What's in a mood?

The other day was one of those days. You know when you wake up and you're not in a great mood, but you aren't particularly angry about anything you can put your finger on either? Well I was having one of those and ended up being somewhat short and snappy with some of my work colleagues (I did explain to them it wasn't personal, I was just in a wierd mood).

When I got home something from the depths of my mind came to the fore - biorhythms. I hadn't looked at mine for about 4 years, so decided to see where I was in the various cycles. For those who are unfamiliar with biorhythms, they were identified in the 1890s, and today there are three primary cycles which start from birth.

• Physical - (23 day cycle) When it is high you tend to feel strong and alert; when it is low you feel tired and are more likely to pick up an injury or illness.
• Emotional - (28 day cycle) When it is high you will feel content and at peace; when it is low you may have a gloomy outlook on life and feel that the world is against you.
• Intellectual - (33 day cycle) Pick up new skills easily and apply existing skills in innovative ways when it is high; when it is low may feel unable to concentrate and more likely to make mistakes performing simple tasks.

For an excellent summary on the theory of biorhythms take a look at the White Stranger site.
Anyhow, using the Easy Biorhythm Calculator I found that I was heading into a low phase in more than once cycle. I then checked out some key dates in the past and it was very interesting to see how accurate they appeared to be.

I intend to use biorhythms in my tool armoury to help understand why I am the way I am sometimes, and to help me better deal with it. Hopefully there will be less snapping at work colleagues!