How can I maintain a good attitude when I am hormonal?
It’s completely normal for women to experience hormone fluctuations throughout their menstrual cycles. These hormonal changes can negatively impact mood, causing irritability, anxiety, sadness, anger, and more. This can be frustrating, especially when you want to maintain a joyful, positive attitude but feel dragged down by hormones you can’t control. The good news is there are practical, biblical ways to counteract the effects of hormones on your emotions and outlook. With God’s help, you can overcome monthly melancholy!
Stay Close to God
When hormones hijack your emotions, it’s essential to anchor yourself in scriptural truth and draw near to Jesus. Remind yourself that fleeting feelings don’t define you – God does. “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalm 139:14). God beautifully designed you, hormones and all. Ask Him for an eternal perspective when hormones threaten your attitude. “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2). Press into time with God, praying about struggles and opening your heart to receive His love, comfort and direction.
Lean on God’s Word
Surround yourself with biblical truth when hormones hit. Play worship music with uplifting lyrics. Listen to scripture on audio. Meditate on key verses about God’s character and promises. Speak God’s Word aloud over your circumstances and declare truths like: “The joy of the Lord is my strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). God’s living Word has supernatural power to renew your mind and lift your countenance.
Control Your Thought Life
Hormones affect feelings, but you can control your thoughts. When negativity rises up, intentionally redirect your mind. Reject destructive thinking and capture each anxious or hopeless thought. Ask, “Is this true or helpful?” Then replace lies with biblical truths. “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things” (Philippians 4:8). Your thoughts influence your attitude, so stay vigilant.
Limit Social Media Use
Scrolling social media when hormones hit your mood often makes matters worse. Online comparison triggers insecurity. Controversy breeds anger. Lonely feeds prompt sadness. Limit social media use when possible. Instead, engage in uplifting face-to-face interaction, thank God for blessings, serve someone else, enjoy nature or absorb an inspiring book. Proactively choosing activities that boost your outlook can counteract the pull toward negativity.
Pursue Perspective
When you feel your attitude slipping, intentionally pursue proper perspective. Recognize that feelings driven by hormones don’t reflect reality. Recall other seasons when emotions lied. Consider the way hardship shapes your character. “We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4). Your identity and worth remain steady, even when your feelings fluctuate. With practice, you can learn to separate fleeting feelings from your true position as a cherished daughter of God.
Speak Encouragement
Hormones may tempt you to speak harshly, but God calls us to build others up with our words. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29). When hormones rise, solicit help from loved ones. Explain you’re facing a hormonal dip and need extra encouragement. Ask them to kindly redirect any unnecessary venting. Choosing uplifting speech protects relationships.
Pursue Stability
Establishing regular routines provides stability when hormones fluctuate. Self-care like sleeping enough, eating nutritious meals, exercising and getting sunshine supports emotional health. Set priorities that align with your values and purpose. Fulfilling meaningful activities boosts your mood by reminding you of God’s work in you. Regular time with encouraging friends also helps anchor you. Rhythms and community stabilize life amid monthly hormonal changes.
Adjust Expectations
Be realistic about what you can accomplish at different times of the month. Around your period, give yourself grace to adjust expectations at work or home. For some women, scheduling lighter days is wise. Reframe your mindset by appreciating the chance to move at a slower pace, engaging in restorative activities. Listen to your body and spirit, resting when needed. God designed your monthly cycle, so cooperating with it yields peace.
Help Others
When you feel the tug of negativity, turn your focus outward to help someone else. Call an isolated friend or meet a practical need for a neighbor. “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). God comforts us not just for our own sake, but so we can effectively comfort others in any trouble. Allow the ways God has brought you through hormonal challenges to equip you to empathize with and support others.
Confess Struggles
Admitting difficulties to a trusted friend allows them to speak truth and pray for you. “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (James 5:16). Confessing the strain you feel makes problems feel smaller as you release the burden. Ask friends to remind you of biblical truths that counteract the lies hormones whisper. Humility paves the way for encouragement.
Trust God’s Timing
When hormonal shifts drag you down, hold fast to the hope that brighter days lie ahead. “Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). Nothing is permanent. God promises you cycles of joy and mourning. When you feel stuck in darkness, insist on praising Him. Declare hope for the future. God’s timing is perfect. He works all things for the good of those who love Him, even hormones.
Embrace Weakness
Hard seasons remind us how desperately we need God. If it were easy to maintain righteousness in our own strength, we wouldn’t rely fully on Him. “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). Allow difficulties to deepen your intimacy with Jesus. Turn to Him alone to lift your countenance and steady your heart. Your sufficiency is from God alone.
Ask for Intercession
Don’t hesitate to invite others to pray for you regarding hormonal swings. There is power in the prayers of the righteous. “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). Reach out individually and submit prayer requests to your church’s prayer team. Ask people to intercede for your emotional health, thought patterns, attitude and relationships. God uses righteous prayer to accomplish His purposes.
Trust God’s Heart
Even in confusing seasons of sadness or anger, you can find rest in God’s unchanging nature. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). He is always good, loving, faithful and just. Fickle feelings do not impact His steadfast heart for you. When emotions threaten to overwhelm you, remember who God is. Read His promises. Talk with Him. Let your knowledge of God’s heart anchor you until joy returns.
Seek Medical Help
Extreme hormone-related depression or irrational anger may indicate underlying physical problems requiring medical care. Consult your doctor and have your hormone levels tested if symptoms persist without relief. Be open to treatment plans or medication to regulate hormones. And continue surrounding medical intervention with prayer. God often works through medicine to bring healing.
Cultivate Patience
Monthly hormonal fluctuations teach you patience. The process of maintaining perspective in each season develops perseverance and maturity. “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1-2). Keep your focus on eternity. God uses your journey through monthly ups and downs to conform you to His image. Cooperate with His work to develop Christlike patience that endures.
Release Control
You can’t control your hormone cycle, so be willing to release outcomes to God. “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Fixating on maintaining a positive attitude only breeds more frustration. Instead, acknowledge your helplessness apart from Christ. Prayerfully surrender your emotional state to Him. Entrust your heart to the One who gave His life for you and knows you completely.
Practice Gratitude
Cultivating a thankful attitude combats negativity amplified by hormones. Begin each day naming blessings. Thank God for your identity in Christ. Throughout the day, praise Him for little gifts you observe. Gratitude changes your focus from self to God, lifting your eyes from temporary circumstances. Let your mouth overflow with thanksgiving, despite how you may feel. An attitude of gratitude affirms God’s grace.
Hope in Christ
No matter how hopeless hormones make you feel, nothing changes the eternal promises of Jesus. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3). Because of Christ’s resurrection, you can live and walk in newness of life, raised with Him. You are a new creation – let that radiant truth define you above shifting monthly cycles.
Trust His Power
God is able to bring light to the darkest valley and joy to the most despairing heart. “He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us” (2 Corinthians 1:10). No matter how overwhelmed you feel, nothing limits His power to lift you up. When emotions threaten to pull you under, proclaim your mighty Savior who conquers all.
Practice Self-Control
The fruit of the Spirit includes self-control. Ask God to empower restraint when interacting with others during hormonal highs and lows. “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back” (Proverbs 29:11). Steady your reactions by pausing, praying and considering how to build others up. Self-control protects relationships and displays God’s strength within.
Overcome in Christ
Victory is available through Christ, including triumph over monthly mood swings. “Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). You already have everything needed in Him to stabilize your heart when hormones flux. Abide in the power of His endless love. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Focus on Christ
Ultimately, maintaining joy is only possible by fixing your eyes on Jesus. Consider all else rubbish compared to knowing Him. “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things” (Philippians 3:8). When emotions threaten, preach Christ to your heart. Remember His sacrifice for you. Marvel at His matchless worth. Worship your King. The steadfast, rallying cry of every season remains, “To live is Christ!” (Philippians 1:21).