How to Control Mood Swings Naturally:

3 Surprisingly Simple Ways to Stop Feeling Off

Be honest— you know you started that argument, and you know you did because of a bad mood.

But what’s confusing is that your mood change came out of nowhere. A few moments ago, you were in a happy, sunny disposition. You started your day right, and nothing has happened that triggered anger or frustration.

Then, you suddenly felt “off”— so very “off” that you opened fire on your spouse who made a comment about what your neighbors did, and you don’t even care about those people.

This scenario happens to the best of us, and they’re most likely caused by mood swings, which become more common as we age.

Let’s talk about what causes mood swings and learn how to control mood swings naturally with simple, at-home remedies.

Mood swings are significant fluctuations in mood that occur suddenly and fade quickly. But they can be intense enough to make you irritable, anxious, emotional, and want to start an argument.

These mood changes are not the same as those you experience due to stressful or upsetting situations (e.g., when you’re stuck in a traffic jam or receive bad news).

Instead, mood swings seem to come out of nowhere and are unrelated to what's happening in your day. You might often describe the experience as "having a bad mood for no reason."

But there’s always a reason for everything, including mood swings.

What are the causes of mood swings in females?

Hormone Fluctuations

As our body’s way of preparing for pregnancy during our menstrual cycle, our estrogen and progesterone levels rise and fall. This results in Premenstrual Syndrome or PMS, which includes mood swings.

According to the Office of Women’s Health, 90% of women say they have experienced PMS symptoms.

Aside from mood swings, some of the other symptoms of PMS are bloating, tender breasts, diarrhea or constipation, muscle aches, abdominal pain, fatigue, and food cravings.

In addition, the levels of serotonin also change during the menstrual cycle. Typically, our serotonin levels are steady, but in women who experience PMS, they decline as estrogen levels decline. 

And when estrogen levels increase and decrease rapidly, our serotonin production gets disrupted, leading to mood swings.

Pregnancy

A surge in hormones causes pregnancy mood swings that bring mothers-to-be on an emotional roller coaster.

In the early days of pregnancy, estrogen and progesterone flood our bodies and cause emotional turbulence as early as the 4th week of the 1st trimester. 

While estrogen is active in the mood-regulating region of the brain, progesterone relaxes the muscles (to prevent contractions), consequently making us feel tired, sluggish, and sad. No wonder emotive changes hit the hardest during the early stages of pregnancy.

Note that not all women experience mood fluctuations during menopause. There’s also no way of predicting who will get them and who won’t.

However, some factors increase a woman’s likelihood of experiencing mood swings during menopause. Some of them are poor physical health, severe and chronic stress, and a history of depression.

Other causes of mood swings

The other causes of mood swings in both females and males are puberty, medications, neurological conditions, and anemia.

Puberty

Whether you’re a man or a woman, you experience hormone changes in your adolescence once you enter puberty. During this milestone, your hormones shift significantly and affect your mood and emotions.

Medications

Some medications have side effects that cause erratic moods, such as steroids, antidepressants, and birth control pills.

Neurological Conditions

Neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease, dementia, migraine, etc., also cause mood swings.

Iron Deficiency Anemia

Anemia happens when your body doesn’t have enough red blood cells, the carriers of oxygen. A lack of oxygen supply to your tissues (e.g., your organ tissue, muscle tissue, brain tissue, etc.) results in weakness, fatigue, shortness of breath, and mood swings.

How to control mood swings naturally

If you have a medical condition or are taking medications that can potentially affect your mood, you need to consult your doctor to know how to control mood swings.

However, if the cause of your moodiness is normal hormone changes, we have three very simple yet effective tips for managing mood swings that you can do at home.

1. Take in more adaptogens.

Adaptogens or adaptogenic herbs are mushrooms, roots, and herbs that can significantly help us adapt to stressful situations. It’s the secret to maintaining grace under pressure.

Here’s how adaptogens work:

When we encounter a stressor, our bodies undergo a response called general adaptation syndrome or GAS. It comprises three (3) stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.

Adaptogens keep us in the resistance stage so we can recover from the initial shock of stress (alarm stage) quicker and avoid breaking down in the middle of a stressful situation. 

By staying in resistance longer, we can prevent chronic stress, a precursor to serious health conditions, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

In other words, adaptogens help counter mood swings by keeping us calm and much more able to power through life with a steadier, more positive mental state. Being in a positive mood puts us in a sunny disposition, which is highly beneficial for our mental health.

Some of the most potent adaptogens are ginseng, ashwagandha, and eleuthero. Studies prove that they regulate hormone changes to reduce stress levels and improve mood.

2. Eat mood foods.

Foods that ramp up your serotonin levels can help reduce mood swings. Examples of these foods are those filled with complex carbohydrates such as peanuts, beans, lentils, whole grains, and legumes. 

Moreover, legumes also contain phytoestrogens, which help women maintain hormonal balance.

Having good liver function also helps eliminate mood swings because the liver plays a role in balancing our estrogen levels. So, eat foods that promote liver health like sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and cruciferous vegetables.

3. Get a good night’s sleep.

Having a good night’s sleep is not just about sleeping for 7 to 9 hours every night. The more important thing is to get deep sleep.

Deep sleep is the 3rd stage of sleep, and it’s when your body restores itself. During this stage, your body repairs and grows your muscles, regenerates your cells, and restores your energy. 

Getting enough deep sleep makes you feel refreshed and well-rested in the morning. Without its rejuvenating effects, you wake up still feeling tired, stressed, and mentally exhausted— all of which affects your mood.

In addition, deep sleep is only when your brain gets rid of all the waste products of the day's work. So, if you don't get quality sleep, you're storing garbage in your brain and putting yourself at risk of developing neurological disorders.

Takeaway

Having mood swings can affect our relationships, disposition, and mental health, so it’s important to know and address the reasons behind them.

Talk to your doctor first about underlying medical conditions that may be affecting your mood. If you're perfectly healthy, your mood swings are most likely caused by normal changes in your hormones.

Fortunately, you can control mood swings naturally in your home by consuming adaptogens and mood foods and getting enough deep sleep.

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