Menopause day-by-day: Managing your mood swings

by Leslie Pepper Roller coasters may have been fun to ride as a kid, but the thrill is gone when it's your mood going up and down. Experts aren't sure the exact cause of menopausal mood swings, but it's most likely a combination of fluctuating hormones, interrupted sleep patterns and plain ol' stress. "This is the time when a woman's career begins to plateau, her children are moving away, she may have health issues and her parents are starting to die," says Alice Domar, PhD, executive director of the Domar Center for Mind/Body Health and author of Be Happy without Being Perfect. So really, how can you blame a woman going through menopause for being moody? Here are some suggestions to even out erratic emotions. Get movingExercising 30 minutes five times a week is one of the best ways to manage your mood, says Dr. Domar, who is also an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. Moving your body increases endorphins: those feel good chemicals in your brain. Plus getting a great workout will help you sleep better at night and decrease anxiety, anger, and irritability during the day. You don't have to do a half hour straight. You can do 10 minutes of jumping jacks when you wake up, take a 10-minute walk after lunch, and putter around the garden for 10 minutes in the afternoon to get the mood-boosting benefits. Eat betterEating more complex carbs can help the brain produce serotonin, a chemical that settles your nerves. Try barley instead of white rice or pasta in soups, trade a sweet potato for a regular one, sprinkle oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs in meatloaf, and bake with whole-wheat flour and oat bran instead of white flour, suggests Lauren Slayton, a registered dietician and president of Foodtrainers in New York City. Adding omega 3 to your diet gives you a double whammy: it's good for your mood and your heart. This essential fatty acid is found in walnuts, flax seed, edamame, and cold-water fish, says Slayton. Reduce stressDr. Domar's studies have found that menopausal women who practice relaxation techniques experience significant drops in tension, anxiety, and even depression. And the women report fewer mood swings and more stable emotions overall. Try one (or all) of these techniques, 10 to 20 minutes a day, twice a day. Meditation is a technique to help you quiet your mind and focus your attention. To try it, sit in a quiet room and concentrate on the in and out of your breath. If your mind won't stop chattering, focus on a word or phrase. Whenever you feel your thoughts wandering, gently bring back your focus to the breath, word, or phrase. Autogenic training teaches your body to respond to verbal cues in order to achieve deep relaxation. For example, you would repeat the phrase "My left arm is heavy and warm," and then "My legs are heavy and warm," and then "My heartbeat is calm and regular." Progressive relaxation helps you relax tense muscles--which in turn reduces anxiety--through a two-step process. To try it, lie down and start with your right foot. Concentrate on squeezing the muscles as hard as you can for about eight seconds, then relax them. Let the tension leave your body through that foot. Move to your left foot, squeezing and relaxing. Continue up the body until you've reached the top of your head. Snooze betterNight sweats can put a damper on a good night's sleep and contribute to daytime irritability. Try valerian root herb tea 45 minutes before bed, and avoid hot and spicy foods, alcohol, as well as caffeine several hours before bedtime says Dr. Susan Lark, author of Dr. Susan Lark's Hormone Revolution. Dr. Lark also recommends 5 HTP, an amino acid that can help regulate your sleep cycle. If none of these remedies work, see your doctor about trying an antidepressant. Many work on serotonin receptors in the brain to help regulate mood, sleep, and body temperature. And, as a general rule of good health, check with your doctor before starting any exercise regimens and tell her about any supplements you're taking. Leslie Pepper is an experienced writer who specializes in health topics and has also been an editor at women's and women's health magazines.  Read full story >