Mood and those mood swings
We have all experienced changes in mood. We can easily notice when our mood is elevated and when it dips. Changes in mood are experienced by everyone, and mood swings are quite common among all genders and age groups. However, some people have extreme mood swings which could be high in intensity or duration. Understanding your mood, the variation in your moods, and its triggers could help manage situations in different moods better. You can recognise how mood changes the way you perceive things and how you behave as a result.
Why do we get moody?
Some days you feel amazing and things around you feel right and you feel elated by anything. You perceive most things as positive. And some days are quite the opposite, you get irate easily and everything feels exceptionally unacceptable. For example, if someone is hurrying in traffic, you may curse them instantly on days when you are experiencing a bad mood, while you might just let them go past you on a day you are experiencing a good mood.
The mood is a complex side of the human mind and it is influenced by environmental, biological and psychological factors. Mood variations can occur due to one or more factors like illness, abuse, stress-causing surroundings, poor sleeping habits, weather, hormonal changes, substance abuse, family history of mood disorder, abilities related to cognition, hunger, and control over one’s emotions, ruminating and so on. Even factors like pollution, chemicals in preservatives and fertilisers and receiving information about natural disasters, wars, etc., are known to affect one’s mood.
Mood swings are common and it is important to understand how it is impacting your quality of life. And if you feel it is affecting you and people around you in unhealthy ways, then managing them becomes important.
Managing mood swings
We mostly realise when we go through a phase of good or bad mood. No matter the frequency, intensity or duration, when you recognise that you were in “a mood,” it is always good to analyse it. Recounting the cause of the mood, your emotions, thoughts and behaviour, helps you know how you navigated through it. Noting behaviour such as crying, yelling at someone, taking impulsive decisions, not sleeping enough, maintaining low hygiene, eating too much or too less, consuming high amounts of alcohol or drugs, or engaging in high-risk activities during that period could help be more aware of how you handle your emotions and yourself during a mood. It is important to understand that emotions and moods are not the same. Emotions are more short-lived than moods. Many a time, mood affects the intensity of your emotions towards a given event or situation.
When you make such observations a few times, you will be able to know your triggers, if any, or common patterns in how you deal with things when you have mood swings. Track them by maintaining records of moods through journaling or on devices. If there are behaviours that can be categorised as unhealthy, make a conscious effort to control them.
A few things that help in managing mood swings better:
- Getting a good night’s sleep,
- Healthy eating habits and avoiding foods high in fats, sugars and salts,
- Avoiding addictive substances such as alcohol, drugs etc,
- Taking up activities that help you calm down like yoga, mindfulness practices, gardening and so on,
- Exercise, cycling, swimming and other sports could help improve mood,
- Self-talk on how you’d like to handle things this time around,
- Vacation periodically, and get out of your skin,
- Connect with people, bond with loved ones often,
When to seek professional help
Mood disorders are more common than you think. Less awareness on the subject and not receiving care at the right time leads to more serious conditions like bipolar disorders, depression, hypomania, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, etc. The common misconception is that we can snap out of it. When it is someone else, even children we just tell them to gain control. This might only make things worse.
It is important to seek professional help when moods are intense and persistent and impair your day-to-day functioning. In case you recognise such patterns among your loved ones or people around you, encourage them to seek help. Mood disorders can be treated with a combination of medication, psychotherapies and lifestyle changes. The sooner one receives treatment, the higher the chances are of managing mood better.