Self-Esteem
Feeling Snappy and Sad? It's Not You, It's Your Hormones
One minute you’re fine. The next, you’re snapping at your partner or crying during a dog food commercial.
If your moods feel like they’re on a rollercoaster, you’re not alone — and you’re not broken.
Mood swings and irritability are common during perimenopause, caused by the same hormones that governed your monthly cycle for years… now fluctuating wildly.
What’s Happening in Your Body? Estrogen helps boost brain chemicals like serotonin, which keep your mood stable and your reactions in check.
Progesterone, meanwhile, is like your brain’s internal “shhh, you’re okay” signal — calm, grounding, soothing. When both of these hormones start swinging, so does your emotional state.
Actionable Tips to Find Your Balance:
Boost Magnesium: Often called the “calm-down mineral,” magnesium is crucial for nervous system regulation and is depleted by stress.
Try This: Add leafy greens (spinach, kale), nuts (almonds), seeds (pumpkin), and dark chocolate to your diet. An Epsom salt bath is another great way to absorb magnesium.
Don’t Skip Meals: Blood sugar crashes can send your mood crashing too. This is even more true during perimenopause.
Try This: Aim to eat every 3-4 hours, and make sure each meal or snack contains protein and fiber to keep you stable.
Practice the “S.N.A.C.K.” Method: When you feel a wave of irritability, pause.
Try This: Stop. Notice what you’re feeling. Accept it without judgment. Curious? Why now? Kindness. Be kind to yourself. This brief pause can stop a reaction in its tracks.
This mindful pause helps interrupt emotional spirals before they take over.
Feeling Irritable? Take a 5-Minute Sound Bath
When irritability rises and your nervous system feels like it’s buzzing, try shifting your state with sound.
Try This:
- Find a quiet place where you can sit for 5 minutes (even your car works!).
- Put on headphones.
- Search for “binaural beats for calm” or “432 Hz healing frequency” on a music app or YouTube.
- Close your eyes and just listen, focusing on the vibrations.
- Sound frequencies like these help your brain shift into a more relaxed state, calming the tension in your mind and body, often in just a few minutes.
