5 things you could control your mood swings with
Mood swings can be nasty. You feel like shutting yourself off from people. Workplace becomes uninviting and you tend to snap at colleagues; even seniors. It is not a pleasant situation to be in.
Mood swings are among the symptoms of Post Menstrual Syndrome or PMS, often the butt of jokes, though a vexing issue for the sufferer. Emotional issues like irritability, depression, withdrawal and insomnia and physical problems like fatigue, bloating, acne, tender breasts etc. are a largely result of hormonal imbalance and lowering serotonin levels. You might feel helpless due to this, yet with a some self control and patience you can do numerous things to naturally combat mood swings and to an extent other problems as well.
1. Analyze the reason behind your food cravings:
To begin with, analyze why you are craving for particular foods. Usually around this time, you feel low and thus crave to get instant rush of energy. Thus you resort to sugary, high-processed food like white bread, cakes or junk food and caffeine that give shorts-lived but instant boost of energy. They are just refined sugar traps that will only aggravate the symptoms and make you feel worse. Avoid them and save yourself.
2. Get creative with food, make healthy stuff interesting:
Before you give in and reach out for another mug of caffeine-loaded coffee, look around for healthier options like green tea. To make it interesting, lace it with rose petals or ginger. If craving sugary foods, boil peeled and sliced apples with a spoonful of sugar and a pinch of powdered cinnamon. Or simply make oatmeal and garnish it with honey and banana and nuts. For something salty, pre soak and roast chickpeas or other legumes with seasoning. These contain phyto-estrogens that help ease the PMS.
3. Wind down hours before you plan to sleep:
While adequate sleep is crucial for subsiding PMS and for good health, PMS itself triggers insomniac symptoms. But don’t lose all hope. Plan your day to wind down work and other engagements hours before you plan to sleep. Wake up early to finish work early so that you have time to spare before your bedtime. For most part of the day, try avoiding white light. Use natural light instead. Keep your bedroom clean and the lights dim to make it sleep-friendly. You can even put on light Zen music and use a few drops of aromatherapy candles or oils in oil diffuser.
4. Regular Yoga, exercise:
Get your body moving to bring down the stress levels, calm your mind and
relax your muscles. Keep some time aside daily for Yoga and cardio-vascular exercises. Within a few days you will notice that they help treat minor depression and mood swings.
5. Take your vitamins:
Other than taking a balanced diet, vitamins can play a vital role in aiding the
absorption of nutrients and good health. And a healthy body translates into a healthy mind. Vitamins, particularly B5, B6, B12, and C have a calming effect on your nervous system. Integrate them into your usual daily diet and be particular about them. The result will take some time to show but it will be worth
the while.
Even if you take the aforementioned steps, know that it’s okay to not be okay. It is normal while experiencing PMS, to be anxious, hurt or angry over trivial issues. Chirpy one moment, you might feel depressed or low the next, without rational reason. But this will go away with time.
