What is making you so moody?

There’s nothing worse than finding yourself stuck in a bad mood, especially if you’re not sure why. And while there are plenty of possible reasons why you’re feeling irritable, here are five lifestyle causes and the easy tweaks you can make to get your happiness spark back once more.

1. Changing hormones

When your body goes through a drastic change⁠, like menopause⁠, your hormones can play havoc with your emotions. As a result, moodiness is often one of many symptoms that come along with menopause. Functioning in the same vein as PMS, uncontrollable fluctuations in mood can come as quickly as they go.

What to do about it

Increasing your calcium and magnesium intake is another great way to provide some natural assistance. Ensure that you are getting enough sleep, exercise, or even a bit of fresh air to help clear your head. Or check in with your doctor about chatting to a therapist to help during this turbulent time.

2. Poor diet

There is no shame in on occasion enjoying foods that may not have the best nutritional value. But the truth is that fluctuating blood sugar levels can have an impact on your mood if you over indulge or get yourself stuck in a cycle.

What to do about it

Introduce foods that will help boost your mood into your daily diet. Think salmon, blueberries, almonds and grainy bread, all of which contain the building blocks to help regulate your moods.

3. Not making time for yourself

We get it⁠—life is busy. There’s so much on your plate that sometimes you can’t even take five minutes for yourself. Add not getting enough sleep into the mix and you’re heading down the path to irritability. If you’re not taking the time to be mindful of how this is affecting your feelings, you need to take a breather.

What to do about it

Book a getaway by yourself or with friends. And, for a quick fix, go for a walk during your lunch hour, or put down your phone away for 20 minutes and read a good book. Need a reminder to do it? Schedule it into your calendar and set a reminder!

4. Need more Zen

When we’re busy and restless, our stress levels peak. This is when moodiness and irritability can easily leave you feeling powerless. It may be easy to brush aside these feelings of anger or fear and tell yourself you just don’t having time to deal with them, but in the long term you’re the one who will suffer mentally and emotionally.

What to do about it

Relaxing can also look like spending some time being mindful and listening to your body and emotions through meditation, which is not as difficult as it sounds.

5. Lack of Vitamin B12

You might not think about the specific vitamins and minerals you are absorbing, however, missing just one might have a bigger effect on you than you think. For example, Vitamin B12 could impact our mood as it affects the production of serotonin and dopamine, the neurotransmitters that help regulate mood.

What to do about it

Try eating a diverse diet, including foods that are high in Vitamin B12, such as eggs, Greek yoghurt and shiitake mushrooms - all a good way to get your fix.