Mood swings: what they are, and 9 tips to control them

Many of us have experienced this situation: on a normal day when we feel good and everything seems to go smoothly some thought or circumstance appears that suddenly makes our mood change and we begin to feel bad: sadder or stressed; distressed or pensive.

If these mood swings occur more frequently, they can condition our relationships and day-to-day. Then, we will see what smoke changes are, what are their possible causes and we will offer a series of keys to better manage them.

• Related article: "Differences between emotions and feelings"

What are mood swings?

Sudden mood swings or mood swings consist of a series of emotional swings that appear suddenly and in which the person experiences various emotions in a very short period of time.

In these moments the person can go from a jovial or satisfied mood to deep anguish or intense nervousness without anything happening that directly or consciously provokes it.

Emotional instability can cause numerous interferences in the rhythm of daily life of the person, both personally, socially or at work.

Although these mood swings have usually been attributed to women in greater due, because of the relationship that these have with the hormonal changes of menstruation or menopause, the truth is that these can occur in any sex or age.

• You may be interested: "Premenstrual syndrome: causes, symptoms, treatment and remedies"

Frequent causes

There are many, many causes that can cause sudden mood swings. Some of these changes may be due to external factors or events, hormonal changes, or certain underlying mental conditions or disorders.

Some of these causes include:

• Adolescence.
• Premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
• Menopause.
• Eating disorder.
• Personality disorder As the borderline personality disorder or histrionic.

However, there are many cases or times when it is not easy to determine what has caused a sudden change in mood. The appearance and management of emotions is such a variable fact and is affected by so many factors that it is often difficult to know what is affecting us.

Keys to managing mood swings

Although they are sometimes associated with some type of condition, it is completely natural to experience mood swings when a series of events happen to us in our lives that overwhelms or overwhelms us. they distress.

Experiencing emotional swings is commonHowever, if we do not know how to handle them or manage them properly, they can end up interfering in our social relationships or in our dealings with other people.

In the same way, they can lead to a decrease in our work performance, since these changes Emotional emotions and low mood can lead to demotivation, apathy, and a lack of productivity.

In order to better cope with these changes, we present a series of keys both to control and to avoid these mood swings. And there are a series of keys, strategies or guidelines to follow when we perceive that we are experiencing less emotional stability. These guidelines will help you manage your mood swings once they have set in and your overall mood is likely to improve.

1. Establish a series of calming routines

No one better than ourselves to know what things relax, calm or calm us and what others can activate us even more. Therefore, it is advisable to find a series of routines or places with which we can stabilize our emotions.

Routines like listening to some music, going for a walk or having a hot drink can help calm our mood. Once our ideal routine is identified, we must complete it each time a change in mood appears. Little by little it will become a kind of ritual that will help us more and more.

2. Know when to walk away

Being aware of when our mood is interfering with interactions with others is essential. Knowing when our emotions can control us is vital to interrupt a discussion that we know in advance we will not be able to cope.

Sudden mood swings are usually more pronounced with arguments, so it's worth stepping aside for a few moments and return when our minds are clearer and our spirits have returned to normal.

3. Think before speak

This point is closely related to the previous one. Another fundamental key so that mood swings do not dominate us is to stop for a moment to think before answering the other person moved by our emotions.

4. Rest every now and then

In many of the times when we experience sudden changes in our mood or in our state of mind, a good option is to take a few moments to rest and calm emotional instability.

A change of context or place is useful to clear our ideas. In cases where emotions invade us, it is highly recommended to stop for a moment, count to ten, and distract ourselves with anything else that helps us relax.

5. Do exercise

Exercise increases dopamine levels in the blood. This neurotransmitter plays an essential role in regulating our mood and making us feel better.

However, you don't need to do a lot of exercise each day. Taking short walks of about 30 minutes can help us manage and contain the negative emotions that can appear during an episode of mood swings.

• Related article: "Dopamine: 7 essential functions of this neurotransmitter"

6. Talk to someone you trust

When mood swings invade us and anguish takes over, it can be helpful to talk to a trusted person.

Raising our concerns and expressing our feelings to someone we can trust will make us feel better, calm our spirits and, something very important, will make us not feel alone before these situations.

However, if these mood swings appear on a recurring basis, the most advisable thing is to go to a psychologist or a mental health specialist in the medical field who can help us.

7. Write

Writing about our feelings can be of great help in venting, getting our ideas in order, and be aware of what circumstances trigger or facilitate these changes.

If we also record these changes daily we can be much more aware of our fluctuations, know what causes them or if there is a certain pattern of behavior. In this way, it will be easier for us to anticipate them and, as far as possible, to avoid them.

8. Know what causes mood swings

Although on many occasions we are not aware of stimuli or events that alter our moodIt is advisable to know what situations, seasons or stimuli can have an effect on our mood.

For example, if we know that sudden changes in mood may appear during premenstrual syndrome, it will be somewhat easier for us to handle them.

9. Ask for professional help

Although these mood swings are normal and can appear without being associated with any type of mental or emotional condition, if they occur on a recurring basis they can seriously interfere with our day-to-day lives.

In addition, feelings of anguish can intensify and, if we do not learn to manage them, mood swings can appear more and more often. Therefore, it is important to seek professional help and have a specialist in psychology or mental health guide us and help us manage these ups and downs.

Bibliographic references:

• Thayer, Robert E. (1989). The Biopsychology of Mood and Arousal. New Yok, NY: Oxford University Press.
• N Dubey, J F Hoffman, K Schuebel, Q Yuan, P E Martinez, L K Nieman, D R Rubinow, P J Schmidt & D Goldman. (2017). Molecular Psychiatry volume 22.