Woke Up This Mornin'...

“Zip-a-dee dooh-dah, zip-a-de ay / my oh my what a wonderful day…” If only. Occasionally I just wake up in a bad mood – I can’t put it any plainer than that. My self-esteem is low, my attitude is negative and my body is sluggish. I might have drifted contentedly off to sleep some hours before but an unaccountable mood-swing has occurred during the night. I could, perhaps, blame the residual effects of disturbing dreams - if I were able to remember them. It’s certainly not a case of “woke up this morning, trouble knocking on my door” because, for the present at least, things are going swimmingly. No, the cause of the bad mood is a puzzle, one which I ponder while I breakfast alone. (That way it’s just the toaster that gets it. And the radio.)

I guess I’m not the only one who experiences this kind of grumpy awakening, since people have been getting out of bed “on the wrong side” for as long as I can remember. That said, I know a couple of characters whom I suspect of never having done so since they always appear to be in a good mood. But as I’m not present in the mornings when they wake up, I can’t be sure. Perhaps they do but are emotionally resilient and recover quickly, like those toy figures with bulbous, weighted bases that right themselves uncomplainingly whenever they get knocked over. For some of us, however, turning that frown upside down can be more of a struggle.

My personal methods of recovery include the following: mood-altering substances (tea and toast) prepared meticulously and taken in generous but measured quantities; a critical review of my personal circumstances which, on the whole, concludes that my situation is satisfactory, verging on smug; a mental singalong to “Always look on the bright side of life” (I can’t do the whistling part); and, finally, a metaphorical pulling up of socks. If none of this is sufficient, my partner can be counted on to oblige with an encouraging comment, such as “What’s wrong with you, you miserable git?”

Most mornings, fortunately, these measures are not required: instead, the line "Oh what a beautiful morning" will be on the tip of my tongue followed, as I saunter into the street, by the classic “Hello lamppost, what you knowin’”. Nothing can be finer than to be in a good mood and when I wake up in one I’m not inclined to dwell on how or why it came about, I’m just thankful. That said, I've learnt to remain on the alert for situations that might spoil things. I'm aware that at any point during the day I might become angry, outraged or disappointed and that any or all of these emotions could tip me into a bad mood. The trick is not to allow this to happen, though how I actually do this effectively, all the while resolutely refusing to embrace a far-eastern religious belief system, is an on-going experiment. Still, simply being awake gives me a fighting chance of making sure I get into bed on the right side. From then on, it’s just a matter of hoping for the best.