How to Regulate Your Mood Swings

There are similar sayings about the weather in certain parts of the country. They all roughly translate to something like, “If you don’t like the weather, just wait 15 minutes.” That’s because the conditions can fluctuate greatly in a very short time.

Some people find their moods can be just as mercurial. The happiness of one moment can pivot to anger or sadness the next. Neither you nor anyone around you may know who you’ll be at any given time.

Mood swings aren’t uncommon. But if they’re dramatic, occur often, or interfere with your daily life, they could be something more. Reaching out to your doctor or therapist is smart if your fluctuations are intense and unmanageable.

Also Read: Tips To Feel More Energetic Every Day

If you’re distressed because your disposition is here, there, and everywhere, you can find a smoother path. Here are a few ways you may be able to regulate your mood swings.

Get a Handle on Your Hormones

For women, hormones are primary instigators of mood swings. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), pregnancy, and menopause all can cause hormonal imbalances. Adult females have little chance of not experiencing at least some mood-altering hormonal havoc in life.

Estrogen is the culprit, which is why most men and postmenopausal women are immune to its impact on mood. High levels and low levels can be equally beneficial to mood. It’s the fluctuation of estrogen levels that causes mood mayhem.

Similarly, birth control containing estrogen has been both blamed for mood swings and praised for keeping them level. As with most things, the way hormonal birth control affects you will differ from how it affects someone else. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution.

The good news is that there are many types of birth control available. You should discuss your mood swings with your healthcare provider and monitor them. Keeping a journal to track mood fluctuations and your menstrual cycle is a great way to maintain a reliable record.

Seek a birth control method that keeps you on an even keel while doing its job to prevent pregnancy. If one doesn’t work, talk to your provider about trying other methods until you find one that does. Birth control may be the best way to get a grip on the situation.

Regulate Your Nutritional Intake

You truly are what you eat and drink. What you put into your body may very well be controlling your mood. Nutritional deficits and blood sugar levels may be causing those fluctuations in how you feel mentally and physically.

If you’re suffering from mood swings, study what you’re consuming. You may think that can of cola and a donut are what you need to get going in the morning. But like a kid at Halloween, you will crash after the sugar high wears off.

You’ll be better off consuming more nutritious fare. Complex carbohydrates increase serotonin production in the brain to improve your mood. Protein raises norepinephrine and dopamine to boost mood and motivation. The antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins in fruits and vegetables lift your spirits.

Many experts consider the Mediterranean diet to be a depression-buster as well as a heart-healthy regimen. And while raising a glass of wine with dinner is OK, overdoing it can cause drastic mood swings. The same holds true if you’re abusing drugs, so get the help you need to kick those habits.

Heart disease, diabetes, and stroke are among the health issues that can be sources of mood swings. That means a healthy diet is not only good for boosting the chemicals that keep you grounded. It may also prevent you from developing the diseases that could set those mood swings in motion.

Best Your Stress

Stress is the root of major emotional and physical health issues. Depression, heart problems, sexual dysfunction, weight gain or loss, and skin conditions are a few of them. So are mood swings.

Today’s world is rife with mechanisms that put stress in play. Fear, dread, and uncertainty, unrealistic expectations, and your attitude about things are all stressors. Moreover, in an ever-changing world, change itself exerts enormous pressure on your mood.

There are ways you can overcome your stress by undertaking key lifestyle changes. Regular exercise, a healthy diet, and getting a good night’s sleep will all help. Meditation, journaling, and connecting with family and friends can also make a huge difference in how you feel.

As important as what you add to your life to lower stress are those things you eliminate from it. Unloading a failing relationship, quitting a job you hate, and dropping bad habits like overspending and over-drinking will help.

Stress gives you a pretty poor outlook on life, which results in high highs and low lows. A change in lifestyle and thinking may give you a more positive outlook and keep you on an even footing.

Swing Back

Mood swings are no fun for you or for anyone who spends time with you. Of course, it’s natural to experience different moods. And you would be a pretty boring individual without them.

If your mood swings are sudden and extreme, though, you should talk to your doctor or therapist. You could be suffering a physical or mental health issue that needs much greater intervention than these suggestions.

Also Read: Easy Methods to Express Your Affection towards your partner

On the other hand, if your mood swings are noticeable but not interfering with your life, take stock. If you think you know why your moods are fluctuating, make the needed changes. You may just figure out how to control your own weather.