Mood swings can be the result of a variety of conditions, from pregnancy to menopause to being overworked and overstressed. A mood swing occurs when you go from feeling happy and content to feeling upset or sad in a short time. When mood swings affect your professional and personal life, it's time to take action to control your mood swings so that you're able to move on with your day and quickly remedy the situation.
Go for a Walk
Exercise is a powerful combative force against the symptoms of depression, which can be sadness, anger, loss of interest and anxiety. Often these symptoms can be similar to those experienced when you suffer from a mood swing. The Mayo Clinic recommends exercise as a way to ease anxiety and depression symptoms, and it can help with mood swings as well. Take a walk, go for a swim or go to the gym to lift your mood.
Distract Yourself
If a mood swing threatens to disrupt your day, focus on something else. If you can only think about the bad mood you are experiencing, you're likely to stay in that mood for an extended period of time. Instead, watch a movie, read a book or spend time with someone who can help you think about something else, says BabyCenter.com. Choose a hobby or something that you enjoy that can be your go-to activity when you start to feel a mood swing.
Talk About It
Talking about the things that trigger your mood swings can be helpful, especially if it is a recurring problem. A pregnant woman who gets in a foul mood whenever her partner comes home late from work should talk to her partner about her feelings in order to remedy the situation. KidsHealth.org, a division of the Nemours Foundation, points out that talking to a health care provider is important if your mood swings are severely disrupting your life; they could be a symptom of a larger problem, like a hormone imbalance, bipolar disorder or depression.
Get Some Sleep
When your body is running on too little sleep, you may be more likely to snap at a problem, feel upset and depressed and experience general mood swings. A lack of sleep can even perpetuate mood swings and make you more susceptible to a bad mood, says Bonnie Spring, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of Health Sciences Chicago Medical School. Make sure that you get the seven to nine hours of sleep that's recommended by the National Sleep Foundation to feel rested and calm.
