronger. Nobody can share knowledge of “what if” if they haven’t survived that feeling. Be grateful that you planted an iron helm onto your brain and you upgraded your level of greatness. Always remember, it is all about balance. Nobody can be happy and full of joy all the time. There has to be moments of sadness and displeasure to test your capability of overcoming the bad feelings.
3. Look on the bright side
If you have seen the movie Monty Python you know what I am talking about. It’s about seeing the possibility and bright side in every disappointment, even if you are hung on a cross. It connects with number two. By finding pleasure in the disappointment we let the shine pass through. Every disappointment helps us become self-determined. By conquering the bad feelings, we have experience in steering the wheel during bad times.
4. Boost your mood with motivation
It always works, believe me. If you go with the flow and watch sad movies like The Notebook and P.S I Love You or watch Tyson lose from Holyfield after you lost a boxing match, it will make you feel worse. I know it feels right to watch these sorts of movies but you need to force yourself against your will. Watch a couple of happy ending love stories such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind or highlights from Mike Tyson’s knockouts. Not only will it transform your bad mood into positive, but it will motivate you to feel stupid that you felt so sad before. Motivational clips and adrenaline boosting songs always work for me. We are all different so you have to experiment on this one.
5. Lower your expectations
I left this one last because it’s most important. It’s like the cherry on the top of a pie. Expectations can lead to disappointments and that’s the only thing that made you feel sad. We induct so many feelings and false expectations in one particular thing that not only will it make you sad, but it can make you sick. Since all the bad thoughts result in dysfunction of the body, that can result in the break down of the immune system and viruses see the body as a playground. It is vital to expect less, because doing so can rarely lead you to sadness. Always remember that bad mood can be cured only by you. The five steps to remedy disappointments once more:
Identify what made you disappointed and realize why. Find pleasure in the disappointment by strengthening your character and remember, it’s all about balance. Always look on the bright side as Monty Python did. Boost your mood with motivation (you have to experiment your remedies on this one). Lower your expectations if you want to stay happy for a longer period of time.
Featured photo credit: Kristina Alexanderson via flickr.com
