Manage your moods so they don’t manage you …

by 0 Comments

Would people who know you describe you as being a moody person?

If so, that might reflect a natural trait of your temperament, or it could be symptoms of something more serious that you need help with.

Let’s take a quick survey of moods so we can better understand them:

WHAT ARE THEY?
Moods usually are a temporary state of mind or feeling. Everyone experiences moods, and moods can “swing” from sometimes experiencing sadness, to others days experiencing joy. Some people are more prone to “mood swings” than are others. Mood changes are generally considered to be healthy as long as they do not interfere to an extreme degree with your life.

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF MOODS?
There are several things that can be the root cause of moods and mood swings, which include:

– Thought life. Most of us experience moods due to what we’re thinking. Keep this in mind: our thoughts create our emotions, and our thoughts and emotions together create our behavior. Our thinking, and patterns of thinking, are what drive our moods more than anything else.

– Poor self-care. Most people hurl themselves through life with little self-awareness and even less other-awareness, driven by overly busy schedules they’ve created for themselves. As a result, many people do not practice positive and/or effective self-care. Poor self-care can result in:

    – Stress from a disordered life.
    – Consistent lack of sleep.
    – Consistent unhealthy diet.
    – Consistent lack of exercise.
    – Substance use, from drinking to using steroids and other drugs.
    – Poor coping skills.

– Hormonal changes that can be natural for teens, pregnant women, and women experiencing menopause of menstrual cycles can also affect mood.

– Health conditions Some health conditions can affect mood and cause mood swings. This includes conditions affecting your lungs, cardiovascular system, and thyroid. Conditions that affect your central nervous system may also cause mood swings.

– Mental illness. Chemical imbalances in the brain, associated with mood regulation, e.g., bipolar disorder, depression, borderline personality disorder, etc., can have a major affect on moods and cause severe mood swings.

MANAGING YOUR MOODS
When moods and mood swings are healthy, managing moods can be relatively easy with robust self-care. For examples of what to do for effective self-care, read my post titled, “25 ways to foster good mental health …” which you can find by clicking here.

WHEN YOU NEED TREATMENT
All of us will experience a spectrum of moods and even mood changes, but when your moods or mood swings become severe and negatively impact your life, you need to get help by seeing your physician or a competent clinical therapist. Treatment for mood issues may include:

– Therapy with a competent clinical therapist.
– Use of some medicines, as prescribed by a physician or psychiatrist.
– Often simple life changes and robust self-care can have a significant impact when paired with seeking professional help.

You do not have to let your moods and mood swings manage you. If they’re severe and unhealthy, get professional help so you can learn to manage your moods rather than letting them manage you.

Scotty