Attitude Adjustment

This morning my 20-month-old son woke up on the wrong side of the crib. It was still dark outside and we were on temper tantrum number 3 of the morning. I bent over to pick up the sippy cup of milk he had thrown on the floor and said, “Buddy, I need you to snap out of it.” He looked at me and said “Mama, snap out it.”

And he was right. I needed to snap out of it just as much as he did. At 6:15 on Monday morning I was already feeling like it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day and quite possibly a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week. We both needed what my parents used to call an Attitude Adjustment. I can’t tell you how many times as a pre-teen I was told that I needed an Attitude Adjustment, yet despite all that practice, it is still hard.


It is hard to take a bad mood and let it go, to choose to smile when you want to growl. It is hard to remember all the myriad things you have to be thankful for when the frustrations of the day loom large. Long lines, traffic jams, cranky co-workers, fussy babies, burnt suppers, and messy houses can all throw us off in a major way. In fact, more often than not, it is these so called “minor annoyances” that ruin our days, and not the major catastrophes and disasters we most fear.


So how do we do it? How do we snap out of it, have an Attitude Adjustment? I’d like to offer a few suggestions. A first step is to take a look at your attitude and try and understand why it is what it is. My bad attitude this morning had to do with starting my day at 5:30, being tired, feeling overwhelmed by all I had to do today, and dreading some correspondence I knew was coming later in the day. Once you have identified the stressors, annoyances, and problems that are contributing to your mood, stop and identify any steps you can take to ease them. Is there anything in your power that you can do to alter the situation? If so, take these steps. If not, there can be relief in acknowledging that you have done all you can and at this moment the best you can do is move on with your day.

Next, take a mental scan of your body. Take some slow, deep breaths and begin down at your toes. Gradually move up from your feet all the way to the top of your head, taking inventory of each part as you go. Is there tension somewhere? If your neck is tight, do some gentle neck rolls and give yourself a mini-massage. If your shoulders are tense, tighten the muscles and then gradually release them. The trick here is starting the Attitude Adjustment with your body, and then moving inward.

Once you’ve identified and relaxed any tension you are carrying in your body, turn the focus inward. Your next task is to remind yourself that you are more than the current situation. You may feel frustrated or overwhelmed at the moment, but this is not who you are. These feelings will pass. Some people find it helpful to visualize a deep ocean. At the top the waves may be huge, as the water swirls and froths in a storm. But deep down there is peace and calm. If you can look beyond the waves of the day to the bigger picture, you can often find that calm.


As you are reflecting on the bigger picture, take a few moments to pray. Ask the Lord to give you His peace. In my experience, peace and joy are often entirely absent in the midst of a bad attitude. And yet, Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” And, in Acts 14:17 it says, “Yet he (God) has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” Ask Him to fill you with His joy and peace and to help you move your focus away from the stressors of the moment and onto Him.

If possible, after your time of prayer, take a moment to recharge. Quickly engage in an activity that you find energizing. Most of the time when we’re in a bad mood we do not have time to fully recharge…if we had time to sit back and relax we probably wouldn’t be in the bad mood in the first place. However, you can usually find a moment for self-care, whether that’s in the form of a cup of coffee, lighting a candle, turning on a favorite CD, or texting a friend to ask for prayer. These quick interventions can help you switch gears and give you an emotional energy boost.

And finally, the best antidote for a bad mood is gratitude. It becomes much easier to change our perspective when we take our eyes off of our frustrations and stressors and focus them on what we are thankful for. Even if you feel indescribably grumpy, it is hard not to smile when listing blessings in your life. Remarkably, this also appears to be an excellent way to avoid falling into the bad mood in the first place. So list 10 things you are thankful for in that moment, on that day.

Saying “snap out of it” is easy. Even a toddler can do it. However, actually having an Attitude Adjustment can be very challenging. What are some of your strategies for letting go of a bad mood?