Emotional ups and downs: 7 tips on what to do to manage them

Know how to manage emotional ups and downs It is one of the key skills that we must work on, regardless of whether we regularly go to the psychologist's office or not.

On the other hand, to assume that we cannot modulate our emotions is to limit ourselves in a way unnecessary, especially when these tend to change quickly and we become very sensitive to what it happens to us

In this article we will see a series of tips to know what to do in the face of emotional ups and downs, adopt strategies against instability of this type, and adapt in the best possible way to the environment and to life in general.

• Related article: "The 8 types of emotions (classification and description)"

What are emotional ups and downs?

The existence of emotions makes sense, among other things, because they do not arise through our conscious control. Thanks to them, we do not have to go through a long period of reflection to know how to position ourselves before an idea or event; we simply adopt an attitude automatically, and sometimes in a matter of fractions of a second.

However, in some cases the dynamic nature of emotions it can turn into emotional ups and downs, which appear when minimal changes cause the mood to change completely.

This emotional instability can not only generate discomfort in the person who experiences it first hand; It can also negatively affect the way you socialize, since it facilitates the appearance of misunderstandings and failures in communication. Thus, it is normal to look for solutions, either looking for a psychologist (for cases in which the quality of life is worn out) or changing certain day-to-day routines.

How to manage emotional instability

Next we will see several key ideas to apply in case you are not attending psychological treatment, although reading them and trying to follow them yourself cannot replace the work of a health professional mental.

1. See what situations fuel emotional ups and downs

Does this emotional instability appear in any situation, or does it remain linked to a specific context or area? The answer to this question can give you clues about the extent to which the ups and downs are facilitated by elements in your environment.

2. Learn about Bipolar Disorder

As with any type of psychological disorder, Bipolar Disorder can only be diagnosed by mental health professionals through personalized evaluations. However, the simple fact of reading about it can help us understand what happens to us, comparing its associated symptoms with what happens in that case.

Specifically, Bipolar Disorder is characterized by stages of mania, in which euphoria and extreme optimism and motivation prevail, with another of a depressive type. These stages are usually long (several days in a row, or weeks), and the symptoms are very extreme and relatively independent of what happens to us.

So, if the emotional ups and downs are not extreme and do not last more than a day, there is no reason to think that this may be the case. phenomenon that affects us, while in the opposite case it is advisable to attend a psychological evaluation, even taking into account that Doesn't have to be Bipolar Disorder. Also, keep in mind that there is a tendency to identify with the symptoms of mental disorders, despite the fact that this relationship does not really exist or is exaggerated.

• You may be interested in: "Types of Bipolar Disorder and its characteristics"

3. Sleep well and eat properly

In many cases, emotional instability is due to frustration fueled by poor physical condition. People who cannot well assume the cost of energy that their daily life requires tend to have higher levels of anxiety, which makes them react in a more extreme way to negative stimuli.

Therefore, getting enough sleep and taking care of your diet will help prevent this energy deficit from occurring, which is reflected in the emotional state.

4. Learn to surround yourself with the right people

There are times when emotional ups and downs arise from flawed relational dynamics, perhaps because of conflicts with another person, for memories associated with someone and that we would prefer to forget or simply because prevailing attitudes in a group do us no good.

That is why it is important to be clear that if a relationship does not make us feel good, it is totally legitimate to cut it off, even temporarily until we recover.

5. Do not force the appearance of other emotions

If you try to "force" yourself to feel differently, that will only cause you frustration, since it won't work. Instead, it is much more useful to indirectly influence how you feel exposing yourself to environments that convey the way you want to feel.

In any case, in the case of emotional ups and downs, this cannot be the definitive solution either, since It can only be effective when the abrupt change that you want to avoid recurring has already appeared. constant.

6. Give yourself some time to disconnect

Entering a phase in which the ideas that obsess us and the environments that bombard us with reasons to worry is very positive, since it allows us to regain strength and resume those day-to-day challenges with energy renewed.

If possible, change places, so that your physical environment does not remind you of what makes you experience stress.

7. Go to the psychologist

If you don't manage to adequately manage emotional instability, don't blame yourself; the field of emotions works through processes that do not depend on our voluntary control, and we can only influence it in an indirect way, modifying our way of relating to it. context. In the latter, psychological therapy works very well.

So it is important look for a psychologist or a team of psychologists and let yourself be advised and helped. Working from the consultation sessions and through the routines indicated by the professional, we will be doing what is necessary to improve significantly in a matter of weeks.

Bibliographic references:

• Salmuri, F. (2015). Reason and emotion: resources to learn and teach to think. Barcelona: RBA.
• Solomon, R. c. (2007). Not Passion's Slave. Oxford: Offord University Press.