Sudden and dramatic changes in mood are commonly known as mood swings. This happens when you feel a certain emotion but it changes in the very next minute or so. These mood swings can occur for many reasons, such as premenstrual syndrome, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, stress, hormone misbalance, puberty, menopause, etc.
To control your mood swings, you need to improve your health first. A healthy lifestyle will help you stabilize your emotions and mood.
Tips to Control Mood Swings
You must already know that whatever you eat or drink has an impact on your overall health, but only a few people know that it can also affect their mood. So, these following healthy recommendations will only bring stability and long-lasting energy into your life.
1. Avoid Alcohol, Caffeine, and Sugar
Alcohol, caffeine, and sugary drinks can give you the worst mood swings you can imagine. Sometimes, your mood swings occur due to these drinks. No doubt, caffeine can ease your fatigue, but it can also increase the intensity of nervousness and anxiety.
As for alcohol, it is like tranquilizers that can only make your bad mood worse. Alcohol will also build irrational behavior in your personality. Excessive consumption of alcohol will increase the risk of liver diseases and liver inflammation.
Soft drinks and flavored beverages are everyone’s favorite, and they taste delicious. However, they contain lots of sugar and the rapid rise and fall of sugar in the blood can make your mood swings worse. These drinks can have many adverse effects on your health. An excessive amount of sugary beverages can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart diseases, and other metabolic disorders.
2. Put a Hold on Sugary Foods
Delicious sugary foods can cause fluctuations in your blood sugar level. These fluctuations can cause changes in your mood and aggravate other harmful symptoms. Cutting back on sugar can help you keep your mood stable. Some foods you should consider avoiding are pastries, cookies, French fries, white bread, various other sweet bakery items, etc.
Other than mood swings, sugary foods may cause obesity, inflammation, fatty liver, weight gain, blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.
3. Eat Calcium Supplements
According to a study, calcium supplements can help you get rid of the symptoms of anxiety, emotional changes due to PMS, and depression. Most people living with depression and anxiety have a calcium deficiency. Calcium is an essential element that can help you control your mood swings because it provides relaxation and calmness.
Additionally, calcium supplements can protect your bones from becoming weak, which is significant for premenopausal women. Before you take any calcium supplements, it would be best to consult with your doctor. You can also eat these natural resources of calcium;
- Dairy products; yogurt, milk, and cheese
- Almonds
- Flax seeds
- Sardines
- Leafy greens
- Tofu
- Soybeans
4. Eat Fruits
Adequate food consumption can decrease the risk of depression and boost mental health. Consuming small portions of fruits every day will not only control your mood swings and emotions but also improve your health.
Fruits like bananas are a rich resource of tryptophan, and vitamin B-6; thus, these components can reduce symptoms of depression. The crucial benefit of fruits to manage your stress level and mood swings.
5. Sleep Well
A proper sleep cycle plays a vital role in maintaining good mental and physical health. Lack of sleep can lead to short-term exhaustion and irritation, but you can also have long-term health issues. You may also suffer from unfavorable health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart diseases, depression, anxiety, etc.
The relation between a night of proper sleep and your mental health is quite complicated. Whether you sleep for more than eight hours or less than six hours a day, your sleep cycle may trigger some psychological conditions. These psychological conditions are ADHD (Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder), stress, bipolar disorder, and depression.
To maintain a healthy sleep pattern, you can establish a nightly routine e.g. take a bath, read a book, meditate, avoid coffee, and turn off your mobile.
6. Exercise
Do not remain in a stationary position for more than 3 hours. Keep moving even when you are working on your workstation. To move your body, you can exercise because it is essential for your mental and physical health. Like fruits and calcium, exercises can also help you treat mood swings, depression, anxiety, cognitive function, etc. Regular exercise may also help your body develop good endorphins and hormones that can ease your stress level and boost your mood.
Moreover, exercising will pump your blood to your mind, which can help boost your brain functions. Better blood circulation means good memory, and it lowers the risk of brain diseases. Also, exercise reduces the risk of cancer, obesity, heart disease, lung diseases, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.
7. Practice Stress Management
A high level of stress can increase the risk of severe health problems. Mood swings are like constant abnormal pressure. Due to stress, you may lose the ability to function effectively, think clearly, and enjoy life. The best thing is to adopt all the necessary strategies to cure your mood swings.
Some of you may give up and think that you cannot do anything about stress. You need to understand that bills won’t stop, responsibilities will remain the same, and your family will keep on depending on you. You cannot get rid of stress, but you can manage it.
Effective stress management can help you overcome your mood swings and boost your happiness, health, and productivity. To manage your stress, you need to identify the reason that’s causing it, review your lifestyle, and work to overcome the cause of stress. Stress is a natural response, so do not panic, but it is crucial to manage your stress and live a healthy lifestyle.
Conclusion
Mood swings can vary in severity. You should not fear mood swings and instead follow the necessary steps to keep yourself calm. Indeed, a healthy lifestyle will keep you away from harmful diseases. If none of the tips stated above seem to help, you should get in touch with your doctor and treat your stress before it worsens.