Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Have you ever been called moody because of your mental health? You are not alone. Moods are a natural part of our emotional rhythm and can help us name when we are uncomfortable, struggling, or needing to process something. And, of course, not all moods are reflections of a poor mental state. You may be seeking management by practicing yoga or meditating. Contentment also counts! Medical professionals recommend keeping a journal or finding other ways of tracking your mood on a daily basis because it has a host of benefits.
What Causes Moods?
Moods are a complex beast that can be difficult to sort through. There are three factors that doctors have identified that contribute to moods or mood swings which include: our biology (hormones or brain chemicals), psychology (our personality), and our environment (external factors or stressors). According to the Cleveland Clinic, “Research suggests that chemicals in our brains (neurotransmitters) determine how we feel. Many things can make the levels of these chemicals rise or fall, including missing a meal, taking a walk, playing with a puppy, getting your period and more.”
There are many things that can influence our mood including:
Life Stages: Adolescence, pregnancy and postpartum and menopause can all cause hormonal imbalances that play a role in our day-to-day experiences.
Medical Conditions: Chronic illnesses, brain conditions or conditions that affect your thyroid can throw you off balance and make managing your mood more difficult.
Mental Health Conditions: Whether it’s anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder or PTSD, mental health conditions have an enormous impact on our daily mood and experiences.
Substances: Using drugs or alcohol directly impact our ability to process emotions, cause anxiety or depression and affect our quality of sleep. However, prescriptive medications are also considered substances that alter our brain chemicals, often for the better. If you are looking to regulate, avoid mind-and-mood altering substances unless they are explicitly prescribed by your doctor.
Ways to Improve Your Moods
When we are struggling, it is hard to pinpoint ways to help us feel better. Often moods come and go quickly, but if you find that your negative emotions are affecting your life for multiple days or weeks, you could be struggling with a mental health disorder. If you find yourself in the trenches, there are steps you can take to improve your daily life including taking medications such as antidepressants or mood stabilizers and seeking professional help through talk therapy or group therapy.
And whether you have a mental health disorder or not, mood swings are no picnic. Although it is impossible to completely regulate your mood, there are steps you can take to make dealing with your moods easier including:
- Spending time outside.
- Exercising regularly.
- Eating healthy foods.
- Practicing deep breathing or meditation.
- Light therapy for those affected by the seasons.
Why Should I Monitor My Moods?
When we track our moods, we are better able to see patterns over time. Understanding our moods helps us better manage them and find any red flags. The Australian Department of Health reports, “If you are more aware of your moods, you may be able to better manage your lifestyle choices, make informed health decisions, prevent or avoid triggers of negative moods, and work towards a better quality of life.”
The trick is to watch for changes in your mood, particularly when emotions are extremely high or incredibly low. “Self-monitoring is free and takes hardly any time. And it becomes easier as you make it part of your daily routine.”
Use a mood tracking tool or journal to:
- Spot patterns: Use these tools to set goals and gain control of your mood.
- Speed up your progress: By having tangible evidence for what you are struggling with, you can see where you are falling short on your self-care routine. Without a way to track your mood, it is more difficult to see how you’re managing it.
- Gain self-awareness: Progress is not linear, and neither are our emotions. Mood tracking can help you find the red flags and get ahold of them before they get ahold of you.
Tracking My Mood
Our symptom tracking tool at PatientsLikeMe, also known as the DailyMe, is a mood tracking tool that can help you to see these patterns over time. Is how you’re feeling influenced by the time of day, the day of the week or the seasons? Rating your DailyMe often can help you find out. Alternatively, you can access our Mood Map if you are specifically struggling with your mental health. This scale shows how much factors such as depression, mania, or emotional control problems affect your mood. Taking it once a week will provide a portrait of your condition over time. Both tools are a great jumping off point if you have not been monitoring your mood or personal experiences up to this point.
If you've been tracking your mental health symptoms already and feel like you need extra supports, Alma connects clients with licensed therapists, including a diverse group of over 20,000 in-network providers who can help people work through difficult emotions and behaviors. Almost 40% of therapists in Alma's network self-identify as Black, Hispanic/Latine, or Asian, and 10% self-identify as LGBTQIA+. With Alma, clients can find a therapist who accepts their insurance (like Aetna, Cigna, or UnitedHealthcare) and start therapy within just three days of submitting a consultation request.
Join us for free today to hop in and get the mental health supports you really need.