How to control my mood swings?
Do you have mood swings? Are you always in a bad mood? How to control mood swings?
How can someone view losing a job as something positive while another views it as something negative? How can someone view the end of a relationship as something liberating while another views it as something devastating? How can someone view mistakes as something to learn from while another views mistakes as failure? How you look at situations determines how well you can control your thoughts, which have a huge influence on your mood, whether positively or negatively.
Mood swings affect millions of people daily where the individual becomes moody, cranky, and temperamental. Circumstances and events from daily life play an important role in affecting people usually negatively instead of the other way around. What you have to realize is that you are going to encounter events that you don’t like in life, but it is your choice how to respond to such events and circumstances.
I’m so moody, how can I control my mood swings?
If your goal is to learn how to control your mood swings, follow the guide below:
1. Become aware of your bad moods
As with everything in life, first you have to raise your awareness, so you can start overcoming your moodiness. Be aware of what thoughts, situations, and events usually bring you down.
Jennifer mentions that she feels grumpy every time it rains. She says her energy decreases, becomes bored, and her negative mood worsens.
Jennifer recognized the first step that she has to do which is to know what kind of situations affect her mood negatively, then she can begin to take some steps to overcome her bad moods.
2. Assign a purpose
If you want to conquer your negative mood, then you have to assign a positive purpose for everything you do.
Once upon a time, there was a man in Greece who was ordered to clean the garbage from the streets of Athens, which was meant to be as a punishment for him. He started collecting any garbage that he sees while chanting and singing.
His superiors became puzzled at the fact he is enjoying his time and being happy as this service is meant to be a punishment for him. A week went by and he stayed chanting and singing while collecting the garbage from the streets of Athens. Due to his superior’s frustration, they went and asked this man how come he is singing and enjoying his time collecting trash… He interrupted them and said, “Hold on, I’m not collecting trash from the streets, I’m saving the health of many individuals.”
Often people assign a negative purpose when they do something they do not like. Their circumstances control their moods and they feel helpless. When you learn to assign a positive purpose for everything in life, you become in charge of your mood swings.
3. Consider negative moods as opinions
Every time you feel yourself moody, ask yourself “Why do I feel moody? Why am I in a bad mood?” Then, consider the negative answers you come up with as “someone’s opinion” that is not you.
For instance, Jane mentions that she used to get moody and very upset when someone criticizes her at work. Then, she started viewing her colleague’s criticism as “their opinion” which has nothing to do with her. In other words, she separated herself from the criticism.
A small shift in Jane’s mentality has helped her become less moody. The good news is that Jane started to apply this concept not only when it comes to criticism, but also to other areas of life. She is now in charge of her moods.
Next time you feel moody and want to get rid of your negative mood swings, remember to become aware of what negative thoughts you have, assign a positive purpose, and consider your moodiness as someone’s opinion.
Have you ever wondered why some people are happy and have peace of mind while others keep worrying? Why do some people’s life filled with worry while others filled with happiness and peace of mind? My e-book How to have peace of mind answers those questions and teaches you the scientific ways to control and overcome worry and have peace of mind.
For more information, read:
Are you an optimist or a pessimist?
How approval seeking increases your worry?
Hey Dia,
I often get moody when I am feeling tired. After a nap or some resting my moods usually improve. When there is pro-longed mental stresses in our life this also will cause mood swings.
I found that simplifying areas of my life can help as well.
Justin | Mazzastick recently posted..How To Live The Best Life Possible
Hi Justin,
Taking a nap helps as it helps the person to clear his head from the negative thoughts. Simplifying the areas of life is sure a great way to reduce mood swings. The key is not to keep dwelling on what is “wrong” in our lives and focus on what is “right.” Thanks Justin
Dia recently posted..How to control my mood swings
Dia: I think this is a great topic because it is so important to know how to deal with mood swings. When we have a good approach and ability to manage them, we can prevent them from ever taking control or interfering with our positive mindsets. I thought your suggestions for dealing with them were all great as well.
Hi Sibyl,
Thanks Sibyl
Yea having a method that we can rely on to combat our mood swings really helps us a lot. The key is to put these methods into practice.
Terrific guide Dia. I know when I have a better grip around my mood swings, more balance and happiness fill my life. Living each day on a even keel brings more peace, too!
Alex
Hi Alex,
For sure my friend, when we know how to handle our mood swings, we will begin to experience more happiness and peace of mind and that is really the goal. Thanks Alex
Hey Dia,
I have daily mood swings but knowing that, I’ve learned to manage and cope when life is less than rosy.Also knowing one’s risk factors (negative people,isolation, gloomy weather etc.)helps you devise proper strategies when needing to cope.
Riley
Riley Harrison recently posted..ENERGY IS THE ESSENCE OF PASSION AND PASSION IS THE ESSENCE OF LIFE
Hi Riley,
Yea self awareness and recognizing what kinds of events and circumstances affect our mood negatively is the first process, then we can make a solid decision not to let such events “get to us.” Thanks Riley
Dia recently posted..How to control my mood swings
Hi Dia, this is excellent. And I absolutely love the examples.
We always have the power to choose to feel good. That realization, that events don’t have to control our moods, makes a huge difference. Your post really helps to illustrate how to do that. Nice work!!
Hugs,
Melody
Melody | Deliberate Receiving recently posted..How Does LOA Explain the Suffering of the World?
Hi Melody,
Exactly my friend, events don’t have to control our mood. If they do, then we are responsible. The key for us is to learn to choose what we will benefit us, not detrimental thoughts. Thanks Melody
Glad you liked the examples.
Thank you Dia for this article. I like when you said to assign a postive purpose for the experience and separate yourself from the criticism. First and foremost though (like you said) is to become aware.
Another thing to remember (which is one I’ve been working on) is to have a sense of humor. This is another positive way to separate yourself from a negative situation that stems from something else. Look at the entire situation as a comedy and play it in your head that way. Every person is playing a role and is a specific character. It can be funny (laughter is great for the soul) and it helps you to disengage any moody feelings.
Kenya recently posted..Self-Worth Series: Being True To Ones Self
Hi Kenya,
When we do that, we will find that small and trivial issues have no control over us and we will be in a better way to combating our mood swings. Thanks Kenya
Yea, assigning a purpose and learning to interpret situation positively really help. I like that idea of looking at a situation in a comeday way.
Dia recently posted..How to control my mood swings
Hey Dia,
I love the last bullet: Consider negative moods as an opinion.
A simple action of removing yourself can change the dynamics completely. For many this isn’t a simple task.
Like when you’re angry and someone tries to get you to smile. The last thing you want to do is smile because you are so caught up in that anger emotion. But once you’ve smiled you are forced to feel something different.
Awesome tips for the moody lol We all go through our phases
Chelsea Thomas recently posted..My Bank is On Twitter and Part of Me Doesn’t Care
Hi Chelsea,
Yea removing ourselves from the problem is a great way. When we get moody or cranky because of what someone said to us, then viewing their criticism as something that is separate from us is a great help. This will help us reduce our mood swings greatly. Thanks Chelsea
hello dia
how are you?
you’ve touched on an important issue here because i often encounter moody people.
some just accept that thats the way they are naturally(i’m not sure if there’s any proof in that)
however you’ve given useful tips to combat and manage our mood swings.
there will always be criticisms and disagreements but it shouldnt dictate the order of our day. it’s also important to recognize when we are approaching or are in that state of being moody so we make conscious efforts to snap out of it.
thanks for sharing.
take care and enjoy the rest of the day
ayo recently posted..You Can’t Please Everyone
Hi Ayo,
Exactly, no one is moody by nature. It is due to the fact that we experience many negative statements in our childhood that make a person more moody. We all experience criticism and negative situations, the key is to learn to look at situations differently and more positively. Thanks my friend
Having a purpose to be more optimistic is the first road you should take to live a better life. Everything starts with a positive attitude. You have to be optimistic to reach higher levels of success. Fix that attitude and you fix your life.
Hi Jonathan,
Having a positive attiude is a great way for sure. If we don’t have a positive and optimistic attitude, then mood swings can and will affect us negatively. Thanks bro
This is one of your best posts in a long time, and one that hits home for me. Good job bringing this up!
Even when I’m not commenting, I’m reading. I’m glad you’re still here. So many bloggers I’ve read have gone away.
Gip
Gip @ So Much More Life recently posted..Lay Aside Your Expectations, Pardner!
Hi Gip,
Good to see you my friend. Thanks for your kind words, I will be here for a long time, I’m not going any where.
Glad you enjoyed the article.
Great Tips Dia. THanks for sharing.
Courtney Jones Media recently posted..Learning to Love Yourself
Thanks Courtney, glad you enjoyed it.
Hi Dia,
I like your point about assigning a positive purpose to everything we do. I like to look at those negative situations as a necessary part of the process that must occur to get me to the desired result.
Todd | Channelingmyself recently posted..What Do You Believe?
Hi Todd,
Yea, viewing everything that happens to us as something that we can learn from and as a miracle is a great way. Mood swings will become less in our lives as well as anxiety and stress. Thanks Todd
Great ideas, Dia!
I think identifying the reason behind your mood\iness can be the toughest first step. How many times have we talked with someone in a bad mood and asked why they felt so cranky, only to get a shrug in reply? Self awareness — knowing the cause behind the feelings we experience — is an essential precurser to doing anything about them.
Once the reason is identified, however, #2, assigning a purpose, is very helpful. Everything we do can have higher meaning and significance attached to it. By reinterpreting the purpose of the task or condition that is getting you down to something pregnant with relevance and importance, moods can be immediately lifted.
Your post just put me in a good mood (even though I just had a tooth pulled!)
Have an awesome day!
Ken Wert recently posted..10 Practical Ways to Develop Self-mastery
Hi Ken,
Exactly, recognizing why we feel moody is half the battle. What is worst is not knowing why we are moody. Being aware and then taking the necessary steps to reduce our mood swings will put us in more positive and healthier state. Glad you enjoyed it Ken and thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I don’t have mood swings like I used to, although I definitely have my ups and downs. When I sense myself getting agitated and irritable now, however, I’m more aware of what is going on inside. I try to stop and take a breath. Sit with it and work through it rather than denying it or taking it out on someone else. Your steps are quite useful for helping us act consciously in relation to our moods. Thank you.
Galen Pearl recently posted..Life is Good
Hi Galen pearl,
Thanks my friend
Sitting down and trying to work throught our mood swings is crucial. Once we learn to interpret situations positively and assign a positive purpose, our mood swings get less and we become mentally healthier.
It is a good thing I didn’t have much reasons to have mood swings. But I got moody whenever I didn’t get things right or something irritates me. Maybe I should learn to assign the purpose more. Thanks for the insights on how to control mood swings.
Lola T. recently posted..Como preparar el alpiste
Hi Lola,
Yep, assigning a positive purpose helps greatly. Once we learn to see things in a positive way, we begin to see the world in a new, positive way and we begin to experience mood swings, stress, and anxiety way less. Thanks Lola
Hi Dia,
It is a very nice and informative post on mood swings.I usually saw less discussion on this topic but I think this topic is very important part of our daily life.I really like your advice and it really helps alot of people.
waterpearls recently posted..Search And Recover Review & Coupon
Thanks waterpearl! Glad you enjoyed it dear.
Dia recently posted..How to control my mood swings
I don’t really think I have mood swings, at least not any more. But I know I will in the near future when mother nature starts to take over my body for her own evil reasons! LOL!!!
I definitely know a few people that have bad mood swings though. Don’t even like being in the same room with them. Will have to point them in the direction of this post. Think they will end up hating me?
You know, for pointing this out to them?
Thanks Dia, I always learn some cool things from you.
Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..The Coolest Ad Network I’ve Ever Seen
Hi Dia,
No work is more important than making a correction when a dark mood attacks. It is an unnatural and unnecessary to be at the mercy of a divided mind. We must learn to float up over our knee-jerk reactions and learn to make a distinction between YOU the perceiver and the angry perception we have accepted as true.
rob white recently posted..Learn to Listen Without Listening
Dia, You crushed it. I especially like the story of the man in Athens. Sometimes a simply “reframe” can change our whole perspective. Good thoughts on considering negative emotions as “opinions.” Most of the time are mood isn’t based so much on the facts as our interpretation of the facts.
Steven recently posted..Sitters and Rovers: Healthy Risk-Taking
Im going to try and apply this to myself, I think that the fact I am an introvert means I often view people asking me to do things (even going out drinking etc) are just “bothering me”. I dont think that this can help me overcome this side of things but I do think that this thinking could really help with more general mood swings I seem to be going through.
Thanks for posting this, it gives me a new way off attacking my moodyness!
danika recently posted..recycle mobile
Oh that’s so true Justin! I tend to be like that too. But I found a remedy of calming myself by reading inspirational books. It lightens up my mood and eventually I realized I was being pathetic. hahaha I love your post and insights Dia!
maria o. recently posted..- Dating Questions
I hate mood swings but I love this post especially the part about assigning positive purpose on things we do. Thumbs up!
Hi, Dia,
the most important thing is recognizing your own mood changes, and that is where most people fail at the beginning. Nobody wants to admit they have mood issues….they are always stable and balanced…but that is no true. We all have our bad days, some more, some less, but as long as we are able to identify the reason of our behavior issue, the sooner we will be able to get back to “normal”.
Kristina L. recently posted..AndysAutoSport Coupon Code
I find it really hard to control my mood especially if I am bothered with problems. Maybe I lose all my patience after experiencing lots of problems for about couple of years now. I do hope that I could learn how to control my emotions to avoid mood swings. In that way, I could only attract positive energy.
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