Pandemic Mood Changes? Five Tips to Balance Out Your Mood

One moment you feel good, the next moment you feel angry, sad, or anxious. For some individuals, this can happen on a regular basis (especially in the midst of a seemingly endless pandemic). This is quite a different experience from feeling one emotion for long periods. Moodiness, or frequent changes in our emotions, can lead to problems in our relationships and work performance. Fortunately, there are things we can do to reduce moodiness.

            It is important to keep in mind that there is a reason to how we feel. We just might not fully understand or be aware of it. As a fellow human and therapist, I have found this understanding to be a helpful mindset when I experience moodiness. Here are five ways to decrease moodiness in your daily life. These following five strategies are from skills taught in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (Linehan, 2015). Marsha Linehan created an acronym, “PLEASE,” as a way to keep these strategies in mind.

1.     Physical Illness     

Think of the last time you were sick, had the cold, or the flu. Now, reflect on how you were emotionally feeling during that time. Chances are you were “cranky” or irritable. This makes sense, as you were not at your best. The same thing may happen when you are in pain or do not take your medications as prescribed. In my own personal experience and my time treating others, I have observed that people have a general tendency to not take care of their physical illnesses or needs, or seek help when they are ill. Keeping up with your regular medical and dental appointments, making additional appointments as needed, and taking medications as prescribed can go a long way in reducing the time you’re sick or in pain. All of this will help with moodiness. 

            If you are experiencing moodiness and are thinking about participating in psychotherapy, then I would recommend that you first obtain a thorough medical physical with lab work. I have worked with clients who experienced moodiness, depression, and anxiety and it turned out that their testosterone and vitamin D levels were low, their thyroid functioning was abnormal, their blood sugar levels were too high or too low, their blood pressure was uncontrolled, they had untreated sleep apnea, or the like. Sometimes psychological problems can mask underlying medical problems that have gone undetected or untreated. Getting a handle on these underlying medical problems may go a very long way in stabilizing your mood.

2. Eating

We all have certain foods that change the way we feel. Think “comfort foods.” Other foods can give us a boost of energy. Sometimes we overindulge in these foods when we are feeling stressed or depressed. Unfortunately, overindulging in comfort foods may lead to crashes in both energy and emotion. Eating a balanced diet can stabilize this cycle. Meeting with a registered dietician can help you identify meal plans that can help in this process.

3.     Avoid drugs and alcohol

 This suggestion is self-explanatory, although not always the easiest to follow. Alcohol and illicit drugs are designed to alter how we feel. After we have metabolized these substances, our mood typically experiences a notable dip and we may feel more anxious, irritable, or depressed. Alcohol has a particularly adverse effect on mood even the days after drinking. Keep in mind that the same thing may happen with caffeine, tobacco, and misusing prescription medications.

4.     Sleep

Obtaining adequate Sleep can directly affect how we feel. Check out Dr. Pérez McGowan’s blog post - “Pandemic Insomnia: Five Tips to Get Your Sleep Back on Track” for recommendations on how to improve your overall sleep quality. 

5.     Exercise

The final component of the PLEASE acronym is Exercising regularly. This may be difficult if you have chronic or acute pain, or have suffered a recent injury. You may need to consult with your Primary Care Physician to identify exercises that will not worsen your condition or injury. There has been ample research that shows that regular exercise (30- 45 minutes, three times a week) can improve your mood and act as an effective anti-depressant (Chekroud et al., 2018). Regular exercise can also improve your self-esteem and self-confidence, which will also enhance your mood.

          Managing your Physical Illnesses, Eating healthy, Avoiding mood-altering substances, getting quality Sleep, and regularly Exercising are five ways to reduce moodiness. Changing all five of these areas may be overwhelming. What I would recommend is that you try to focus on changing one of these five areas that may be causing you some problems. Trying to do one of these five things will likely get the ball rolling and give you more energy and confidence to work on the other four areas. If you would like help in making these changes to improve your mood, we would be glad to help you get started at McGowan Psychological Services.

References

Chekroud, S.R., Gueorguieva, R., Zheutlin, A.B., Paulus, M., Krumholz, H.M., Krystal, J.H., & 

Chekroud, A.M. (2018). Association between physical exercise and mental health in 1·2 million individuals in the USA between 2011 and 2015: a cross-sectional study. Lancet Psychiatry, 5, 739-746.

Linehan, M.M. (2015). DBT Skills Training Manual, Second Edition. Guilford Press: New York.