Do you know a Mood Hoover? A person who sucks the life out of a room and the people in it. If you don’t know what I mean then you don’t know one; because if you did you’d always be aware of the Mood Hoover’s mood.

I’m writing this post for 2 reasons: to ask advice on how you deal with a Mood Hoover, and to try to give you some advice on how to handle yourself around one.

I have come across quite a few Mood Hoovers in my time. I have in the past tried to make them happy, walking on egg shells around them, trying desperately to get them to join in or even just to crack a smile. But let me tell you one thing I know about this type of person: they enjoy being miserable. They like to be on the outside looking in and they certainly don’t want to take part. So, don’t worry about them. Where you can, don’t invite them, if they’re near you, take a wide birth and if you must talk to them, for goodness sake don’t get sucked in!

Mood Hoovers are powerful! Not only can they change the ‘colour’ of a room with their mind (behaviour) they can also take over your thoughts. If you listen too carefully to their dribble, their moaning, their unhappiness, then you too may become a part of their world and let’s face it… It’s not a happy place to be.

This may sound a little harsh, it could be seen as a little dismissive. But, do you have time to be worrying about other people’s happiness? I don’t! So, I take care of my happiness and in doing so the people around me. A friend of mine once told me something his mother said to him: ‘if something is making you unhappy stop doing it. Find things that make you happy and spend more time doing them’. I think this can be applied to people too. Make an effort to spend time with those who make you happy and stay away from those who don’t!

However, what if you have to work closely with this type of person? Or have ended up with a Mood Hoover in your circle friends? How do you deal with them? This I have yet to learn.

Ps: if you’re one of my friends reading this and wondering if I’m talking about you… I’m not. I like my friends.