Feeling like you've tried everything to keep your emotions balanced but still find yourself grappling with rage, tears, worry, and tension? Menopause is a major life shift, marked by hormonal fluctuations that deeply influence our mood and stress levels. In particular, the impacts of stress have been shown to linger in the body, making the menopause transition even more challenging.

If you're unsure where you are in this transition, understanding the four stages of perimenopause can help you make sense of the emotional changes you're experiencing.

Why Does Menopause Affect Mood and Emotional Balance?

The primary hormones affected during menopause are estrogen and progesterone, which play crucial roles in regulating our emotions and stress response. As we enter perimenopause, the transitional phase leading up to menopause, these hormone levels fluctuate irregularly, leading to a wide variety of symptoms, both physical and emotional.

The decline in estrogen levels, in particular, is linked to mood disturbances. Estrogen influences the production and activity of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which are involved in mood regulation. As estrogen levels decline, the balance of these neurotransmitters is disrupted, leading to symptoms such as irritability, mood swings, nervous tension, anger, and feeling overwhelmed. Learn more in Understanding Your Hormones: Estrogen.

Progesterone also plays a calming role in the brain, and fluctuations can contribute to feeling on edge and disrupted sleep. For a deeper understanding, visit Understanding Your Hormones: Progesterone.

In addition, these hormonal changes are responsible for many other menopause-related symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, and sleep disturbances. Sleep disruption alone can significantly worsen menopause mood swings and emotional instability, making it more challenging to cope with everyday work and family commitments.

If you're struggling emotionally, you may also find support in our guide on managing your stress and mood during menopause.

The Science Behind Our Menopause Mood Support Supplement

When mood swings and nervous tension come along with hormonal changes, it's worth looking at how you're supporting yourself day to day, from the food on your plate and the sleep you get to herbal and nutritional support.

When formulating a daily supplement to support emotional balance during menopause, we blended key nutrients with plant actives. Mood supports healthy emotional and mood balance, may help relieve moodiness and mood swings associated with menopause and symptoms of mild anxiety, and supports brain health and nervous system health.

Here's a closer look at the ingredients in Mood, our daily menopause mood-support supplement.

St. John's Wort for Menopause Mood Swings

St. John's Wort is traditionally used in Western herbal medicine to soothe nerves, ease nervous tension and relieve symptoms of mild anxiety.

A clinical trial in women aged 43 to 65 showed improvements in psychological menopausal symptoms, as did this controlled study. Its active components include hypericin and hyperforin.

Saffron for Emotional Balance During Menopause

Saffron has been studied for its effects on mood. Studies have shown that saffron extract may help support mood and reduce symptoms of mild anxiety.

Its active components include crocin and safranal, and saffron also has antioxidant properties.

Lavender for Calm

Lavender is well known for its calming qualities, and is traditionally used in Western herbal medicine to aid mind relaxation and relieve symptoms of mild anxiety. Research on lavender oil, which is rich in compounds like linalool and linalyl acetate, has also looked at mild anxiety and relaxation. Mood contains a lavender flower extract rather than the oil.

For women navigating stress-driven symptoms, herbal support is also explored in Top Natural Herbs for Menopause Support and Hormonal Balance.

Green Tea Leaf for Alertness

Green tea contains L-theanine, an amino acid that has been studied for its relaxing qualities. Green tea is traditionally used in Chinese medicine to enhance mental alertness.

That traditional use may be welcome on days when brain fog is weighing on you.

Vitamin C for Nervous System Health

Vitamin C is essential for the synthesis of serotonin and dopamine.

As an antioxidant, vitamin C also helps reduce free radicals formed in the body, and Mood as a whole supports nervous system health.

Zinc for Mood Regulation in Menopause

Zinc is an essential mineral that plays a role in many processes in the body, including brain function.

Folate and Vitamin B12 for Emotional Wellbeing

Folate (vitamin B9) and vitamin B12 are included alongside the other ingredients in Mood, which supports healthy mood balance and brain function.

You can learn more about the importance of B vitamins in Why Vitamin B Matters During Menopause.

If you are taking any medications, we always recommend consulting with your doctor before starting any new supplements.

Shop Mood and save 15% every month on our subscriptions, knowing your supplements will arrive when you need them, stress-free.

Discover our range of supplements, developed with mind and body nutrients to support your body and your needs before, during, and after this transitionary life stage.

ALWAYS READ THE LABEL AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS FOR USE.