Let’s start out by saying it’s a slippery “rescuer” slope to get into the habit of regularly needing to help your significant other out of their bad mood. That said, every now and again it’s just what a good partner does. So, we’ll assume we’re talking about the latter and not the former.
Here are 3 sly and counterintuitive approaches to get them turning their frown upside down in no time.
- Meet them where they are. No, I don’t mean to mope around or slam that pint of ice cream too, but keep it chill. Staying in a low key mood instead of trying to cheer them up will allow them space to more quickly come out of their funk. Often when people are in a bad mood, cheerfulness is like nails on a chalkboard and raises their defenses to double down their bad mood.
- Be more decisive. Again, totally counterintuitive and feels like we’re doing serious martial arts but being in a bad mood can make even simple decisions seem like a drag. So we can help our partners out by doing this little maneuver and free up their energy towards feeling better.
- Mood music to the rescue. Pay attention to the background noises and ways you can subtly infuse some good vibes into the mix. Is there a favorite playlist you can drop or a loud somethingaruther you can turn down? Often we aren’t even aware of what we’re hearing but it can really effect our mood positively or negatively.
What are some sneaky ways you’ve tried?