Mood swings are times when your thoughts change all of a sudden. It seems like you are fine one minute and then really upset, angry, or happy for no reason the next. This is a change that often occurs and is normal with the mood swings. These types of stages happen mostly during different stages, like puberty, pregnancy, or when you face a struggle in your life.
The feeling is not the same for every individual, says Dr. Leslie Dobson, a psychologist in Long Beach, California. A little ups and downs in your mood are good for you. These mood changes can feel a lot worse sometimes than they normally do. In this article, we will understand the causes of mood swings and how to cope with them.
What Are Mood Swings?
You would have felt sometimes like one minute back you were fine, but suddenly feeling sad, angry, or sometimes happy. This is a mood swing. Normally, these mood swings are fine – they are natural human body behavior. But when your feelings don’t match the situation and start getting in the way of your daily life, you may have a mood disorder.
UCLA Health points out that if your mood changes quickly, often, or with a lot of intensity, especially when there’s no clear reason, it could be more than just stress. Cara Gardenswartz, PhD, a psychologist and founder of Group Therapy LA and NY, says unexplained mood swings might be linked to a mental health condition or a medical issue that needs serious attention.
Common Causes Of Mood Swings In Men And Women
Everyone has mood swings, both men and women alike. But when a woman’s upset, people often jump to, “Is it that time of the month?” However, when a man’s mood is off, the response is completely different.. “He is probably just stressed.” The truth is, both men and women deal with mood swings. Sometimes it’s hormones, sometimes it’s the troubles of life. The difference isn’t in who feels it — it’s in how we as a society talk about it. It’s time we dropped the stereotypes, recognized the causes of mood swings, and found ways to cope with them.
| Category | Men | Women |
| Hormonal Causes | Poor sleep, overwork, or burnout, lack of exercise | Depression, anxiety, identity or role pressure |
| Psychological Causes | Depression, anxiety, body image, or societal pressure | Poor sleep, overwork, or burnout, lack of exercise |
| Lifestyle Causes | Poor sleep, overwork, burnout, or lack of exercise | Depression, anxiety, body image, or societal pressure |
| Medical Causes | Job pressure, financial stress, and relationship issues | Job pressure, financial stress, relationship issues |
| External Stressors | Depression, anxiety, identity, or role pressure | Job pressure, financial stress, and relationship issues |
7 Simple Ways To Cope With Mood Swings Naturally?
Mood swings often make things hard to think straight or handle any stress in a healthy way. Things start to feel unclear or too much. You might feel like your mind is foggy, and it gets harder to make good choices. The good news is, there are natural ways to manage this. Here are those ways –
1. Get some sunlight
Serotonin is a brain chemical that helps control your mood. Having more serotonin in your body can make you feel better and happier. But if those amounts drop, you might feel down or even depressed.
A quick and natural way to raise serotonin? Get some morning sun by going outside. Getting some early morning sun can help your body make more serotonin. So, try to enjoy the soft morning light to start your day. It may look like a small habit, but it can really change how you feel.
2. Embrace the greenery in your life
Going to nature and spending time there can help you feel relaxed. Living near nature, like trees, grass, or plants, can help you feel stress-free, improve your mood, and reduce the effects of depression or anxiety.
If you have a balcony, make sure to add some plants and other things to make it feel like nature and be sure to make time to spend every day there. Go for walks in the park regularly. Spending time with that green can make a positive difference in your life. Being in nature for even a short time can help you feel calmer and clear-headed.
3. Add carotene to your diet
Carotenoids are a type of food that can assist you. They are high in vitamin A and are packed with antioxidants that color fruits and vegetables bright red, yellow, and orange. To maintain your mind and body in good health, consume foods that are high in carotene, like broccoli, peaches, spinach, pumpkin, carrots, and sweet potatoes.
4. Stick to healthy sleep habits
Each night when you sleep, your muscles relax, your blood pressure falls, and your body begins to heal itself. In addition, hormones aid in growth, healing, and restoring energy. Therefore, practice some essential tips to sleep better at night, such as reducing screen time before bed and attempting sleep therapy.
Not getting enough sleep, even if it’s for a few hours, can make you feel bad or even get affected by a mood episode. Things can get worse if you sleep too much, though. Not less. Not a lot.
5. Do some hobbies or chores around the house
When you are experiencing mood swings, the best thing to do is to keep yourself occupied. Little activities like dancing, singing, painting, cooking, cleaning, or organizing are also a good place to begin. It can distract you from your intense emotions and allow you to think about something else.
6. Use the technique of reflection
A simple but strong habit that can help you stay more in touch with your feelings and lower mood swings over time is to think about them. Practice this before sleep:
- Find a quiet place to sit down and close your eyes
- Go through your day in your mind, step by step
- Don’t think too much or judge things or others
- Don’t try to fix anything; just pay attention to yourself
You can become more aware of your emotional habits if you do this regularly. And being more aware makes it easier to notice changes in your mood early and deal with them better. This is really helpful when figuring out how to cope with mood swings during the periods when emotions are unpredictable.
7. Practice sun salutation (Surya Namaskar)
Sun salutation can help you hold your breath when you’re feeling stressed or anxious. It eases the stress of the day and relaxes the body. After one set of asanas, the body and mind are in balance. It keeps the left and right parts of the brain in balance, which helps with mood swings. This keeps feelings in check.
Final Words
Mood swings are tricky, and different things can make men and women feel them. Among these are changes in hormones, everyday routines, mental health issues, and other aspects. You first must understand what mood swings are. Though you are suffering with them during your period, while you are pregnant, or at any other time, know that you can always get help. Correct tools and support will allow you to better manage your emotions and feel more in control.
FAQs
There are many natural ways to keep your mood stable. For example, if you do daily workouts, maintain a healthy diet, sleep well at the right time, take a short walk in the morning sun or do yoga and meditation regularly, then your mood starts becoming stable automatically. You can see its effect in a few days.
Generally speaking, most of the time, treatment for mood swings is not required. Yes, If they are affecting your mental health, relationships, or professional career, that time you should see a doctor right away.
Absolutely. Too frequent and too long mood swings could be indicators of a mental illness such as bipolar disorder, depression, or anxiety.
Mood shift can make it tough for feelings to be constant, which can break down trust and connection. Depression can pull people away. The solution? Romantic episodes might cause a person to engage in risky behaviours.
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