We all have bad days and experience situations that can change our mood for the rest of the day. Both men and women experience mood swings, but there are certain circumstances that lead them to have more mood swings than men. If experienced frequently, it can affect your relationships, careers, and even physical and mental health.

What causes mood swings? What are some coping skills that are beneficial?

Here are some of the causes of mood swings in women and what you can do to cope with them.

Causes of Mood Swings

There can be a lot of reasons behind your mood swings. These are some of the most common causes.

Suffering From a Mental Illness

Mood swings can be a characteristic of mental illnesses. These can include illnesses such as Bipolar Disorder or Borderline Personality Disorder.

Puberty

Puberty can be hard on many teenagers, but temporary mood swings can take hold. Luckily, they are a normal part of the process.

Postpartum Depression

It is estimated that 10 to 15 percent of women suffer from postpartum depression after giving birth. They can make the new mother experience crying spells, problems with daily functioning, and lack of desire to care for a newborn. This condition is serious and requires prompt treatment if diagnosed.

You're on or Almost on Your Period

This comes in the form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or the slightly more serious premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). PMS causes symptoms like anxiety, irritability, and sadness. Meanwhile, PMDD can combine PMS symptoms and depression.

Life Circumstances

Things that happen in your life can be stressors that cause mood swings. Stressors like unequal power, relationships, and work overload are good examples of this.

Dealing with mood swings is not easy, but knowing what exactly is causing them can help you get back on the path and find prompt treatments to ease them.

Good Coping Skills for Mood Swings

If you're suffering from mood skills, the good news is that there are strategies that can help. We'll look at some of the most effective.

Emotion-Focused Coping

Emotion-focused coping is when you cope with your feelings in healthy ways that soothe you or help you tolerate the distressing situation. Some examples of this include:

• Exercising
• Listening to your favorite music
• Writing in a journal
• Cleaning your home
• Meditating

These skills can help you improve your mood and calm down from an intense emotion that pops up.

Problem-Focused Coping

Problem-focused coping helps you take on a problem directly and get rid of the source behind your stress and mood swings. Some examples of this include:

• Getting support from your friends, family, or other loved ones
• Establishing healthy boundaries
• Walking away from stressful situations
• Improving time-management skills

If you suffer from a mental illness, you could benefit from either cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). CBT teaches you to change your thought patterns or behaviors. DBT helps you manage any intense mood swings and control high emotional states, like anger and despair.

Implementing the types and examples of good coping skills listed above can add these benefits of ease of mind and tranquility.

Coping Skills to Avoid at All Costs

While there are many types of coping skills out there, there are some coping skills that could worsen your bad mood. Here are some examples of bad coping mechanisms:

• Abusing substances like alcohol or drugs
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Overeating or undereating
• Spending too much while shopping
• Avoiding your feelings when talking with others

Any coping skills you do should benefit your physical body and state of mind. Indulging in these bad coping skills will create bad habits and a more negative frame of mind.

Get Help for Mood Swings in Women

Mood swings in women can be challenging to deal with if you don’t know the cause. If you know the cause of these mood swings and use these coping skills, you can greatly improve your everyday life. Talk to a doctor or therapist for other treatment options if these coping skills aren't enough.

For more interesting tips on living a healthier life, especially for issues that women deal with, check out our other articles.