As mental health conditions that often feel difficult to manage, mood disorders can have a significant effect on your life. However, that doesn't mean there's nothing you can do to manage yours. Although managing a mood disorder often feels like a lot of effort, there are some useful tactics you can employ.

Remain Consistent With Therapy

There may be times where you feel as though you don't want to attend your therapy sessions. Although skipping them might temporarily give you a feeling of control, it won't help you manage your condition. 

Your therapy sessions will give you a grounding in regulating your emotions next time you have a crisis. They'll also help you gain a healthier perspective of certain situations and relationships. By staying consistent, you give your psychiatrist a better chance of helping you.

Find an Exercise You Like

Staying active helps with many of the symptoms that come with a mood disorder. By burning off your excess energy, you reduce some of the stress hormones that come with anxiety. You'll also boost the serotonin that's present, which offsets some of the symptoms that come with depression.

As some of the medications you'll take to manage your mood disorder can cause you to gain weight, exercise will help there too. In the long term, this may make you more compliant.

Avoid Alcohol and Drugs

Alcohol may temporarily make you feel better. It can help you relax and acts as a form of escapism. At the same time, it can exacerbate your symptoms by causing an imbalance with your neurotransmitters. In some cases, it will interact with your medications and disrupt your sleep, which further worsens your symptoms.

Similarly, illicit substances are likely to make your symptoms worse. Many of them cause rebound anxiety, which may induce a mental health crisis.

Keep Records of Triggers

One of the most life-altering elements of a mood disorder is the mental health crises you experience. In addition to making your life feel difficult, each crisis can affect those around you.

You may find it useful to keep a record of what happened before each crisis. Although you may not immediately associate each event with the period that follows, you might start to notice a pattern. When you do see a pattern, you can either look at ways to stop the event from happening again or to better respond to it.

By working with your psychiatrist and making a conscious effort to manage your condition, the effects of your mood disorder could become less pronounced. Over time, you may find that you have fewer crises and an easier time managing your condition.