As you go through menopause, your moods can change rapidly. Fluctuating hormones play a big role, and the more your estrogen levels swing, the more likely you are to experience sudden mood shifts.
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Check in with your doctor about what you’re going through. They may suggest starting therapy or trying a medical intervention to stabilize your moods.
“When depression or a lack of pleasure in things you’re usually interested in lasts for two weeks or more, that’s when it’s time to see a doctor,” says Pauline M. Maki, PhD, a professor of psychiatry, psychology, and obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Illinois in Chicago.
Here are some ways to take control.
1. Exercise Regularly
Regular exercise is important for a number of reasons beyond relief of menopausal symptoms. It protects you from a variety of health conditions, keeps your heart in tip-top shape, and helps you maintain a healthy weight. It’s also an excellent stress reliever.
In one meta-analysis of 16 studies, researchers found a significant reduction in depression levels of postmenopausal women following various forms of exercise. Overall, aerobic and mind-body exercises (like yoga or tai chi) were shown to be the most effective.
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“For an added boost to the mood, it’s best to exercise outside and in a group,” says Maki.
2. Eat a Healthy Diet
Like exercise, a healthy diet has a number of benefits. Eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats and less fat and sugar can help ward off diseases like diabetes and keep you at a healthy weight.
Maki often recommends her patients try a Mediterranean-style diet, which uses olive oil as its main fat. It’s also rich in plant-based foods and encourages a moderate intake of seafood and dairy, with little to no red meat or sweets. “It’s a diet that tastes good, and it’s good for thinking and good for cognition, which all helps as you manage the transitions in menopause,” she says.
One study analyzed the eating habits of 82 overweight women going through menopause. It found that those whose regular diets most closely aligned with a Mediterranean-style diet had better sleep and fewer menopause symptoms than women who ate differently.
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That included psychological symptoms like depression, irritability, and anxiety.
3. See a Therapist
If you’re experiencing sadness or have lost interest in the things you used to love — and it’s happening for more than two weeks — talk to a therapist. In addition, it could be helpful to take antidepressants, according to perimenopausal guidelines published in the Journal of Women’s Health.
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“There are proven benefits to cognitive-behavioral therapy for women going through this transition,” says Maki. “It’s beneficial in helping mood, relieving feelings of depression, and helping women think differently about what they’re going through. The gold standard, especially for perimenopausal depression, is evidence-based psychotherapy and something biological, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (antidepressants).”
Maki cautions against skipping the therapist and jumping straight to this class of antidepressants. It takes a trained therapist to get to the root of an onset of depression.
4. Deal With Stress
Chronic stress can wreak havoc on your mind and body, and women beginning menopause often have stress in spades. This may be due to career changes, poor sleep, parenting, aging parents, and relationship issues. That combination can make women more susceptible to depression.
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“Life stressors are contributing factors to depression at any age,” says Maki. “The hormonal variability women experience in perimenopause just makes the impact of those stressors more severe.”
Relaxation techniques like deep breathing and meditation can also help.
5. Consider Hormone Therapy
If you find your mood swings debilitating, talk with your doctor about hormone replacement therapy. One review looked at a number of studies on the impact of estrogen decline during menopause on mood, cognition, and mental health. The researchers concluded that estrogen may have a role to play in treating menopause-related depression as well as cognitive decline.
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Some moodiness may be triggered by irregular sleep patterns due to hot flashes. According to The Menopause Society, taking hormones is a safe and effective way to also reduce hot flashes and night sweats.
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If you choose not to take hormone therapy, talk to your doctor about other lifestyle changes or nonhormonal medications that may help with your symptoms.
6. Get More Sleep
“We’ve underestimated the role of chronic sleep deprivation,” says Maki. “It’s disruptive to our moods, and women are waking up night after night due to hot flashes, making them moody and irritable.” According to The Menopause Society, up to 80 percent of women in menopause have hot flashes.
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To rest easy, make good sleep hygiene part of your menopause treatment. Try these bedtime habits:
- Make sure your bedroom is set to a comfortable temperature and that it’s dark, not illuminated by laptop or cell phone lights.
- Don’t use your bed for anything other than sleeping and sex.
- Try to go to bed and wake up around the same time every day of the week, weekends included.
- Avoid big meals and stimulants like caffeine in the evening.
7. Seek Social Support
Sometimes you need to seek out the help of others to get you through the tough times. “Friends and trusted intimate partners can play a crucial role in helping women through perimenopause, especially since an active social life is crucial to combatting a temporary depressive disorder,” says Maki. “It’s wonderful to have friends who you can talk to about what you’re experiencing.”
You can also look for a support group in your area or online. One study concluded that open discussions about what women are experiencing during menopause can improve awareness, reduce barriers to seeking help, and lead to better care during this transitional time.
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8. Look Into Herbal Supplements
Sipping chamomile tea may help you feel calm. Ashwagandha is an ayurvedic medicine that is supposed to reduce stress. There are a host of other supplements that may help to balance your mood and stress levels.
Some women report relief from a number of different herbal supplements for menopause, such as black cohosh. But studies on that and other herbal remedies have mixed results. Maki cautions that there’s not enough scientific research to support herbal supplements as a remedy for mood swings.
If you decide you’d like to try an herbal supplement for your menopause symptoms, be sure to ask your doctor first. It could interfere with a medication you’re taking or have unwanted side effects.
The Takeaway
- Fluctuating hormones can cause rapid mood changes in menopause, including depressive symptoms, irritability, and anxiety.
- Getting regular exercise, eating a nutritious diet, sleeping well, relaxing, and talking to a therapist or close friends and family are a few ways to manage your mental health during this time.
- If you’re interested in hormone therapy or herbal supplements for your symptoms, talk to your doctor about what will best suit your needs.
