Last update: February 18, 2022
Mood is the emotional state, pleasant or unpleasant, that a person experiences internally. Usually these feelings are linked to an external factor (events, places, other people, etc.) or to a personal thought. In this article we will look at some factors that affect mood.
The mood therefore refers only to internal sensations, which are therefore subjective. On the other hand, it does not include the external manifestation of the latter. When we refer to inner feelings and their outward expression, we are talking about affection and not humor. We see below the main factors that affect mood, therefore on our inner dimension.
Being in a good mood means being cheerful
Being in a "good mood" and "being in a bad mood" are very common expressions. We often use them when we intend to give a representation of the disposition of our mind towards external circumstances. When we are in a good mood, our vital and sentimental tone is strengthened. We feel cheerful and in tune with all the positive events that surround us.
We feel optimistic and want to do anything. We want to socialize with other people, have fun and take advantage of our daily experiences. We also have greater stamina which helps us to deal with all possible obstacles. We tend to downplay setbacks by depriving them of importance due to the optimism generated by our positive mood.
When we are in a bad mood we are not there for anyone
In reverse, when we are in a bad mood we place ourselves at the opposite pole. Our mood is tinged with pessimism that makes us feel apathetic. We lack the desire and interest in anything that requires minimal effort.
Consequently, setbacks appear to us as annoying and insurmountable obstacles. This worsens our mood even more. We prefer to be left alone and don't want people to bother us, so we tend to avoid social relationships.
What are the factors that affect mood?
If we try to understand what they are factors affecting mood, we realize that they are innumerable. Some factors are external, coming from the environment that is the background to people's lives. Other factors are internal instead, coming from our inner self and manifesting themselves in the form of physical and psychic sensations.
It would be impossible to classify all the factors responsible for mood swings, as one of their hallmarks is the fact that differ from person to person. That is to say that each person is more sensitive to certain factors, which are therefore specific.
The same event can affect the mood of different people in various ways depending on their temperament and character. To verify this phenomenon, it is enough to resort to a simple experiment, that is to participate in an occasion of worldly life by stopping to observe each of those present in an attempt to perceive their state of mind, that is their predominant mood. We will likely see someone cheerful, beaming with happiness, in the mood to chat and full of enthusiasm.
However, not far from the latter, we will find ourselves to see another person, calm, taciturn, absent, who acts as if the party around her does not belong to her. A little further on, we will be able to observe a third person, prankster, arrogant and presumptuous who never stops attracting attention. Sitting in the corner, we will find a fourth individual, enjoying the music.
As we can observe, the event and the external environmental stimuli are the same for everyone; however, the reaction they generate differs from person to person. Our mood depends on what we think and do in certain situations.
Our life experience determines our mood
What is wonderful to someone can be horrible to someone else. This happens in most cases. Each person is a set of events, experiences and memories archived during the course of life. This set of experiences is called a biography.
Each of these events, experiences and memories is linked to a feeling, a certain emotion, which is activated when we find ourselves in a situation that stimulates it.
Therefore, it is not the situation itself that determines our mood. What affects our mood is the way our inner self processes it, with all the emotional pressure that this entails.
When we ask ourselves, therefore, what factors affect mood, we can say that any circumstance that provokes an emotional reaction in us, both positive and negative, can be considered a determining factor. Drawing up an exhaustive list of all the situations that have this effect would be a difficult undertaking, but at the same time very useful for learning to know ourselves.
