They are commonly assigned as homework by therapists in order to help positively impact individuals who are experiencing dysphoria or depression.
[failed verification][need quotation to verify][1] However, these tools can also be used for individuals experiencing temporary unwanted moods.
Concepts such as "think happy thoughts" and "don't listen to sad music" are commonly prescribed by friends or family to those suffering in negative moods.
[citation needed] Cognitive mood repair strategies are primarily concerned with the ability of recognizing emotional upset and taking one of three courses of action.
[5] Re-evaluation can also occur which allows for individuals to take a negative situation that cause a mood and seek to find a positive perspective from the circumstance.
This can occur from individuals seeking out emotional support and a deeper processing of the possible circumstance that led to the negative mood.
The initial thing to consider when proposing the use of a mood repair strategy is what kind of state the unhappy individual is in.
This means that presenting mood repair strategies in such a way that they do not seem like they are attempting to achieve happiness, but rather to avoid sadness, are more effective.
][1] Directing the individual seeking mood repair to engage in concrete, as opposed to abstract, processing is another important part of presentation.
Pairing highly sensory imagery with emotionally relevant memory has been shown to give people the best chance at experiencing mood repair.
Enforcing feelings of positivity can allow for the participant to model his or her actions and behaviors towards ones that are congruent with the type of music that is being used.
This allows for the emotion to be released from any form of tension due to an individual ruminating on the issue and open for a reinterpretation by the listener.
[10] Relaxation techniques are often used as mood-repair strategies to help an individual achieve a level of calm and reduce the stress or tension that can come from negative moods.
Exercise is used to help an individual alleviate unwanted moods by physically engaging the body to activate endorphins.
[10] Sex is a form of direct tension reduction, which puts it in the same category as things like the consumption of drugs and alcohol.
Generally engaging in sexual intercourse is a much safer and less destructive alternative to the other direct tension reducing measures.
To those in a healthy, committed relationship[citation needed] it can prove to be a very beneficial mood repair strategy.
It activates the release of oxytocin in the brain that serves to calm nerves, relax muscles, and induce brief euphoria.
The second major reason that sex constitutes as a mood repair strategy is because of the feelings of closeness it creates between the two people engaging in the action.
The intimacy involved in sex serves as an important counter to the feelings of loneliness and isolation that often contribute to sadness or depression.