Menopause can trigger several uncomfortable symptoms, including mood swings. These can often be inexplicable and uncontrollable and make you unrecognizable to friends and family. Additionally, the slightest disturbances can set you off while running daily errands and worsen your mood swings. Read on to learn about different tips to help you control your mood swings during the day.
What Lifestyle Changes Can I Make To Combat Mood Swings?
To help alleviate the effects of mood swings during menopause, try making some simple, yet effective, lifestyle changes. Incorporating these few extra tips into your daily routine can help curb mood swings. Some simple suggestions include:
Exercise
Exercise can not only positively impact your health, it can reduce the duration and frequency of many menopause symptoms, including mood swings. Thirty minutes of physical activity five days a week is recommended for healthy living.
Learn to Breathe
Breathing exercises, meditation, and yoga are great ways to combat stress-related mood swings. Taking a few deep breaths or repeating a mantra to yourself when you're experiencing an episode can instantly help elevate your emotional state. Breathing correctly also helps strengthen the body and improve cardiovascular function.
Limit caffeine
Although it may be tempting to head to your nearest coffee shop for a mid-afternoon pick me up, it's better to avoid the caffeine altogether. Caffeine acts as a stimulant to the nervous system and can lead to hormonal imbalances and mood swings. In order to avoid caffeine withdrawal, start by reducing your caffeine consumption until you can eventually go without it. While it may be difficult at first, cutting back on caffeine will help your menopause symptoms over time.
Handy Tip
Try tracking your mood swings over a month. Record your mood at different times during the day to see if you can establish a pattern and then try to regulate your mood swings accordingly. Mood swings are a normal part of menopause, but learning how to combat them before they defeat you is a step in the right direction. Sadness and irritability should not take center stage in this part of your life. Click on the following link to find out more about other treatments for mood swings.
Sources
- Amin, Zenab, Turhan Cnali, and C. Neill Epperson. "Effects of Estrogen-Serotonin Interactions on Mood and Cognition." Behav Cogn Neurosci Rev 2005; 4; 43.
- Dr. Love, Susan, and Karen Lindsey. Dr. Susan Love's Menopause and Hormone Book. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2003.
- Molecular Psychiatry.(n.d)."Estrogen Promotes Gender Difference in Brain's Response to Stress." Molecular Psychiatry. Retrieved from www.psycheducation.org.
- The Health Center.(n.d)."Adult Mood Swings.".Retrieved from www.thehealthcenter.info.