Stress, lack of sleep or cloudy and dark weather: all of these factors can have a negative effect on our mood and too Mood swings to lead. However, short-term depression is not a cause for concern. It will pass and can be effectively dispelled with simple home remedies. Light and warmth, but also herbs and exercise have proven to be extremely effective here.
What helps against mood swings?
Winter, with its short days with little light, is considered to be the real peak for mood swings. The cause of the listlessness is, among other things, the release of so-called sleep hormones, which the body increasingly produces when there is no light.
A lack of light also causes a decrease in serotonin production. Serotonin is urgently needed as a “mood enhancer”. If enough of it cannot be provided, mood swings will result. The seasonal lack of light and its negative side effects can therefore be counteracted by exercising a lot outdoors. Just a few “minutes of sunshine” are enough to put body and mind in a better mood.
Exercise also leads to an increased release of happiness hormones, which quickly put an end to the low mood. Targeted endurance exercise such as jogging, walking or cycling is particularly effective. However, heat and even “artificial” light are also effective. A warm bath, illuminated by pleasant candlelight, can also have a very positive effect on the mood. The use of certain herbs also helps with a low mood.
The use of St. John's wort, which can be enjoyed as a tea, has been known for centuries. Both flowers and leaves of the plant are used to prepare St. John's wort tea. It is enough to drink one or two cups of the freshly brewed tea in the morning and in the evening. However, the mood-lifting effect of St. John's wort does not set in immediately. The tea must be drunk for several weeks before its effects can be seen. The same applies to St. John's wort preparations, which are available in the pharmacy in tablet or capsule form.
Quick help
If quick help is needed against mood swings, the desired effect can be achieved with essential oils, because in addition to soothing scents, various scented oils are known for their extremely stimulating effect.
Here essential oils from oranges, mandarins, grapefruits or limes are particularly mood-enhancing. Other scented oils with an anti-depressant effect are bergamot, jasmine, sandalwood and rose. Essential oils can be drizzled on a cloth or evaporated in the fragrance lamp. It is important that the user uses an oil that they find pleasant. But normal foods and spices can also have a positive effect on mood. This is known from ginger, nutmeg, grain products, muesli bars, fresh or dried fruits and nuts, among other things.
All of these foods contain the amino acid tryptophan, which is converted in the brain into the much-needed happiness hormone serotonin. Ultimately, chocolate also helps as a well-known home remedy for a bad mood. The reason for this is the theobromine contained in cocoa with its stimulating effect. Whether a chocolate bar, drinking chocolate or even a chocolate bath - ingredients such as iron, copper, potassium and magnesium lift the mood and brighten the mind.
You can find your medication here
➔ Medication to lighten the moodAlternative remedies
Bach flowers and Schüssler salts have proven themselves as alternative healing methods for mood swings. Gentian (Bach flower number 12) and Mustard (Bach flower number 21) are known for Bach flowers.
Both help the person concerned to deal with difficult situations better and strengthen mood and soul. The same applies to the Schüssler salts number 3 (Ferrum Phosphoricum) and number 5 (Kalium Phosphoricum), which relieve depressive moods. The best time to take it is in the early afternoon. Color light therapy is also pleasant and beneficial for mood swings. In color light therapy, color stimuli are absorbed through the skin or eyes.
The duration of the irradiation is around 15 to 30 minutes. If the colored light treatment takes place in an infrared sauna, the light pulses can also be absorbed by the bare skin. Each color is assigned a certain effect in the context of color light therapy. In combination with the infrared sauna, there is also the invigorating effect of the warmth. Infrared sauna and color light therapy can be used together with essential scented oils to increase the effectiveness.
