Understanding Mood Swings

Mood swings are rapid and intense changes in our emotional states. The individual may go from feeling happy to severely distressed or frustrated over a short span of time. These fluctuations may, however, persist over a long period. As a result, the individual may experience significantly low moods or rapid changes for more extended periods of time, while being unable to understand or explain why this may be happening. While a general moodiness may arise from time to time and be part of life, sometimes these shifts in moods may intensify and interfere with everyday life and functioning.

What causes mood swings?

There can be several reasons for experiencing mood swings. The reasons may be different across the sexes. Women may experience mood swings for the following reasons-

Hormonal changes linked with but not limited to:

• PMS

• Pregnancy

• Menopause

Other reasons or contributing factors across sexes maybe –

• Stressful life experiences

• Trauma

• Irregular or disrupted sleep schedule

• Dietary changes

• Weather-related mood changes

• Substance usage

Mood swings can impact our day-to-day functioning. Under such circumstances, seeking help becomes of foremost importance. Speaking to a professional can help us in identifying the triggers and learn healthy coping strategies to manage our moods and not exacerbate them.

Building awareness in the support of others can be an excellent place to start with. Understanding and assessing if there have been changes you have been experiencing in your behaviour, body, or general ability to deal with things. Have situations become more challenging to deal with, or am I finding things increasingly stressful? Am I feeling stuck and unable to move past feeling a certain way?

What can I do about my mood swings?

• Seeking help by speaking to a mental health professional can prove helpful. This can help you understand your triggers, manage your emotions better, communicate and express better in your relationships and cope better.

• Consulting with a doctor to rule out physical aspects and follow the recommendations made can be another useful step to take.

• If there are underlying conditions like depression, other mood disorders, or even thyroid disorders, contributing to the mood swings, then medications may be used to treat the same.

• Moving holistically in terms of treatment- understanding if there are also lifestyle changes you should be focusing on in order to improve your moods.

Some practical ways in which you can manage mood swings -

1. Identify triggers- are there any specific thoughts or stressors associated with the mood changes?

2. Maintaining a mood chart- this helps with tracking moods, events precipitating these mood changes, and so on.

3. Keep track of your activities- activity scheduling helps in finding links between activities engaged in and your mood. Subsequently, you can increase activities that positively impact your mood.

4. Practicing basic self-care- includes not neglecting diet, exercise, and practising sleep hygiene.

5. Routines- having regular routines and planning ahead, brings a sense of stability and helps cope with mood difficulties.

A few other strategies would be to eliminate or minimize stressors and find ways to actively manage stress through journaling, meditation, etc. Seeking social support and connecting with people we trust can be another important strategy.

Conclusion

We all are prone to experiencing mood swings to a certain extent. During stressful life experiences or hormonal changes, we may experience them more. However, intense and drastic changes in moods may be suggestive of underlying conditions. Managing mood swings can be difficult, but it is important to remember that we are not alone. By taking the necessary steps and following the recommended course of action, most people are able to improve their overall wellness and manage their mood swings well.