Good days, bad days. We all have them. But some days can simply just feel worse than others. This could be down to a number of different factors, ranging from everyday nuisances, hormonal changes (particularly in women) to a sudden change in life events. For women, hormonal factors can play a particularly large role in their everyday emotions, with decades of research showing how the body changes during a woman’s menstrual cycle. Some women get lucky - they experience almost no symptoms. However for many others it can be a different story, ranging from headaches, backaches, to sudden raging mood swings, or a feeling of utter despair and sadness right before the dreaded monthly blood bath begins. All of these factors weigh in to our overall morale and mindset.
The following tips and tricks are all things you can factor into your lifestyle however you choose (if you wish to do so!). Here are five ways you can begin to challenge those negative thoughts:
Write down a list of good things/personal achievements from this month - Take some time to reflect and write down all your personal achievements or good moments from the past month, even if they’re small things like managing to get up on time or sticking to your exercise routine. All these little things add up and then you can start to see that often all these good things are happening without you even realising it! This can really help to improve your mood as it allows you to focus on the positives within your daily life.
Perhaps you could get creative with it, by writing them on ‘post it’ notes and sticking them around your room in places where you will see them often. This can help to affirm these positive events on a regular basis.
Get a good amount of sleep regularly - Although you have probably heard it a million times before, getting enough sleep is probably one of the most important factors to your mental and physical well being. Having the odd late night on the weekends, or perhaps even a cheeky weekday, is perfectly plausible. We’re all human after all. However ensuring you regularly maintain those full 7-8 hours of sleep should be of upmost importance if you want to feel your best on a day-to-day basis. Experts have long proposed that six to nine hours is optimal for most fully grown adults, with a range of benefits including reduced stress and improved mood. This can help you feel more mentally prepared when those negative thoughts or emotions start to seep in, in comparison to if you were maintaining bad sleeping habits, which again can directly effect your mood.
Surround yourself with a happy bunch of people - The energy we carry is contagious, especially as social animals. Other people can pick up easily on our emotions and more often than not, your mood can directly effect others. Research in this field has repeatedly shown that this is the case. A study at Havard Medical School found that individuals who associate themselves with cheerful people have a happier demeanor and consequently a better sense of well-being. The effects are like a chain reaction, among a social group of any size. The closer you are emotionally and physically to the ‘happy’ person, the more substantial the effect will be on your mood. Basically, go and hang out with some happy people! As much as you can.
Visit your doctor for advice if it is effecting your everyday life - if you are feeling negative for extremely long periods of time or like it is effecting your everyday life, pay a visit to your doctor. That is what they are there for! They want to help you. Perhaps if you are a woman who experiences challenging emotions during her period, it could also be a potentially good idea. It could unlock the door to some potentially good solutions.
Try Meditation - This one might seem a bit cliche, but research has found when practiced on a regular basis it can reap many benefits. Now it may not be for everyone - but it’s worth giving it a shot if you have the time!
Some of these benefits include; stress reduction, reduced anxiety, it can promote your emotional health, increased self awareness, a lengthened attention span and it could also help to improve your sleep quality.