It seems being in a foul mood could actually help some people handle everyday tasks.
A new study out of the University of Waterloo suggests that a bad mood can boost some people’s executive functioning; such as their ability to focus attention, manage time, and prioritize tasks.
The study found that high-reactive people, who have intense emotional responses, performed better when experiencing a bad mood.
It also found that a good mood can actually have the opposite effect in some people.
The study’s authors are warning that the results aren’t a free pass for people to fly off the handle or overreact.
The 95 participants in the study each completed nine different tasks and questionnaires that measure mood, emotional reactivity, and various working memory and analytic challenges.
