Why Am I Always in a Bad Mood?

What Are Moods & Emotions?

Your mood is how you feel in general. Moods describe emotional states such as sadness, happiness, or anger, and are not responses to anything in particular. You might feel grouchy without any specific reason, for example. Emotions are different from moods because they are a response to something specific. If you find yourself in a threatening situation, you may experience the emotion of fear. Or if your supervisor compliments you, you might be pleased.

Many factors can influence mood. Your lifestyle, how you handle stress, your sleep habits, what you eat, and your physical activity can affect how you feel. Social issues, such as having difficulty at work or a disagreement with a friend, or unresolved emotional issues, such as trauma or untreated depression or anxiety, can also impact your mood.

Causes of Bad Moods

There are many common causes for constantly experiencing bad moods. Bad moods can occur because of how you respond to what’s happening in your life. External issues and stressors can affect your mood. Bad moods can also happen due to things going on inside your body. Possible physiological reasons include diabetes, disorders of the thyroid, and heart or lung disease.

Bad moods can happen to anybody, and nearly everybody will experience a bad mood at some point. Bad moods in babies and children are often a result of unmet needs and difficulty communicating with caregivers. Adolescent mood swings occur as a result of changing hormones during puberty. Mood problems in older adulthood can result from illness or cognitive impairment, chronic stress, or unresolved emotions.

Here are some common causes of bad moods:

Stress & Being Overwhelmed

Chronic stress and feeling overwhelmed can lead to feeling like you are always in a bad mood. Chronic stress can affect you physically, mentally, and emotionally. When you are in a heightened state due to stress, changes occur in your body. Over time, ongoing stress can result in physical, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive symptoms.¹

Lack of Sleep

Physical health factors like lack of sleep and mental health can affect your mood. Sleep is an important part of maintaining good physical and mental health. Sleep issues including difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, and getting enough sleep can have an impact on your cognition and mood. Lack of sleep can cause you to feel irritable, cranky, or angry, and decrease your ability to cope with stress. It can also impact your memory, concentration, and ability to think clearly.

Poor Diet

There is a connection between what you eat and how you feel. Just like the rest of your body, your brain requires healthy, nourishing foods to function at its best. Poor nutrition may negatively affect your mood while some foods can help depression and improve your mood. The connection between food and mood is complicated, but there are studies that show a connection between certain foods, fluctuations in blood sugar, inflammation in the body and gut health.²

Unresolved Emotional Issues

There can be lasting effects of unresolved trauma and emotional issues. Traumatic experiences are associated with behavioral, physical, and mental health conditions.  Many people who experience trauma will not have lasting effects, while others may experience ongoing symptoms. Mood dysregulation and depression are common symptoms of unresolved trauma.³

Environmental & Social Influences

What’s going on in your life can impact how you feel. Work stress, interpersonal issues with family or friends, financial strain, health issues, divorce or a break-up, and the birth of a child are all examples of external situations that can influence mood.

Social situations and how you respond to them can influence mood. Positive and negative emotions about a social interaction can affect how you feel. If you perceive a social situation as negative, it is more likely that you will feel poorly about the interaction, and this can affect your mood. If you leave a social interaction feeling good or positive, your mood might reflect these feelings.

Lifestyle & Habitual Factors

There are many lifestyle choices people make that can have an effect on mood. Some of these factors include: physical activity, sleep habits, life/work balance, time spent outside in nature, and the amount of time spent on social media and electronic devices. Substance use can also affect mood. Alcohol, caffeine, nicotine from smoking or vaping,⁴ cannabis, and other substances are all associated with mood issues.⁵

Medications

More than half of Americans report taking prescription medication. Some types of prescription medication can have an affect on mood. These classes of medications include antibiotics (for infections), anticonvulsants (for seizures and some types of mental health issues), beta-blockers (for blood pressure), corticosteroids (anti-inflammatory), opioids (pain), and oral contraceptives (hormonal birth control).

Changes in mood may occur as a side effect of taking these types of medications. Changes in mood may also occur when the medication is not taken as prescribed, if the dose needs to be adjusted, or is deliberately misused by the patient. It is highly important to talk with your doctor about side effects, and the potential risks and benefits when taking prescription medication.

Chronic Pain

Being in pain, well, hurts! It can put the most pleasant person into a bad mood. Acute pain is a normal, short term response to getting hurt. Chronic pain is different, and can be debilitating, because in addition to physical discomfort, there are emotional and behavioral aspects to this type of ongoing pain.

A cycle exists between chronic pain, mood and behavior, and you may find yourself in a downward spiral if left untreated.⁶ Chronic pain can lead to negative thinking and avoidant behavior, which results in further decompensation, prolonging or worsening the pain. For example, if you hurt your back you may avoid doing activities that worsen the back pain. Inactivity results in muscle weakness and weight gain, leading to negative thoughts about the pain and its impact.

Social Media Use

Not all methods of social connection deserve a “like”.  Some research suggests that increased use of social media is associated with or correlates to increased depression, anxiety, negative body image, technology addiction, family issues and lower interpersonal trust.⁷

How to Identify Personal Triggers

It can be helpful to explore what triggers your bad moods. There may be particular people or situations that affect you, distorted or negative thought patterns (what you say to yourself about yourself or the world around you), or something biological, like hunger, low blood sugar or fatigue. Keeping a log can be a helpful way to track changes in your mood. Make a note of what you were thinking or doing just prior to any noticeable change in how you’re feeling.

How to Get Over Bad Moods

Getting over a bad mood can be as simple as going for a walk outside, eating a quick snack if you find yourself “hangry”, or venting to a friend about what’s bothering you. Moods can change quickly, and your bad mood might not last. Other times, the solution isn’t so simple because the underlying reason for your ongoing bad mood might be more complex.

Here are some tips for improving your mood:

• Think about someone or something you’re thankful for: Feeling thankful and finding things to be grateful for can improve your mood and overall mental health.
• Do something nice for someone: Helping someone else or doing something nice for another person can help you to feel better by giving you a sense of fulfillment.
• Talk to someone: Connecting with a friend or loved one can be a good way to improve your mood.
• Spend time outside: There are many health benefits to spending time outside. Being outdoors helps to support the body’s natural circadian rhythms which control many processes within the body, including mood.⁸
• Pet an animal: Animal lovers know that petting a furry friend can boost mood. Research suggests that caring for an animal provides many health benefits including lowering stress, increasing physical activity, and improving cardiovascular health.⁹
• Listen to music: Music activates many parts of the brain, including parts involved with emotions. Research has shown that listening to music can improve mood.¹⁰
• Take a bath or shower: You can wash away a bad mood, literally!
• Meditate: Meditation helps to reduce stress and promote a sense of calm. Relaxation can help to improve your mood.
• Volunteer your time: Volunteering with a meaningful cause or organization can give you a sense of purpose. You are doing something of value when you share your time or skills with others.
• Exercise: Even a short burst of exercise can help to release endorphins, which are the feel-good neurotransmitters in the brain. A few minutes of intense exercise can go a surprisingly long way.

When Is a Bad Mood More Than a Bad Mood?

Being in a bad mood can be completely normal, and most people will experience a bad mood at some point in their life. However, if you’re noticing that you’re in a persistent bad mood or that you’re having frequent or major mood swings, there may be a bigger issue. Ongoing bad mood, irritability, grouchiness, or intense mood swings can be signs of mood disorders like depression or anxiety disorders or bipolar disorder.

When to Seek Professional Help for Bad Moods

Occasional bad moods are normal and can resolve without treatment. If you notice that you’re in a bad mood more frequently than not or that your demeanor has changed without an obvious reason, there may be something more going on. Sometimes people aren’t aware that their mood has changed or become a problem, and other people begin to notice and comment on it.

If your bad mood is affecting your functioning at work, with family or friends, or with self-care, it may be time to seek professional help from a psychologist, counselor, or therapist, especially if bad moods are significantly impacting your quality of life. An online therapist directory can be a helpful resource to find a therapist.