The Origin of Everyday Moods Managing Energy, Tension, and Stress

by Thayer, Robert E.

• ISBN13: 9780195118056
• ISBN10: 0195118057
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1997-11-27
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Caffeine. Candy. Sex. Shopping. Smoking. Whether we realize it or not, all of us have strategies for self-medicating ourselves when we feel threatened or overwhelmed by tension or tiredness. But why does one person respond to pressure by going for a five-mile run, while another indulges in afive-hour drinking marathon? Why do some of us crave companionship, while others just want to be alone? And what really helps most to reduce tension and increase energy, a brisk ten-minute walk, twenty minutes of meditation, or two hours of watching TV? In this fascinating new book, nationally known psychologist Robert E. Thayer serves as an expert guide through the latest research into moods and mood management, offering proven techniques for putting today's most important breakthroughs to work in our day-to-day lives. Thayer, whose own work onthe biopsychology of moods has been widely discussed in the leading scientific journals--as well as in the pages of Reader's Digest, Prevention, USA Today, McCall's, Good Housekeeping, Men's Health, Redbook, and hundreds of other magazines and newspapers, and on the popular radio show "The OsgoodFile"--evaluates the hard scientific evidence as he reveals which behaviors energize and empower us, and which sabotage our best interests. (Just five or ten minutes of walking, for example, can enhance mood for an hour or more, while sugar snacking, Thayer shows, causes more tension than itreduces.) Thayer argues that when we learn to see moods as vital barometers of our whole psychology and physiology, rather than mysterious, purely emotional reactions to events around us, we not only understand ourselves better, we have the opportunity to substantially improve our personaleffectiveness, both mentally and physically. Thayer offers compelling evidence that our moods--particularly feelings of energy and tension--are closely tied to the rhythms of our evolutionary past. They are directly affected by our health, the food we eat, the amount of sleep we get, exercise (orlack of it), and the time of day. We learn why problems seem more serious late at night, and why a simple disagreement with a co-worker or spouse is more apt to turn into an emotional flare-up at certain times of day. We investigate key differences in the most common ways men and women deal with badmoods, and probe the implications of these findings on our understanding of alcoholism and depression. Far from a shallow quick-fix book, Everyday Moods: Energy and Tension is an in-depth exploration of the origins and influences of moods that affect us every day of our lives. It brings readers to a new understanding of the underlying biology of their daily cycles of energy and tension, andoffers powerful recommendations for breaking self-destructive habits and leading a richer, more enjoyable life.

Author Biography

Robert E. Thayer is Professor of Psychology at California State University, Long Beach. A pioneering and highly influential researcher in biopsychology, he is the author of The Biopsychology of Mood and Arousal.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. v
The Origin of Moods	p. 1
Mood and Its Meanings	p. 3
A Theory of Mood	p. 9
Moods as Barometers of Well-Being	p. 21
The Relationship Between Mood and Thoughts	p. 33
Energy and Tension Changes with Pms, Drugs, Social Interaction, Weather, and Life Events	p. 43
How Energy and Tension Interact	p. 57
The Evolutionary Biology of Moods	p. 75
The Physiology and Anatomy of Mood	p. 87
The Self-Regulation of Mood	p. 105
Self-Regulation: Why, How, and How Effective?	p. 107
Individual Differences in Mood-Regulating Strategies	p. 133
Mood Substitution: Different Ways of Achieving the Same Mood	p. 144
Rational Mood Substitution: Exercise More and Indulge Less	p. 157
Optimal Mood Management	p. 169
Practical Psychology of Self-Regulation	p. 171
Overcoming Tense-Tiredness by Increasing Energy	p. 183
Reducing Tension to Overcome Tense-Tiredness	p. 196
Moods at Different Times of Day	p. 203
Systematic Self-Observation: The First Step in Mood Change	p. 214
A Review of the Origin and Self-Regulation of Everyday Moods	p. 222
Appendix: Beyond Stress Management to Calm-Energy	p. 231
Notes	p. 235
Index	p. 265
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.