Mood Shift

We live in extraordinary times. The national and international mood has shifted dramatically in 2022! In the first few months of this year there was the cautious optimism in many countries that COVID-19 was over. The novelty of communal gatherings and family holidays shimmered excitingly on the horizon.

Sadly, just as we were emerging from the global pandemic, we were confronted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the ripple effect that has had on the people (and planet) involved. More broadly we are experiencing the extended impact of that conflict and how it is affecting energy markets across the world.

In the UK, full emergence from the pandemic has allowed free movement again. However, distraction, dysfunction and occasional disintegration of government has also been worrying. A loss of confidence in government policy impacted the strength of UK currency which caused concern for everyone.

Perhaps most significantly the Commonwealth lost Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest serving monarch, and the very definition of graceful leadership.

This Christmas season should allow more communal celebration, however the rising cost of living and looming recession might dampen the festive spirit...

The reality is that our emotions can rise or fall based on what we choose to see. Sensational news tends to sell more easily than a positive note. Indeed, research has shown that a bad mood is more contagious than a good one!

So shifting our moodset becomes the responsibility of ourselves. I know, this means taking some ownership for how we view the world. Ownership and accountability is difficult because we have to rise above the blame game and actually reflect on our own game.

However, I can humbly share based on some personal experience, that if we take the alternative route, and focus on what we can control (rather than what is outside our control), we can indeed shift our mood, followed by our results. Sadly, and happily, it starts with me and you :)

If you enjoyed this article, I would encourage you to check out my popular book on performance improvement; Accelerating Automatic!

Tim Wigham is Head of Performance at Exceed Energy. He is an Amazon#1 bestselling co-author of Purposeful People and a TEDx Speaker on the topic of Moodset and Team Performance.