Bad Mood Can Be Beneficial
America is not in a bad mood. Well, not worse than usual. According to the long-standing Gallup US Mood poll, the number of Americans reporting “daily worry and stress without much happiness or pleasure” peaked at a four-year high of 13.1% just after the 2016 elections before returning to their usual state. the range is about 9-11%. What if you’re one of those 9-11% is terrible.
Good! Let the anger flow through you! Because, as social psychologist Joseph Paul Forgas explains in Quartz, being in a bad mood has psychological benefits .
There are well-known and long-romanticized effects: sadness inspires great art and helps us appreciate the sadness of others. But Dr. Forgas notes a few more banal and practical advantages:
- Bad mood improves memory.
- While the theory that people with clinical depression have more accurate self-assessments is controversial and limited , mild bad moods can improve the ratings of others.
- People in a bad mood try harder (and do better) on difficult mental tasks.
- Bad moods can lead people to worry more about fairness.
So when things get really bad, consider feeling bad! Then use that feeling for something productive. Like a call to your congressman.