.svg){kind=small}
As the saying goes, we are who we surround ourselves with. Since our friend’s moods – positive or negative – can directly affect our own through social contagion, we need to be mindful of who we’re around. It’s important for both our personal growth and mental well-being to surround ourselves with friends who motivate us and provide us with happiness and overall good vibes.
Of course it’s understandable and expected when friends are in a bad mood or feeling sad. Here’s what to do if your friend’s mood is bringing you down:
Show support
Both positive and negative moods come and go but in that process, it’s important to acknowledge those feelings and face them head on. The worst thing someone can do is ignore them and have it resurface into other, more complex feelings. Providing support to your friends and helping them through a tough time can uplift everyone’s moods at the same time.
Create distance
If you’re noticing that your friend is in a bad mood and don’t want their moods to negatively impact your own, create that distance. Make sure you communicate your feelings so that they’re not perceiving you as giving them the cold shoulder. Sometimes you don’t have the energy or mental capacity to be there for your friend. Reconvene when you’re in a better headspace.
Know how they’re feeling
Knowing how they’re feeling allows you to stop their moods from affecting yours before it even begins. By using a social mood tracker like Moodwave, you can easily see how your friends are feeling, which allows you to make the decision to either actively show support or create that distance.
Take control of your own mood by assessing how your social circle is affecting it. We all have bad days but it’s up to us to decide how we let other people’s feelings impact ours.
