Your moods swing and whiplash you
Your moods lurch — up into intensity, down into darkness — often without warning, and each one feels like the whole truth while it lasts. The swings whiplash you and the people around you, and you never feel like you are standing on steady ground inside your own emotional life.
Being whiplashed by your own moods is disorienting, and a few things bring steadier ground. First, moods are weather, not climate — real and powerful, but passing, so the low that says everything is hopeless and the high that says everything is wonderful are each just the current weather, not the fixed truth of your life, and holding them more lightly keeps you from being wholly ruled by whichever one owns you. Second, do not make big decisions from the extremes, since the high and the low are both poor counselors; wait for the middle. Third, steady the ground beneath the swings — regular rest, a stable rhythm, moderation in what stirs you — to soften their amplitude. And if the swings are severe or dangerous, this is a pattern a good doctor should see, as some are genuinely medical and greatly helped by care. How do the swings tend to go for you?
What changes unlock by starting
- You hold moods as weather, not climate
- You stop deciding from the highs and lows
- You steady the ground beneath the swings
- You seek help if the weather turns violent