Why You Feel Up And Down All The Time

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If you are somebody who feels happy most of the time, well done: you have some sort of secret that the rest of us don’t. Most people are up and down. They’re high, then they’re low. They feel great, then they don’t want to get out of bed in the morning. 

But is this really a human being’s natural state? We don’t see this sort of thing in nature. A duck isn’t quacking happily one minute and then feeling morbidly depressed the next. Deer don’t jump around the forest with joy on a Saturday night and then miserably sulk when Monday morning arrives. 

In this post, we take a look at some of the leading causes of mood swings. Check them out below. 

You’re Not Sleeping Enough

Maintaining a consistently positive frame of mind means making sure that you give yourself enough sleep. If you don’t get the recommended amount of shut-eye for your age group, you’ll be more prone to mood disturbances and other problems. 

When we sleep, it’s like flipping the reset switch in our brains. The chemistry returns to normal and we feel more able to face the challenges of the day. By contrast, if we don’t get enough sleep, we can feel slow, moody and unable to do the things that we want in life. Everything has to go perfectly, or we will crash. 

Your Blood Sugar Is Low

Blood sugar levels can also wreak havoc on your mood. If they change rapidly, you could find yourself feeling great one moment, and then angry the next. 

Think back to the last time you got a sugar hit. Just after you ate the donut, you felt great. However, about an hour later, that happy feeling went away and you started to feel a little off. Two hours later and your blood sugar was crashing big time, making you hungry and angry at the same time. 

Fortunately, dealing with wild swings in blood sugar levels is actually surprisingly easy. Just make sure that you eat an assortment of whole plant foods throughout the day. The best approach is to mix beans, vegetables, nuts and seeds with grains. These elements will help to slow digestion and help you maintain a more consistent mood. 

You’re Getting Stressed Out

Can you imagine the luxury of going through life stress-free? If you’re like most people, you can’t. There’s always something that you’re worrying about. 

Stress is a funny thing, mainly because of how suddenly it comes on. One minute you’re happily making your way to work in the car and the next, you’re stressed out of your brain because there’s a traffic jam. 

If you’re getting stressed out about everything in your life, don’t reach for medications. According to many rehabs who have to deal with opioid patients, they can create serious dependencies. 

Instead, try to change the way you see the problems that you face. Remind yourself that stress is something that you personally create, not something that’s out there in the real world. It’s not something that you have to put up with if you don’t want it. 

You’re Pregnant

Feeling up and then down is incredibly common during pregnancy. Hormones can surge, fundamentally changing the way that you feel, affecting your mood from the moment you get out of bed in the morning. 

You’re Showing Signs Of Dementia

Patients who have dementia can go through sudden mood swings, partly because they aren’t always sure what’s going on. Someone with the condition can appear calm one moment and then get into a rage the next. In most cases, this happens because they can’t express their thoughts and feelings anymore. 

You Have ADHD

Many people with ADHD lose their temper easily. Even small things, like problems with traffic, can change their brain state. They are also much more likely to become depressed and experience other mood disorders. 

If you think you have ADHD, then you can work with therapists who help you to control your emotions and impulses. They can also give you practical strategies for work situations and social gatherings. 

You’re Drinking Too Much Caffeine

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If you feel calm before your morning coffee but agitated afterwards, it could be a sign that you have caffeine sensitivity. Caffeine-containing drinks can boost how you feel in the short-term, but also affect how your nervous system works. Later on in the day, you may feel more jittery than normal, even if there isn’t anything to cause it.

The solution? Cut back on coffee and replace it with non-caffeine-containing substitutes.