How to Keep Your Emotions in Check

I recently came across some memes on the internet about women's ever-changing emotions that made me laugh out loud. What I find so funny about these memes is how accurate they are.

One of my current favourites, for example, says:
"Being a woman is exciting because we don't know what mood we'll be in next, or for how long."

It's crazy how abruptly our moods can change. My mood swings, for example, change so often in a day that I lose count of how many emotions I've felt by the end of the night. It's even worse when I haven't slept well the previous night, when I'm hungry or "at that time of the month" (ladies, I know you know what I mean😏).

"Sorry for what I said when I was hungry."🍴😔​

I experienced my most ridiculous incident yet with mood swings not so long ago...

I'd just boarded the bus, and was paying for my ticket when another girl came running behind me and boarded it right after me. I didn't know this at the time, but I was blocking her way to the seats as I was standing right at the front door. So when she suddenly said "Excuse me!" (in what to me was a sharp tone), I was not only surprised, but was also offended. I gave her a nasty look before moving to one side for her to pass, finished paying for my ticket, and then made my way to an empty seat. For the entire journey, I imagined different scenarios in my head where I confronted her, and told her exactly what I thought about her impoliteness.
It was only when I was relaying the story to a friend later on that I realised just how crazy it sounded. Lol.

As funny as they may sometimes be, however, mood swings can also be quite dangerous. I've had some awful fights with loved ones in the past which were a result of me acting on how I felt in that moment - and I didn't even realize it until later! Words were exchanged which were better off not being spoken out loud in the first place. In the moment, I was convinced that I had every reason to be angry or offended, but in retrospect, I really didn't.
 
"Always love a woman for her personality.
​
They have like 10, so you can choose."
 
I feel so bad for men especially who, in most cases, are the main recipients of our tongue-lashing. And it's worse for them, because they don't even know where any of it is coming from. But in relationships, things are bound to get heated every now and then. With that in mind, it's important - especially in these moments - to make sure our moods don't affect how we address our significant other.
 
So now that it's clear what the problem is, what are we going to do about it?

The first thing I do when I realize that I'm acting - or even thinking - out of line is: try to figure out the source. Am I hungry? Did I sleep well last night? Is it that time of the month?

It's much easier for me to find a solution for it when I know what's causing it. If I need to, I make time in my day for a nap or prepare something to eat. But if that's not an option at that moment, I refrain from taking part in lengthy conversations with other people, especially the type that could possibly get heated. I either keep my conversations short - "Hi! How are you? That's nice." - or I keep the focus on the other person so as not to have to say too much myself.

In the event that I can't seem to fall asleep when I try to nap, I either exercise or focus my attention on a specific task that I have to complete. Exercising releases endorphins - the "feel good" hormones - and also helps me release all the built-in tension and emotion that I don't know what to do with; whereas working on a task gets my mind off how I feel, if only temporarily.

Last but definitely not least, comfort food!😋 Like most girls, I love me some chocolate, 🍫 and on such occasions,  I find them to be quite an effective remedy. Eating chocolate - or other snacks that I enjoy - when I'm moody usually makes me feel so much better. Reading a good book or watching a movie can also help, even though sad movies make me cry when I'm moody. In most cases, it turns out that all I really need is an outlet; and, in my opinion, crying is a much better outlet than having a senseless argument is.

It's important to note, however, that being emotional is not a bad thing. It's these same emotions that enable us women to sympathize with, and comfort another when he/she needs it - whether physically or verbally; as well as push us to act in situations where action is needed, as opposed to sitting back and doing nothing. It can also spark creativity - something that I really value as an artist. 🎨👌Learning to manage our emotions clearly works to our advantage in many ways. And if channelled in the right direction, it can reap good fruit! 😄

So next time your emotions are playing tricks on you: stop, think and then act (or don't act, whichever is relevant to your situation. Lol). I promise you it will make all the difference! 😉😊​

​- ✗O✗O.