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Negative mood? Don’t just try to get rid of it!

One of the instinctual reactions to a negative mood or a bad feeling is to try to get rid of it. But we now know that trying to get rid of feelings or moods may not only make us feel worse, there also is research that suggest negative moods can actually be useful.

Psychology research has shown that negative moods can actually be quite useful

Regret, for example, which can make us suffer by reflecting on the past, is an indispensable mental mechanism for learning from one’s own mistakes to avoid repeating them. Worries about the future are likewise essential to motivate us to do something that is somewhat unpleasant today but can create gain or spare us a greater loss in the future.