Mood Swings and Their Influence!

On top of the world at one time, panicky and dull in the other moment… Sometimes composed and harmonized, at other times baffled and disintegrated... Does it indicate your mood-graph?


Examine your mood after every one hour. Plot it as a dot against one of the five mood-categories shown below.


You will find that the pattern of your mood-dots is erratic, showing frequent transitions in the form of crests and troughs. This upward and downward movement of dots on a mood-graph is called mood- swings.

WHY MOOD-SWINGS?

According to psychologist Robert Thayer, mood is the product of two dimensions– energy and emotions. Just as energy can be less or more, even so, emotions can be positive or negative. Thus, we obtain four different kinds of mood-zones which can be understood with the help of Miller Mood Map.


Action Zone


Suppose, you reach office and find your promotion letter on your table. At that moment, how will be your mood? Indeed, you will be brimming with energy and positive feelings. According to the Miller Mood Map, at that time, your mood-point will lie in Zone 1, i.e. 'Action-Zone'. When we are under the influence of this kind of mood, we work with full vigour and vitality. We meet and talk with people around quite cheerfully.


Anxiety Zone

In case energy is more, but the emotions are negative, then we are said to be in an angry mood. In this mood, we happen to react aggressively. We shout at the person in front of us, get into arguments, or even land up in altercations or fights. Whenever a person is in this mood-zone, it is better not to approach him with any work; because, the probability is more that your work will not materialise. In fact, many of you opt for such course of action only. For example, when you have to get your leave application signed and you come to know that the boss is in a bad mood, you never take the risk of going to the boss's cabin. Or, when you intend to seek permission from your father to go on a trip with your friends, you invariably check that he is not in this mood-zone.

Sad Zone


When the energy level is low and emotions are also negative, then our mood slips into the trench of sadness, i.e. Zone 3. Often when we say that our mood is off, we are lying in this region of the Miller Mood Map. On occasions like less marks in exam, scolding by boss, quarrel with wife, etc., our mood goes off balance to land in the zone of sadness.



Lazy Zone

The fourth category of the Miller Mood Map denotes indolent and tardy mood. In this case, our emotions are positive but energy is missing. It is this mood which is largely responsible for procrastinating things from today to the second day, then to the third day and so on.


Thus, throughout the day we remain trapped and keep groping in these four zones. Statistics tell that on an average, one in five people is a victim of mood-swings. According to psychologists, change in mood is linked to the neuro-transmitters in brain. Our brain cells communicate with each other and transmit messages from one place to another with the help of neuro-transmitters. However, during mood-swings, the equilibrium of neuro-transmitters gets disturbed. Medical professionals tell that it happens because the secretion of chemicals in our brains does not take place in adequate quantity. There is fluctuation and variation in secretion of chemicals like serotonin, norepinephrine, GABA, dopamine, etc. Our mood too shows ascent or descent according to these fluctuations in secretion of chemicals. Mood oscillates like a swing.

IMPACT OF MOODS

Is it good to be moody? Niedenthal and Setterland conducted an experiment in 1994. They chose some people for this research. Half of them were made to listen to a sad song. The song demonstrated pain and sorrow. For the remaining people, vibrant, cheerful and lively tunes were played. The purpose of making people listen to these tunes was to arouse positive and negative moods in them. The scientists wanted to study the effect of these moods on the subjects. They found that constructive and healthy mood impacted people's view point, thought-process, decisions and resolutions in a positive way. Whereas, when people with negative moods were asked about life-related matters, their views reflected a negative mindset. By implication, it means that moods impact our decisions and viewpoints.


Indeed, negative moods do not yield good results– both at behavioural and individual levels. Under the influence of bad moods, we not only ourselves bear the harmful consequences of anger, dejection and depression, but also make our surroundings negative. Even if we do not say anything, but the negative vibes that emanate from our body cast their impact on people who come in our contact.

Certainly, the first zone of the Miller Mood Map is better than the remaining three zones because we remain safe from the harmful effects of negative moods. But, at many times, we also commit mistakes despite being in a positive mood. Out of excitement, we lose our senses. You might have experienced so in your practical life. For instance, when you are over-excited, you fail to keep control on your tongue; you happen to take hasty decisions, etc.

The best alternative would, therefore, be to get out of all the four mood-zones. We should try to attain such a personality which is beyond emotional swings happening moment after moment. Because, when we are imprisoned in the influence of moods, then our real personality gets hidden. At the same time, our power of discrimination is affected.

Now, the question arises, how to get out of the cobweb of moods? Ordinarily, we try various methods to control our moods. For example, by talking to our friends and relatives, by going away from that situation, by eating something tasty like chocolates, ice-cream, etc. Some people also believe in smoking and consuming alcoholic drinks to correct their mood. But, we all are fully familiar with the truth. We know very well that these mediums can give only transitory results. With the help of such methods, we can switch from one mood-zone to another, but we do not get out of the shackles of moods. Like, if in order to correct our mood, we eat chocolate or ice cream, then for some moments we surely feel happy or relaxed. It is so because by eating them, there is spurt in secretion of chemicals like serotonin, etc. However, soon this gush in secretion of chemicals is followed by their sudden and abrupt fall. In fact, this fall takes us to a state which is even worse than the original. Therefore, if we really want to overcome mood-swings, we need to attack at their root-cause.

As already stated, moods are closely related to the neuro-transmitters present in the brain. Thus, if we can find a technique with the help of which we can balance and control the secretion of chemicals in our brain, then, indeed, we can escape from the trap of mood-swings. Now, how to balance and control the secretion of such chemicals? – Let us understand the science behind it.

There is a gland in our brain called hypothalamus. This gland is known as the king of glands. It is because this gland controls the secretion of chemicals from other glands. But this king of glands itself gets directions from a special kind of protein called beta-lipo-tropin. This protein, in turn, secretes only when the pineal gland is activated. In this manner, we can see that, on activation of pineal gland, the secretion of chemicals inside us start getting controlled; and, gradually, we are able to attain a balanced personality.

The foremost point here is that the pineal gland cannot be activated properly through artificial means. Its activation is possible only through the practical science of Brahm Gyan– Divine Knowledge. Balancing of chemicals inside our body take place in toto when we meditate upon supra sensorial Divine Light, which, in turn, enables us to come out of the trap of moods. In this context, Yogananda Paramahansa stated very clearly– “Meditation is the best way to destroy moods and live in a world of wonder. It helps in controlling ourselves not by our moods but by wisdom.”