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Mood Swings

Feeling great one minute and down the next? Going through puberty means your emotions can change faster than the weather! Here's how to survive the journey!

Boy in boat on stormy seas and girl in boat on calm seas

Your body isn’t the only thing that puberty changes…

It can have a big impact on your emotions too!

Your emotions may become stronger and more intense during puberty.

Moods might change more frequently, quickly and randomly.

You may have strong emotions that you've never had before.

Sometimes you may feel confused, sad or angry and don’t know why.

You might feel sensitive or become easily upset.

All these feelings are a normal part of puberty and will come and go!

Why all the feels?

There are lots of things that are happening during puberty that can impact on your mood and the way that you feel, like:

Hormones

Lack of sleep

Peer pressure

Demands of school

Conflict with parents

Feeling scared or alone

Stress

Anxiety

A busy schedule

Physical changes

Feeling self-conscious

Having to make more decisions

Your brain is growing and changing too

While your body is adjusting to all the new hormones, so is your brain!

During puberty your brain is strengthening the parts that allow you to feel more intense and complex emotions.

But… the part of your brain that is responsible for reasoning and controlling emotions is still growing and can be the last to develop.

Sometimes this might make you feel as if your emotions are out of control, causing even more frustration, sadness or confusion.

Dealing with all of these emotions can be tough

Here are some ideas to help you cope: 

Comfort yourself
Soothe your emotions by taking care of yourself
Play music
Listen, dance, sing along or play an instrument
Get enough sleep
Give your body time to recharge and adjust
Be active
Play sport, go for a walk, do something physical
Write it out
Journal about your feelings, thoughts and experience
Create
Express emotions by drawing, painting, crafting or playing
Catch your breath
Take a few moments to stop and think before you react
Talk to someone you trust
Express those new, intense or built-up feelings

If your mood swings don’t seem to go away, it’s important to talk to someone about what you’re going through.

You're not alone

We’re here for you in the ups, downs, highs and lows!

You may feel embarrassed to talk about it, but puberty and mood swings are something everyone goes through.

Give us a call, start a WebChat or send us an email.

This content was last reviewed 01/03/2019

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