Copyright © 2021 Lee Spirit 

A couple weeks ago, I was on this snowy trail in Kananaskis, and this may have been the first moment of blue sky after a snowfall. I have to admit that my mood swings whenever I see a grey, cloudy sky. It also happens when I head out on an adventure, and it’s raining or snowing! Our moods can swing for a variety of reasons, and it’s good to learn how to balance them before we take it out on others.

I can sure appreciate the beauty of the intricate shapes of the snowflakes, the refreshing Spring rain, and the clouds, but I still feel a little grumpy when the sun isn’t shining! In town here, we’ve gone from Spring, to snowstorm, to wind storm, and back to Spring – all within the same week! Today I may even have a sunburn! Mood swings can happen with these shifts in weather patterns, or any number of other factors. Why does this happen, and how can we bring balance to these changes in our moods?

Are You Having Mood Swings?

What is you mood today? Here, the sun is shining brightly, I had the day off, sipped coffee on my sunny patio, and went for a beautiful, peaceful walk in nature. I’m in a pretty good mood! But our lives are not always sunny. The pandemic is putting people a little on edge, and causing so much disruption to the world and our own lives. There are some very legitimate reasons for our mood swings!

Maybe you’re feeling angry, depressed, frustrated, isolated, irritable, anxious, or stressed. You might be happy one day and miserable the next. It’s good to allow yourself to feel whatever it is you feel, and be the witness of your own thoughts, feelings, and emotions. As the witness, you gain more control by noticing what’s going on. This seems to have the ability to dissolve, or at least dissipate the mood swings and emotions. When we don’t notice them, we tend to react more – in defensiveness, irritability, control over others. We want to get to a place where we respond rather than reacting.

What Is Causing Your Mood Swings?

Oh Those Hormones!

Women are usually the ones said to have hormonal imbalances, but men are equally susceptible to hormonal imbalances. For women, it is usually the reproductive hormones, estrogen and progesterone that affect serotonin levels in the brain. Men may experience an imbalance in testosterone. When our levels fluctuate, we are extra sensitive, and we react in ways that seem out of control. We don’t think clearly, so like the change in weather from wind storm to breezeless day, we may feel like we’re on a roller-coaster of emotions!

Environment and Life Circumstances

Of course it’s not only hormonal imbalances that cause mood swings. It may just be the circumstances of our lives, as I mentioned with the pandemic. Our regular routines have been thrown out of whack, which might make us feel the same. The loss of job or a loved one most certainly affect our moods. Allowing ourselves to feel what we feel is important, but remember to consider hormonal imbalances and life circumstances. Ask yourself why you may be feeling a certain way instead of just blindly reacting to everything around you.

Diet and Nutrition

While seeking out some information on blood tests and adequate levels of vitamins, I noticed a difference between Naturopathic doctors and Family doctors. I can’t generalize, but it seems Family docs tend to prescribe drugs when you have a complaint, to ease your symptoms. This does not get to the root cause of your symptoms. They wait until something goes very wrong before looking for root causes. Whereas, Naturopathic docs want to discover the root cause of your symptoms, and prescribe more natural ways to relieve symptoms. I’m not a fan of drugs, so I will always lean more towards natural remedies. Many natural remedies are all you need.

Learn Why Doctors are Prescribing Nature Therapy to their Patients rather than Drug Therapy!

What To Eat & Drink?

That being said, a poor diet and nutrition is one reason you may have mood swings. If you fill your body with sugars, unhealthy fats, carbs, and junk food, you will surely feel lethargic, moody, and unbalanced.

It’s important to find out how much water you need each day by your body weight, among other factors. There are calculators online that can help you with this.

Also, make sure you get your omega-3’s through fish. Eating bananas, oats, berries, nuts, and seeds can also boost your mood. My faves! Did you know that coffee and dark chocolate fall into the mood balancing category too? Yay! Make sure you get whole grains, legumes, lentils, and plant proteins in there too! These foods help balance those fluctuating hormones!

What Vitamins and Minerals Help With Mood Swings?

Vitamins and minerals, in the Recommended Daily Intake amounts, are also important for stabilizing mood swings. The ones that reduce stress are vitamin C, D, and the B vitamins, particularly B5, B6, B12. Some people, like me, don’t absorb B12 through the stomach, and it must be taken sublingually, or injected. Some doctors don’t test B12 unless you ask, so you may want to ask, as it can have some serious health consequences if you don’t have enough.

With winters being cold and sometimes dark, and more time spent indoors, I take a vitamin D supplement during the winter. Also, a multi-vitamin is a great idea, especially if your diet is lacking adequate amounts of nutrients. It’s better to get your veggies in the recommended daily amounts, but you can always supplement with a multi-vitamin if you don’t.

Exercise & Moods

I’m so happy I met some people early in life who got me into regular exercise. I’ve always liked it, but making it a habit, and a priority in your life is another thing. The important thing to remember is you must find an activity that you love that you can see doing consistently over a long period of time.

For instance, I run, bike, swim, do a little weights, and HIIT workouts. I do these things to maintain good health and fitness. But none of those things are my passion. What I’m passionate about is nature, and being physically active in the outdoors. My favourites are hiking, kayaking, and cross-country skiing in the mountains. By maintaining my fitness, I can go out and do these things on a whim without working up to it. I can go on a vacation somewhere and hike 15km per day for several days without training.

Exercise will most definitely stabilize your moods by bringing fresh oxygen to your brain and all the cells of your body. It will make you feel healthy, energized, and even high. You don’t have to run a marathon or do triathlons. All it takes is a brisk walk in nature, on a regular basis, and your moods will be stabilized in no time. Exercise will also help maintain muscle mass, improves agility, and overall strength.

Yoga and Meditation

Oh, I couldn’t finish a blog post without mentioning yoga and meditation! These are also my favourite natural remedies for mood swings! Yoga lowers your blood pressure through breathing exercises, especially kundalini yoga, which really moves the breath, and helps you release old, stagnant energies. With a more stabilized blood pressure, your moods will be more stabilized too. Yoga is like a moving meditation, but you can also do seated meditation in stillness, silently, or with music, sounds, and mantras. Crystal bowls, Tibetan sound healing bowls, and gongs are all very therapeutic and clear the mind, as do mantras which reset your mind and help stabilize thoughts, feelings, and emotions. When you are calm, in that empty space of neutrality, you have the ability to handle any stress that comes your way.

Free Guided Meditations

Have you checked out my new MindfulNatureNut Guided Meditations Channel on YouTube yet? It’s definitely a work in progress, but you will have access to my FREE guided meditations on my own peaceful moments out in beautiful nature! I definitely get rid of the mood swings when I’m amongst the trees and on the water! Even in the snowstorms!

Ask Yourself This…

So whenever you feel a mood swing coming on, be sure to allow yourself to feel what you feel, and notice it as the observer. Then ask yourself…Do I have fluctuating hormones that need to be treated? What’s happening in my life, the world, and in my relationships? Am I eating and drinking the right things? Am I getting adequate exercise? And do I practice yoga and meditation? Your answers will help you decide what to do next to alleviate your mood swings!

Lee Spirit is an avid outdoors adventurer with a love for nature, photography, health & fitness, wellness, and spirituality. Her own personal journey has led her to the  study and practice of mindfulness, health, wellness, yoga, spirituality, sound healing, meditation, and personal development for over 20 years. Click here for Regular Mindfulness in Your Inbox, and Lee’s Free Natural Mind Healing report!