Tips for Coping with Menopause Mood Swings

I have to say this because I grew up around women who were very chill, and who never seemed to get overly emotional about anything, I had to learn early on how to deal with mood swings and emotions. And so, I do kind of feel like I've got a really good handle, now that I'm in my perimenopause years.

And I know you're probably thinking, "Well, why are you talking to me? Because if you've got a handle on it how can you help me?" But without knowing it, I just did it naturally at the time. I have developed a few tips and tricks that help me get past that time when I'm just not feeling like myself.

Control Your Mood Swings, Don't Let Them Control You

There are some actual steps that you can take to be proactive so that the mood swings are not controlling you, and you're managing them. So, quickly, and these are easy things that once I've said them, you'll probably think, "You know what? That's doable; I can do this."

First of all, recognize when you're feeling bad.

You have to be a little more introspective and pay attention to what's going on with your body, pay attention to what's going on with your mind, and your emotions, and how you're feeling. So, begin to pay attention to yourself and recognize when you are starting to feel different, whether it's anger, whether it's sadness, begin to acknowledge these feelings.

There will be signs. You will know. If you randomly cry for no reason, that's a sign. Recognize that. That's key to getting through the mood swings, getting through that emotional time without killing anybody.

Learn Your Mood Swing Triggers

Now that you know that you're feeling this way, or you know, even the precursors to feeling this way, identify your triggers, begin to notice what sets you off.

You may have to have a couple of full-on meltdowns to do this, but once you do, you'll know. You'll know what triggers you.

Maybe it's you don't want to hear your husband chew that day. I know that sounds crazy. Or maybe, it's something really big like taking on a new project at work or planning a party. I mean, even fun things can trigger mood swings.

Sometimes we're having the most fabulous time and then we're crying for no reason, and we're like, "What's going on?" It's because you have now put your body through change, you've put your body through stress, and you're already hormonal.

Stay Away From Your Triggers

The third thing that you're going to want to do is: You're going to want to move away from whatever it is that triggers you. Once you recognize that you're not feeling right, things are triggering you, and you're going to want to extricate yourself from that situation.

When I say extricate yourself from that situation, we can't always physically remove ourselves, but if you can, that's great. Physically remove yourself from the situation, for example, go take a walk around the store. I used to do that a lot, especially at night.

Find Ways to Calm Yourself

Journaling is an excellent way to extricate yourself from the situation. You can also try meditation, yoga or find other outlets that move you away from whatever it is that's triggering your stress. Putting yourself in a different situation where you can calm down and where you can be a little more relaxed can help you can get past the bad feelings.

For the most part, mood swings tend to be very transitional, and they tend to be very quick. So, if you can get a handle on it before it happens, and be proactive, then you will be at a place where you're controlling the mood swings, and they're not controlling you.