5 Signs of Emotional Instability

Emotional instability can take a toll on your mental health, relationships, and overall well-being. Are you struggling to manage your emotions and feel like they’re getting the best of you? Do you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or sad for no apparent reason?

In this video, we’ll explore five signs of emotional instability and what they could mean for you. From sudden mood swings to difficulty regulating emotions, we’ll help you identify the signs so that you can take the necessary steps to manage them.

Disclaimer: If the video resonated with you and you’re currently struggling, please don’t hesitate to reach out to a mental health professional. Seeking support is a courageous step toward healing and you don’t have to go through it alone. Remember, there’s no shame in asking for help and it’s okay to prioritize your mental health.

A lot of people with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) struggle with emotional instability and emotional dysregulation. There’s still a lot of stigma surrounding BPD, so check out this video to learn more about the positive traits of people with BPD:

Researcher and Writer: Syazwana Amirah
Editor: Caitlin McColl
Script Manager: Kelly Soong
Voice Over: Brandon
Animation: Sarimopi ()
YouTube Manager: Cindy Cheong

REFERENCES

Guyer, A. E., Silk, J. S., & Nelson, E. E. (2016). The neurobiology of the emotional adolescent: From the inside out. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 70, 74-85. doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.07.037
Lahey, B. B. (2009). Public health significance of neuroticism. American Psychologist, 64(4), 241.
Patel, R., Lloyd, T., Jackson, R., Ball, M., Shetty, H., Broadbent, M., Geddes, J. R., Stewart, R., McGuire, P., & Taylor, M. (2015). Mood instability is a common feature of mental health disorders and is associated with poor clinical outcomes. BMJ Open, 5(5), e007504–e007504. doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2014-007504
Silver, N. (n.d.). Rapid mood swings: Causes and when to see your doctor. Healthline. www.healthline.com/health/rapid-mood-swings#seeing-your-doctor
Taylor, M. (2015). Mood instability is a common feature of mental health disorders and is associated with poor clinical outcomes. BMJ Open, 5(5), e007504-e007504. doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2014-007504
Tang, S. (2021, July 27). www.topdoctors.co.uk/doctor/sylvia-tang. Top Doctors. www.topdoctors.co.uk/medical-articles/emotional-instability-what-are-the-main-signs-in-adults
Van Dijk, Sheri. (n.d.). “How to Calm Your Inner Storm | Psyche Guides.” Psyche, psyche.co/guides/how-to-calm-your-emotions-with-dialectical-behaviour-therapy.
Wolff, C. (2018, April 25). 7 Signs Someone Might Be Emotionally Unstable. Bustle. www.bustle.com/p/7-signs-someone-might-be-emotionally-unstable-8890589

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Easy Steps To Help Avoid Stress And Help You Relax

Modern life can sometimes stress you out to the point that you are ready to tear your hair out. Instead of doing that, check out the tips in this article. These tips will help you relax in the short term, as well as, reduce or eliminate sources of long-term stress in your life.

Try reading a book to relieve some of your pent up stress. Losing yourself in another world, perhaps one of fantasy or sci-fi or a romance, can be a great way for your mind to go on autopilot for a bit. You’ll be able to focus on the world inside the book, rather than whatever is stressing you out.

If you’re in a stressful situation, before you doing anything rash, stop and count to ten. This will give you a moment to relax and cool down. It’ll prevent you from doing something you might regret and instead letting your mind calm down enough to make rational choices.

Avoid factory farmed meats, eggs and dairy products. These products are filled with adrenaline due to the horrible cruelty experienced by the animals. Excess adrenaline will raise your levels of the stress hormone, Cortisol. This will cause you to experience excess stress levels, decreasing your level of overall health and happiness.

Minimizing your exposure to the daily news will actually relieve you of some inadvertent stress. Even if you don’t realize it, watching a war on television, skyrocketing prices at the supermarket or neighborhood crime rates can really wear on your psyche. Every once in a while, especially when your stress levels are high, turn on a comedy or music instead of the news.

One great tip for relieving stress is clearly know and define your priorities in life, as they will help you stay focused on what must be accomplished. When you lose sight of your goals and priorities, you will become unfocused, confused, and go off track, which will easily result in stress.

Ahhh…. Who doesn’t love a hot bath? Soaking in a bath is a great stress reliever. But, we don’t always have time for a hot bath. If you don’t have time for a bath, wash your face or even your hands with some hot water and imagine you are soaking your stresses away.

Stress can have a tremendous effect on the amount and types of food that we eat. We may have the tendency to gorge on junk food when we are stressed. Our stomachs may be so upset by the stress that we can barely eat anything. Either reaction is potentially dangerous. Minimizing your stress level can radically improve your dietary choices.

A great tip that can help you keep your stress levels down is to not be so serious all the time. Enjoy a good laugh whenever you can and try to smile as much as possible. These simple acts can go a long way in keeping your stress down.

One of the most effective methods for reducing stress is going for a long walk. Not only does this remove you from the stressful environment it also allows you to clear your mind by being distracted. If you go alone be sure to take some nice music with you to help you feel even better.

Exercising is a great way to beat stress. Go for a walk or a run, depending on your fitness level, during times of the day you tend to feel the most stressed. It can also help to start your day off with physical activity as this increases the mood boosters in your brain.

One great way to deal with stress is to try to visualize something calming. This is important because if you are somewhere that does not allow for some sort of physical relaxation, you can try to imagine it and calm yourself down. An example would be to imagine the relaxing nature of a hot shower while you are at an office meeting.

Find out and target what it is that is stressing you out. If it is just your job, then think about switching careers. If it is your family, then work on the issues you have with them. Really zone in on what it is that is causing your stress and then deal with the root of the problem.

When you feel like you are not reaching the goals that you set out to hit, go to church. This will help you to learn to appreciate where you are so that you can reduce the mental pressure that you put on yourself. Sometimes, it is important to appreciate the little things in life.

A great tip that can help you keep your stress levels down is to write or read some poetry. Poetry is great because it allows you to express your feelings in a creative way. Not only will you be keeping your stress in check, but you’ll be creating art.

A good tip that can help you keep your stress in check, is to remind yourself that other people have gone what you’ve gone through. Whatever difficult situation you’re in, there’s always someone who has gone through it and persevered. Telling yourself this, can be a great way to keep your stress down.

Shake your body out on a daily basis! You may think you carry your stress only in your mind, but your body carries it just as much. Take ten minutes every day to let go and shake every part of your body. Stretch your legs, your neck, your arms and your back. Shake your hands for ten to fifteen seconds. Breathe deeply while doing these exercises. You’ll find you feel less stressed afterwards!

Stress is often a matter of being in a bad situation and not knowing how to minimize the negative effects of that situation. The tips in this article can make it a bit easier to take a step back and evaluate your situation and then, look for ways to prevent that situation from stressing you out.