HALT: Solutions for a Bad Mood

Bad moods happen.  Sometimes we know what’s causing it, and sometimes we don’t.  And sometimes we have a hard time getting out of it. If you or your kiddo are stuck in a rotten mood, it might be helpful to stop and take stock of what needs are not being met.  Use the acronym HALT to do a quick assessment. This has been utilized for years in addiction recovery, specifically for preventing a relapse. These four elements make us less able to cope with other stressors.  For people in recovery, a lowered ability to cope with stress can lead to a relapse. For everyone, a lowered ability to cope with stress leads us to bad moods, bad attitudes, and bad behaviors.

Hungry.  We all have likely experienced this one - either from ourselves, or from witnessing someone else become unpleasant if they haven’t eaten recently.  Think about the last snack or meal, consider if it was substantial enough, and if you or your child might be “hangry.” A granola bar or a sandwich could be all you need to turn this mood around.

Angry.  You probably can tell if you’re feeling angry.  As adults, most of us have learned how to identify our emotions.  If you’re trying to figure our your child’s bad mood, consider if they may be feeling angry.  You can help them identify anger by cues their body gives them (feeling hot in the face, clenching their fists, tightness in their stomach, etc).  Then you can work to address why they might be feeling angry, if appropriate. Or you can validate their anger and take solace in knowing the cause of the bad mood.

Lonely.  Connection to other people is extremely important to us all.  Not having interactions with others makes us feel isolated and alone, and those feelings can easily impact our mood.  Keep in mind that just because you’re speaking to someone doesn’t mean you are connecting to them. If you have brought your child along with you to run errands but the only times you’ve spoken to her have been brief instructions or redirections, she still may be feeling lonely.  She might need a check in, a joke, a hug: something that helps her feel heard and seen by you.

Tired.  Just like hungry, most of us don’t need much of an explanation for this one.  When we feel tired we have a harder time coping with the world. The solution here could be a nap, but it could be to simply stop whatever current activity is proving to be a challenge, and take some time to rest.

There are plenty of other unmet needs that could be weighing on us, but these four are some of the most common and most influential on our mood.  Next time you or your child is in an unexplained bad mood, or having a seemingly disproportionate reaction to something, try to HALT and figure out what else might be going on.

A bad mood might mean needs are not being met.

If your child regularly has a hard time getting out of bad moods, contact me to learn more about how to help.