Emotional ups and downs: 7 tips on what to do to manage them

Emotional instability can cause a lot of discomfort in oneself and in others. What to do?

Knowing how to manage emotional ups and downs is one of the key skills that we must work on, regardless of whether we regularly go to the psychologist's office or not.

On the other hand, to assume that we cannot modulate our emotions is to limit ourselves unnecessarily, especially when they tend to change rapidly and we become very sensitive to what happens to us.

In this article we will see a series of tips on how to deal with emotional ups and downs, to adopt strategies against the instability of this typeand to adapt ourselves in the best possible way to the environment and to life in general.

What are emotional ups and downs?

The existence of emotions makes sense, among other things, because they do not arise through our conscious control. Thanks to them, we do not have to go through a long period of reflection to know how to position ourselves before an idea or event; we simply adopt an attitude automatically, and sometimes in a matter of fractions of a second.

However, in some cases the dynamic nature of emotions can turn into emotional ups and downs, which appear when minimal changes cause the mood to change completely.

This emotional instability can not only generate discomfort in the person who experiences it firsthand; it can also negatively affect the way he or she socializes, since it facilitates the emergence of misunderstandings and communication failures. For this reason, it is normal to look for solutions to it is normal to look for solutionsEither by seeking a psychologist (for cases in which the quality of life is eroded) or by changing certain day-to-day routines.

How to manage emotional instability

Below we will see several key ideas to apply in case you are not attending psychological treatment, although reading them and trying to follow them by yourself cannot replace the work of a mental health professional.

1. Look at the situations that feed the emotional ups and downs

Does this emotional instability appear in any situation, or does it remain linked to a particular context or setting? The answer to this question may give you clues as to to what extent the ups and downs are facilitated by elements in your environment..

2. Learn about Bipolar Disorder

As with any type of psychological disorder, Bipolar Disorder can only be diagnosed by mental health professionals through personalized evaluations. However, simply reading about it can help us understand what is wrong with us, by comparing its associated symptoms with what happens in that case..

Specifically, Bipolar Disorder is characterized by stages of mania, in which euphoria and extreme optimism and motivation prevail, with another depressive type. These stages are usually long (several days in a row, or weeks), and the symptoms are very extreme and relatively independent of what happens to us.

Thus, if the emotional ups and downs are not extreme and do not last more than a day, there is no reason to think that this may be the phenomenon that affects us, while in the opposite case it is advisable to attend a psychological evaluation, even taking into account that it does not necessarily have to be Bipolar Disorder.. Also, keep in mind that there is a tendency to identify with the symptoms of mental disorders, despite the fact that this relationship does not really exist or is exaggerated.

3. Sleep well and eat properly

In many cases, emotional instability is due to frustration enhanced by poor physical condition. People who cannot cope well with the energy cost of their daily lives tend to have higher levels of anxiety. often have higher levels of anxiety, which causes them to reactThis causes them to react in a more extreme way to negative stimuli.

Therefore, getting the necessary amount of sleep and taking care of our diet will help us to avoid this energy deficit, which is reflected in our emotional state.

4. Learn to surround yourself with the right people

There are times when emotional ups and downs arise from flawed relational dynamics, perhaps because of conflicts with another person, because of memories associated with someone that we would rather forget, or simply because the prevailing attitudes in a group do not do us any good. the predominant attitudes in a group do not do us any good..

That is why it is important to be clear that if a relationship does not make us feel good, it is totally legitimate to break up with it, even if only temporarily until we recover.

5. Do not force the appearance of other emotions

If you try to "force" yourself to feel differently, it will only cause frustration, since it won't work. Instead, it is much more helpful to indirectly influence how you feel by by exposing yourself to environments that convey the way you want to feel.

In any case, in the case of emotional ups and downs, this cannot be the definitive solution either, since it can only be effective when the sudden change that you want to prevent from recurring constantly has already appeared.

6. Give yourself time to disconnect

Entering a phase in which the ideas that obsess us and the environments that bombard us with reasons to worry are no longer important is very positive, as it allows us to regain strength and take up those day-to-day challenges with renewed energy.

If possible, change your locationIf possible, change your location so that your physical surroundings do not remind you of what makes you experience stress.

7. Go to a psychologist

If you fail to adequately manage emotional instability, do not blame yourself; the realm of emotions works through processes that do not depend on our voluntary control, and we can only influence it indirectly, by modifying the way we relate to the context. In the latter, psychological therapy works very well.

Thus, it is important to look for a psychologist or team of psychologists and to be advised and helped. Working from the consultation sessions and through the routines indicated by the professional we will be doing what is necessary to improve significantly in a matter of weeks.

Bibliographical references:

• Salmurri, F. (2015). Reason and emotion: resources for learning and teaching to think. Barcelona: RBA.
• Solomon, R. C. (2007). Not Passion's Slave. Oxford: Offord University Press.