For this week’s Agony Aunties episode, we were asked how to handle mood swings. And to answer that, as usual in these episodes, we have a few different angles to approach. The first thing we suggest is to bring awareness to the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems within us, and to ground our approach towards mood regulation in the physical. If our bodies and nervous systems are dysregulated, we can experience a range of affective states, both positive and negative, and so finding ways to regulate ourselves first - be it through rest, diet, or exercise - is one approach to settle the body and to manage these mood swings.
We also recommend a sense of self-compassion here, as there are negative connotations to mood swings, and we hope that you don’t adopt any self-blaming language while trying to regulate your nervous system, but to approach your needs with a sense of softness and care. And, as always, we thank you for your questions here and for your prompts to these conversations. We really enjoy exploring these topics with you, so do please keep sending in your questions, and we’ll do our best to answer as many of them as we can.
Please email your questions to jsamuelpod@gmail.com or DM Julia on her Instagram @juliasamuelmbe.
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Tom Shakespeare on shattering stereotypes and redefining disability
Agony Aunties: Only children and teen friendships
Henrietta Copeland on the silent grief of childlessness
Agony Aunties: The complexities of parenting adult children
Annabel Croft on navigating the shock of a sudden diagnosis
Agony Aunties: Love, trust and navigating the rollercoaster
Josiah Hartley on depression as an illness and not a personal failure
Agony Aunties: Grief in relationships
Julia Bradbury on overcoming challenges with positivity and purpose
Agony Aunties: Dealing with a narcissist
Agony Aunties: Mastering boundaries
Agony Aunties: Sibling struggles
Agony Aunties: Navigating divorce and affairs
BONUS: How do I know when it's time to end therapy?
BONUS: How can therapy help me?
BONUS: A guide to navigating Christmas
Alain de Botton’s insights on psychotherapy, love and navigating Christmas
Gabby Logan on her strength beyond sports
Lesley on the impact of unearthing family secrets
Lorraine Candy on unravelling, menopause, and the power of identity
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