How to Live with Menopausal Mood Swings
You’re not going crazy. Feeling irritable one moment and content the next is not unheard of. In fact, many women going through menopause are living with the same symptoms. Research shows that fluctuating levels of estrogen during perimenopause and menopause have a profound effect on mood.
Many women learn how to effectively cope with these changes in this stage of life and find joy in the everyday moments. Others, however, find that menopause can trigger depression.
It can help to see a doctor or someone who is knowledgeable to help sort things out and determine if there is a course of treatment that will help. This can help rule out mood swings as a result of anxiety or depression. If this roller coaster of emotions is caused by decreasing estrogen levels, here are some tips to help you gain control over your hormones and live with menopause.
How to Cope with Menopausal Mood Swings
- MHT or HRT – Menopausal hormone therapy, previously called hormone replacement therapy, can help if your find that your mood swings are debilitating. It’s not for everyone, especially if you have underlying health concerns, like breast cancer or heart disease. Consult with your doctor before committing to this route of treatment.
- Get More Sleep – Believe it or not, a strict sleep schedule can help regulate some of these hormones. Whenever anyone has issues staying asleep at night, they’ll have issues during the day. Not getting enough sleep can make you more stressed and mentally exhausted. Insomnia is a common menopause symptom. Keep your bedroom dark and a comfortable temperature, avoid big meals before bedtime and try to keep the bed strictly for sleep. Going to bed at the same time each night and waking up at the same time every morning will help your body regulate hormones and find a healthy balance.
- Exercise – Moving for even 30 minutes a day can release enough endorphins in your body to help combat feeling down due to menopause. Regular exercise is important for a number of health reasons and acts as a natural stress reliever. Find a physical activity that calms you so you can focus on the activity at hand and forget about stressors.
- A Healthy Diet – Eating more fruits, veggies, and whole grains with fewer fats and less sugar not only help ward off heart disease and diabetes, but help stabilize your mood. Studies have shown that people who eat produce and fish have less depression-related symptoms than those who eat junk food. Eating smaller, healthier meals throughout the day can give your body more energy to properly deal with all symptoms of menopause, including depression and mood swings.
- Don’t Go Through it Alone – Getting the help of medical professionals can help with finding the right treatments you need to balance your hormones. But taking time to spend with friends and family can help reduce stress and boost your mood. Women who have a close relationship with another woman reportedly have higher levels of progesterone. If you’re having a bad day or a bad week, get some girlfriends together and have a night in, or out, to help your mood swings. If friends don’t live close by, consider joining a support group or an online community where you can speak openly and vulnerably about your symptoms and mood swings. Sometimes hearing that you’re not alone and how others are dealing with their menopausal mood swings can help.
If natural supplements and these tips aren’t quite cutting it, schedule your online consultation with our medical professionals to see if our patented PearlPak can help balance your hormones. Use the form below to get in touch with our team today!