psyche
Mood Swings
Adverse effectMood swings are noticeable shifts in emotional state, such as moving between more positive and more negative feelings, rather than one steady mood. Here, Mood Swings is treated as an adverse outcome associated with some interventions.
A concise starting point for placing Mood Swings in a broader wellness discussion.
These are research findings, not promises. Most options have little evidence, and results differ from person to person.
What can cause it
How likely each one is to cause it, most likely first.
Expressive WritingpracticeUnclear
Based on 2 studies. Strongest study: a systematic review of studies.
Among people with fibromyalgia, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, a review of randomized and non-randomized human studies found short-term increases in emotional distress, negative mood or affect after written emotional disclosure. A separate study of 23 people found worsening mood scores.
Open the Expressive Writing pageMeditationpracticeUnclear
Based on 2 studies. Strongest study: a randomized controlled trial.
Open the Meditation pageFastingpracticeUnclear
Based on one study. Strongest study: a systematic review of studies.
A 2025 systematic review described mood destabilization in relation to fasting; the finding did not quantify how often it occurred.
Open the Fasting pageBreathworkpracticeUnclear
Based on one study. Strongest study: a randomized controlled trial.
A 2023 trial of 74 people reported a finding related to depression; the result does not specifically establish mood swings.
Open the Breathwork pageTabata TrainingpracticeUnclear
Based on one study. Strongest study: a non-randomized trial.
In a quasi-experimental study of 28 healthy participants, affect ratings declined over the exercise session, including after the last round.
Open the Tabata Training pageFinnish SaunapracticeUnclear
Based on one study. Strongest study: a non-randomized trial.
In a 2023 quasi-experimental study of 22 people, at 120°C, tension (13.05→20.50), depression (8.50→12.23), fatigue (7.86→13.27), and confusion (4.05→13.50) increased significantly, while vigor decreased; the anger change was non-significant.
Open the Finnish Sauna pageQigongpracticeUnclear
Based on one study.
Intense or improperly guided Qigong can trigger mood disturbance, particularly in people with a personal or family history of mental illness.
Open the Qigong pageAcupuncturepracticesimple.meter.userReports
Based on one study.
Open the Acupuncture page
The expert view shows every study, dose protocol and source.
What can cause it
Interventions reported to bring this on13 listedHighest probability
- →PracticesExpressive WritingCertaintyLowSourceClinical2 other sources
Among people with fibromyalgia, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, a review of randomized and non-randomized human studies found short-term increases in emotional distress, negative mood or affect after written emotional disclosure. A separate study of 23 people found worsening mood scores.
Who was studied
- People with a condition
- Fibromyalgia
- Lupus
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
Open Expressive WritingStudy result
Short-term emotional distress, negative mood or affect increase after written emotional disclosure
- →PracticesMeditationCertaintyLowSourceClinical2 other sources
A review described emotional difficulty when starting Loving-Kindness Meditation, related to realizing a lack of self-compassion. In an RCT involving 94 people, positive emotions decreased in the intervention group compared with the control group after accounting for pre-intervention values (b = -2.17, t(110) = -2.03, p = 0.04, Cohen's f^2 = 0.04).
Who was studied
- Healthy people and patients
Open MeditationStudy result
Emotional difficulty when starting Loving Kindness Meditation, related to realizing neglect of self-compassion
- →PracticesFastingCertaintyLowSourceClinical1 other source
A 2025 systematic review described mood destabilization in relation to fasting; the finding did not quantify how often it occurred.
Open FastingStudy result
Mood destabilization
- →PracticesBreathworkCertaintyLowSourceClinical1 other source
A 2023 trial of 74 people reported a finding related to depression (p = 0.039); the result does not specifically establish mood swings.
- →PracticesTabata TrainingCertaintyLowSourceClinical1 other source
In a quasi-experimental study of 28 healthy participants, affect ratings declined over the exercise session, including after the last round (M = 2.07, SD = 1.7 vs. M = 0.43, SD = 3.1, p = 0.018).
Who was studied
- Healthy people
Open Tabata TrainingStudy result
FS ratings decreased over time during exercise... showing a decline of affect after the last round (M = 2.07, SD = 1.7 vs. M = 0.43, SD = 3.1, p = 0.018)
- →PracticesFinnish SaunaCertaintyLowSourceClinical1 other source
In a 2023 quasi-experimental study of 22 people, at 120°C, tension (13.05→20.50), depression (8.50→12.23), fatigue (7.86→13.27), and confusion (4.05→13.50) increased significantly (p < 0.001), while vigor decreased (15.41→2.36, p < 0.001); the anger change was non-significant.
Who was studied
- Healthy people
Open Finnish SaunaStudy result
At 120°C the opposite occurred on the POMS: tension (13.05→20.50), depression (8.50→12.23), fatigue (7.86→13.27) and confusion (4.05→13.50) increased significantly (p < 0.001) and vigor decreased (15.41→2.36, p < 0.001); the anger change was non-significant
- →PracticesQigongCertaintyLowSourceReference knowledge1 other source
Intense or improperly guided Qigong can trigger mood disturbance, particularly in people with a personal or family history of mental illness.
Open QigongStudy result
Intense or improperly guided qigong can trigger mood disturbance as part of qigong deviation syndrome, mostly in people with a personal or family history of mental illness.
Low probability(6)(1)(5)
- →PracticesAcupunctureCertaintyLowSourceAnecdotal1 other source
This effect was mentioned in 2 of 191 Reddit reports discussing it.
- →SupplementsChagaCertaintyLowSourceAnecdotal1 other source
This effect was mentioned in 2 of 229 Reddit reports discussing it.
- →PracticesFocused Attention MeditationCertaintyLowSourceAnecdotal1 other source
This effect was mentioned in 2 of 237 Reddit reports discussing it.
- →PracticesGratitude JournalCertaintyLowSourceAnecdotal1 other source
In people with low mood or high perceived pressure, forced or overly frequent gratitude listing may feel inauthentic and can bring guilt, frustration, or a temporary mood dip.
- →PracticesMindfulness MeditationCertaintyLowSourceAnecdotal1 other source
This effect was mentioned in 2 of 293 Reddit reports discussing it.
- →PracticesLatin Dance FitnessCertaintyLowSourceAnecdotal1 other source
This effect was mentioned in 3 of 218 Reddit reports discussing it.
How to read the evidence
Evidence tier — overall strength of the evidence for the whole compound
- StrongWell established — backed by strong, consistent human research.
- ModerateSome genuine support, but mostly from small or lower-quality studies. Promising, not proven.
- PreliminaryEarly-stage evidence — a promising hypothesis, not an established effect yet.
- LimitedVery limited evidence — treat this as a hypothesis, not proof.
- InsufficientNot enough good evidence to draw conclusions yet.
Certainty — how sure we can be that the effect is real
- Very highVery sure — strong, consistent evidence
- HighFairly sure — consistent evidence from good studies
- MediumModerately sure — new studies could change this
- LowNot sure — little or mixed evidence
- Very lowVery unsure — almost no usable evidence
Source — where the data comes from
- Meta-analysisPooled analysis of many trials — the strongest evidence
- RCTRandomized controlled trial — a strong human study design
- ClinicalA human clinical study
- Reference knowledgeFrom general health-science or pharmacology references, not a study of this exact claim
- Animal researchStudied in animals, not humans
- Community reportsAggregated user reports — anecdotal signal, not evidence
- TheoreticalMechanism-based reasoning, not yet tested
Study grade — quality of each underlying study (A best, D weakest)
- AHigh-quality — strong, consistent human trials
- BGood — solid evidence with some limitations
- CModerate — limited, small, or mixed-quality studies
- DWeak — preliminary, indirect, or animal-only
Confidence — how strongly the sources back a finding
A 0–100 score from study quality and agreement
Most supplement evidence is graded C–D. Read it as preliminary signal, not proof.
Full write-up
What is it
Mood swings are noticeable shifts in emotional state, such as moving between more positive and more negative feelings, rather than one steady mood. Here, Mood Swings is treated as an adverse outcome associated with some interventions. Its presence does not mean that everyone will experience it, and the available observations do not establish that the outcome applies across all people or situations.
How interventions help
The interventions linked with mood swings do not represent one consistent type of effect. Reports include an acute response to Finnish Sauna, clinical observations involving Tribulus Terrestris and Melatonin, and user-reported experiences associated with several supplements. These findings therefore describe different kinds of signals rather than a single established pathway or predictable response shared by all interventions.
Individual susceptibility appears important. Mood instability may be more relevant for people already vulnerable to it, while emotional variability has also been reported in connection with dose adjustments, underlying mood disorders, or hormonal fluctuations. The Finnish Sauna finding came from healthy participants, whereas the health status of most other observations was not specified, limiting how broadly they can be applied. No intervention-specific dose, duration, onset, or persistence after stopping is established here, so the available information cannot indicate how quickly mood swings might appear or whether they continue after use ends.
Choosing guidance
These options are not directly interchangeable. The human evidence spans a small quasi-experimental study in healthy people, a pilot study with health status not specified, and a narrative review, while several other entries come from anecdotal reports or pharmacology references. That means the findings may not apply equally to people with mood disorders, medication use, or existing mood instability, and the evidence does not establish that one option is a reliable choice for this effect.
Dose, duration, and follow-up are not consistently provided, so it is not possible to compare how much would be needed, how long an option would need to be used, or how quickly mood changes might appear. The studies also do not provide a consistent basis for judging whether effects persist after use or differ between products, preparations, or individuals.
For a cautious comparison, human clinical evidence is more relevant than isolated personal reports, but it should still be interpreted in context: the available human findings are limited and come from different study types and populations. People who are especially concerned about mood instability may prefer to avoid making several changes at once, so any change in mood can be more clearly associated with the option being considered.