How to Control Mood Swings Naturally

Have you noticed that your friends and family seem to be pushing your buttons a little too often lately? Have you broken into tears when trying to parallel park (and the drivers behind you just won’t stop staring)? If the everyday highs and lows are starting to feel more like peaks and valleys, you may be suffering from mood swings. 

The good news is, you’re not alone.[1] Whether you struggle to keep your mood high or regulate your emotions, many people around the country experience the same kind of mood swings, and there are plenty of ways you can tame them. 

Wondering how to control mood swings naturally?

In this article, we’ll explore what mood swings really are and give you the tools you need to start controlling them naturally so that you can feel more like yourself again. 

Understanding Mood Swings

If you’ve noticed that your typical day-to-day tasks feel overwhelming, that even your best friend doesn’t seem to understand you, or that you’re quick to snap at your roommate, it may be a sign that your mood changes are having a significant impact on your life. But before you start your search for natural remedies for mood swings, you may want to take a closer look at what mood swings are.

While you may assume that mood fluctuations only include quick turnarounds from happiness to sadness, they actually encompass all kinds of feelings and emotional states, including: 

• Anxiety 
• Worry
• Melancholy
• Euphoria 

If one moment it seems like you’re on cloud nine and the next it feels like you’re doing everything wrong, it’s probably the result of a mood swing. While the occasional mopey morning or apathetic afternoon isn’t cause for concern, you may want to find helpful solutions if your world begins to feel like an emotional rollercoaster.

What Causes Mood Swings?

Mood swings are a pretty normal part of the human experience. Depending on your hormones and the events going on in your life, you may have them fairly regularly. However, you may also notice sudden changes in mood, even when you feel like nothing else in your life is shifting. 

While your intense emotional range can depend on a variety of factors, here’s a look at some of the most common culprits behind intense mood swings:[2]

• You’re going through a major transition – If you notice you suddenly go from giddy excitement to feelings of impending dread, it could be because you’re adjusting to a major life change. For example, you could be on edge if you’ve recently started a new job, had a baby, or moved to a different city.
• You’re not catching enough Zs – Another reason for severe mood swings could be a lack of adequate rest. Whether you’re not sleeping because of everyday stress or a more serious reason, like insomnia, being overly tired can make it harder for you to regulate your emotions.
• You’re feeling stressed out – Whether you’re facing a big project at work or you’re taking care of a loved one, excess stress can cause extreme mood swings. Unfortunately, these intense feelings may only heighten your stress, making it essential to find the necessary remedies for managing mood swings so that you can start to relax and unwind. 
• You’re experiencing a hormonal shift – If you’re menstruating or going through menopause, your body is experiencing serious hormonal changes and shifts in hormone production, making it more challenging to regulate your emotions. While this is perfectly natural, it can also cause frustrating mood swings, so it may be helpful to find a solution that allows you to feel more like yourself.

While popular treatment methods for the symptoms of mood swings can include prescription narcotics, like lithium and valium, there are also natural alternatives for handling your emotional health. Although natural remedies may not suit you if you have a serious medical condition or mood disorder, like bipolar disorder, they may be able to help you mellow out, find relief from stress, and overcome everyday mood changes.[2]

How to Manage Mood Swings Naturally

When you’re not sure how to stop crying one moment and laughing the next, it can start to take a toll on your relationships, lifestyle, and productivity. Fortunately, there are plenty of tips and tricks you can implement to help you regulate your emotions and get back to feeling like your usual self, including establishing a wellness routine. 

Take a look below at four natural approaches for how to improve mood swings:

1. Get Moving

A primarily sedentary lifestyle isn’t great for your body or mind. In fact, a lack of exercise can make it harder to regulate your emotions on your own. Fortunately, taking a dance class, playing a casual game of tennis, or going for a walk (especially outside) can make a huge difference when it comes to boosting your mood. 

This is because exercise can: 

• Lower your blood pressure
• Relieve stress
• Produce endorphins (happy signals that tell your brain to boost your mood)

Regular exercise has also been found to relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression, likely due to its effect on the hippocampus, the part of the brain primarily responsible for memory and mood.[3]

And here’s another helpful tip: if you find an exercise that doesn’t feel like a chore, you’ll be more likely to stick with it, making it easier to implement as a permanent part of your lifestyle. 

When you’re short on time, even a brisk walk with your furry best friend or 10 minutes of dancing around your living room can be enough to get your heart pumping and help you maintain more regular moods.

2. Choose the Right Carbs

While it may seem like rest and exercise have the most significant impact on your emotions, your diet is another primary contributor to the frequency and intensity of mood swings. So, how can your pantry help boost your mood? 

First, you’ll want to make sure you’re integrating complex carbohydrates into your meals. This includes foods like:

• Whole grains
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Beans
• Peas
• Quinoa
• Oatmeal
• Peanuts

A diet rich in these foods can boost serotonin and provide your body with the energy it needs to thrive, helping to control mood swings.[4] When it comes to carbs, the wrong ingredients can actually have the opposite effect. This means you’ll want to steer clear of refined carbohydrates, high-sugar desserts, and trans fats when you’re hoping to balance your mood.

3. Eat Foods for Hormone Balance

Aside from complex carbohydrates, you’ll also want to add foods to your diet that aid in liver support. You may only think of filtration when it comes to this vital organ, but your liver is actually responsible for balancing estrogen levels as well.[5]

Here are some foods that can help you maintain an ideal hormonal balance:

• Carrots
• Spinach
• Pumpkin
• Broccoli
• Tomatoes
• Brussel sprouts
• Sweet potato
• Cauliflower

If you’re experiencing mood swings because of hormonal changes, you’ll also want to add foods like legumes, which are rich in phytoestrogens, to your plate. Phytoestrogens can help maintain hormonal balance during menstruation, making it easier for you to handle feelings of intense emotion, anxiety, or overwhelm.[6]

Aside from your diet, you can also practice yoga and relaxing breathing techniques as a natural remedy. While there isn’t a scientifically proven correlation between relaxation and hormonal balance, having a calm perspective and effective relaxation strategies on hand can make you better equipped to handle your mood swings, especially if they arise because of a hormonal imbalance.

4. Turn to Herbal Remedies with Vitamins and Supplements

Ingesting the right nutrients doesn’t stop with your diet—you can also give your body the extra boost it needs with herbal remedies. 

Your emotions typically hang in the balance of various factors, including hormones, lifestyle choices, and cell function. Since cells rely on vitamins and minerals to facilitate chemicals, like serotonin, the supplements you ingest can play a vital role in mood regulation and emotional control. 

Certain vitamins and minerals, like iron, magnesium, and zinc, are crucial for aiding muscle relaxation, while others, like vitamins B5, B6, and B12, impact the nervous system, further helping to keep stress at bay.[7]

Experience a Natural Mood Lift with feel free

If you’re ready to ease your occasional stress and get the mood lift you need, try our feel free CLASSIC. We take pride in offering high-quality products. In fact, our Kava tonic and capsules have been rigorously tested to ensure they only contain clean and effective ingredients.

Sources: 

1. LiveScience. What causes mood swings? https://www.livescience.com/what-causes-mood-swings
2. Medical News Today. What causes mood swings in males and females? https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/mood-swings#when-to-see-a-doctor
3. National Library of Medicine: National Center for Biotechnology Information. Exercise for Mental Health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470658/
4. HealthPartners. Foods That Can Boost Your Mental Health. https://www.healthpartners.com/blog/can-food-affect-your-mood/#:~:text=Complex%20carbohydrates%20to%20boost%20serotonin&text=They%20also%20help%20an%20amino,This%20can%20improve%20your%20mood. 
5. Everyday Health. Estrogen: Types, Replacement Therapies, and Side Effects. https://www.everydayhealth.com/estrogen/guide/
6. ScienceDirect. Phytoestrogens as Potential Therapeutic Agents for the Treatment of Anxiety and Affective Disorders. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780444640567000052
7. Livestrong. Muscle Tightness: Magnesium, Calcium, Zinc and Pottasium. https://www.livestrong.com/article/480551-muscle-tightness-magnesium-calcium-zinc-potassium/
8. The University of Texas at El Paso. Kava. https://www.utep.edu/herbal-safety/herbal-facts/herbal%20facts%20sheet/kava-kava.html

About The Author

Jamal Bouie

Jamal Bouie is an accomplished professional with a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry from Lemoyne-Owen College in Memphis. Currently, he is pursuing his PhD in Biomedicine at Salus University. Jamal has worked in several industries; he began his career in pharmaceutical manufacturing and transitioned to the cannabis industry, where he specialized in analytical testing and manufacturing, playing a vital role in ensuring product safety and compliance. Now, Jamal has turned his attention to the dietary supplement field, combining his scientific acumen with his passion for health and wellness.