Emotional Ups and Downs: Keys to Mood Fluctuations

Emotional ups and downs in times of crisis and difficulties are common and recurring. Many people experience variations in their mood throughout the day, going from motivation to despondency, from calm to that anguish that swirls in the stomach and stirs up thoughts. Now, for this to happen, it is something perfectly normal.

We should not add more fuel to the mind by wondering if we are suffering from bipolar disorder. This psychological condition, in fact, goes far beyond these emotional changes.

What is happening to us, broadly speaking, is that we are exposed to an unknown situation, to an unforeseen scenario in which the brain, body and emotions are reacting. All of this is within what is expected. Let’s analyze it below.

Emotional ups and downs, why do they happen to me?

One can wake up discouraged. As soon as we open our eyes to a new day we experience temporary disorientation, for a few seconds we don’t know what day it is and soon the mind remembers our reality: we have just left a health crisis but there are still risks. We live with a mask, the way we move and interact has also changed.

During breakfast we usually have the first exchange of messages with family and friends. We think about what we are going to do today and that injects us with some energy and motivation.

However, After hours and without knowing why, that fog appears that opaques and blurs everything. Spirits are diluted and sadness blurs everything. Why does this happen to us? Are we perhaps developing some mental problem?

Let’s analyze some aspects to understand the reason for these emotional ups and downs during confinement.

Even if you want it, you won’t be okay all the time.

It doesn’t matter that you have stimulating routines. Nor that you are one of those optimistic people, the ones who always have words of encouragement for yourself and others.

Experiencing moments of sadness at some point during the day is completely normal.

It is illusory to try to be well 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Therefore, although it may sound somewhat discouraging, We are going to have to live with our negative emotions all our lives because as such, they are part of our human biology.. They are uncomfortable roommates who will visit us from time to time and who will have to be accepted and understood.

Don’t try to force other emotions to appear, they all have their purpose

When you feel grief or frustration, do not avoid them, do not become obsessed with wanting to displace them. and try to be happy. The emotional world does not work this way. Emotional ups and downs in times of crisis and change are also an expected reaction of the brain. This social body needs stability and certainty. If what we perceive are changes and uncertainties, we will react with stress.

When we perceive any change, that alert system appears in our mind that translates into stress and fear; Emotions regulated by our brain amygdala. Therefore, when these moods arise, it is impossible to change them for others.

We must accept them and, above all, give them meaning. “Feeling this way is normal. The only thing I have to try is to not let that negative emotion take control. I accept it, understand it and let it go.”

Look for “channels” for mental calm and you will regulate emotional ups and downs.

There are many people who are suffering emotional ups and downs during this time. Children, adults and the elderly. However, there are profiles that are much more vulnerable to these processes.

Anyone who has gone through depression or suffers from another type of psychological disorder or mental health problem will have greater problems regulating these states.

It is important, therefore, that in these cases, there is psychological, medical and social support, That there is a support network nearby so as not to experience these changes alone. Now, leaving these particular situations aside, in most cases, as we have been pointing out, emotional ups and downs are completely normal and we can handle them.

An ideal way is the following.

We must understand that beyond “negative and positive emotions” or “being good or bad”, the key is knowing what to do with those emotions. It is clear that We cannot be well and be 100% productive, but we can be calm.One way to achieve this is by finding those channels that generate an adequate connection with ourselves. It is, metaphorically speaking, about having your feet on the ground, your mind centered and your heart in balance. Thus, activities such as talking with family or friends that help us vent emotions are always helpful. Also, dedicate time to those creative tasks that relax us, such as cooking, painting, modeling, writing, etc.

There are times when we cannot be as productive as we would like.. That’s when there is only one option left: to take care of ourselves. Achieving this requires understanding the wide range of emotions that can visit us throughout the day. Doing so will allow us to successfully emerge from this experience.

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