Feeling irritable is a common response to stress, fatigue, and emotional upheaval, often indicating that a person may need to address underlying physical or psychological issues. While occasional irritability is normal, frequent bouts can impact your relationships and mental health. In this blog, we’ll explore practical strategies to help you stop feeling irritable, leading to a calmer and more balanced life.
Understand the Root Causes
What happens when you are feeling irritable?
Feeling irritable is an emotional state characterized by heightened sensitivity to stimuli, often leading to feelings of frustration, annoyance, or anger. It’s a common response to various stressors and can range from mild to severe. While everyone experiences irritability at times, persistent or intense irritability can interfere with daily life and relationships. In this context, you may start asking yourself, “how to stop feeling irritable” or “Why am I feeling irritable for no reason?”.
Recognizing the symptoms why you’re feeling irritable can help you to identify and address the underlying causes. Symptoms can manifest both emotionally and physically, and they often impact behavior and interactions with others.
According to academic research from 2016, “The most common synonyms were “anger,” “frustration,” and “annoyance”. Yet, that’s not the end of the list.
- Emotional symptoms: increased anger, frustration, impatience, mood swings, and sensitivity.
- Physical symptoms: muscle tension, restlessness or inability to relax, feeling unusually tired or drained, headaches or migraines that are linked to stress and frustration, and changes in appetite.
- Behavioral symptoms: snapping at others, withdrawing from social interactions, poor concentration, procrastination, increased arguments, and conflicts.
What causes you to feel irritable?
Identifying the causes of why you’re feeling irritable is crucial for managing and reducing its impact. Common causes include:
- Stress. High levels of stress can make you more prone to irritability.
- Lack of sleep. Poor sleep quality or insufficient sleep can significantly impact your mood.
- Diet. Eating habits and nutritional deficiencies can play a role.
- Hormonal changes. Hormonal fluctuations, especially in women, can affect mood.
- Mental health issues. Conditions like anxiety and depression often manifest as irritability.
What triggers you to feel irritable?
Identifying your triggers of feeling irritable
Understanding your triggers of feeling irritable is essential for managing it effectively. By identifying and addressing your triggers, you can reduce the frequency and intensity of your irritability, leading to a calmer and more balanced life.
- Keep a journal. Maintaining a journal can help you track instances of irritability and identify patterns over time.
- Reflect on recent changes. Changes can be a significant source of stress and may include work-related changes, personal life changes, or health changes.
- Assess your physical health. Evaluate your sleep patterns, diet and nutrition, exercise routine, and medical conditions.
Additionally, consider examining your mental health, and assessing your stress levels and emotional health. Pay attention to the environmental factors, such as work and home environment, noise level, and the amount of time you spend in crowded and busy areas.
Among the common scenarios leading to feeling irritable are work-related stress (heavy workload), relationship issues, financial concerns, health-related issues, environmental stressors (noise pollution or crowdedness), lack of personal time, or technology overload.
Stop feeling irritable by making lifestyle changes
Reducing irritability often requires making thoughtful adjustments to your lifestyle. By prioritizing sleep, practicing mindfulness, managing stress, fostering positive relationships, engaging in hobbies, limiting exposure to negativity, and seeking professional help when needed, you can create a healthier, more balanced life.
Remember, making small, consistent changes can lead to significant improvements over time.
- Prioritize sleep. Establish a sleep routine by going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, even on weekends. Avoid screens at least an hour before bedtime and ensure your bedroom is cool, dark, and quiet.
- Foster positive relationships. Share your feelings and concerns with trusted friends or family members. At the same time, learn to say no and set boundaries to protect your mental and emotional health.
- Seek professional help if needed. If lifestyle changes alone aren’t enough to reduce irritability, consider seeking help from a mental health professional. A Makin Wellness therapist or counselor can help you identify underlying causes of irritability and develop coping strategies.
Stress management techniques
Managing stress effectively can significantly help reduce irritability, as feeling irritable often stems from stress. By engaging in physical activity, practicing mindfulness and meditation, using progressive muscle relaxation, focusing on gratitude, establishing a routine, limiting caffeine and sugar, and seeking professional help when needed, you can develop a robust toolkit for handling stress and maintaining a more balanced and peaceful life.
Practical tips for immediate relief from feeling irritable
- Take breaks. Taking regular breaks, whether you are using Pomodoro or Micro-Breaks techniques, can help prevent burnout and reduce stress.
- Connect with others. Talk to a friend, get distracted, or just go for lunch with a colleague. Social interaction will support you in improving your emotional health.
- Listen to music. Make a playlist of your favorite calming or uplifting songs, mix them with instrumental or nature sounds to help relax your mind.
Long-term strategies for managing irritability
- Establish a routine. Having a structured routine can provide stability and reduce feelings of overwhelm. Plan your day with specific times for work, relaxation, and self-care. Mind consistency, try to wake up and go to bed at the same time each day.
- Limit caffeine and sugar. According to materials from the National Institute of Health, high caffeine intake can lead to mood swings and increased irritability even if you are at rest. They also underline the effect of sugar consumption on stress-driven behaviors.
- Practice gratitude. Focusing on positive aspects of your life can shift your mindset and reduce stress. Start gratitude journaling or express gratitude directly, this will also help you to connect to your significant ones.
“The difference is, I’m back to journaling—electronically—and whenever there’s a grateful moment, I note it. I know for sure that appreciating whatever shows up for you in life changes your personal vibration. You radiate and generate more goodness for yourself when you’re aware of all you have and not focusing on your have-nots”
Should I seek professional help when constantly feeling irritable?
Feeling irritably constantly can be a sign of underlying issues that may require professional intervention. By recognizing when to seek help, finding the right professional, and understanding what to expect in therapy, you can take proactive steps to improve your mood and overall quality of life.
If you have mentioned one of the following symptoms, professional help might be necessary:
- You are constantly feeling irritable regardless of the situation
- The quality of your relationships has decreased
- You can’t keep up with things at work or at home
- You experience physical symptoms such as headaches, stomach issues, or fatigue
- Sometimes (more often than usual) you feel anxious, depressed, or overwhelmed
- Self-help strategies and stress management techniques are not effective
Talking to a Makin Wellness therapist or counselor offers numerous benefits for managing constant irritability. By understanding the root causes and developing coping strategies to improve emotional regulation, communication skills, and relationships.
The professionals at Makin Wellness will help you to:
- Enhance self-awareness, so you may understand the roots of your reactions, and identify and modify harmful behavioral patterns that contribute to irritability. This way early intervention through online therapy can prevent irritability from escalating into more serious issues and help you to build resilience
- You can learn to cope better with future stressors and reduce the likelihood of recurring irritability.
- You can learn new ways to approach and solve problems that may be causing you stress.
- Finally, you can increase awareness of emotional responses, making it easier to manage and express them in a constructive manner. Such changes lead to healthier and more fulfilling relationships with others, and open new perspectives and viewpoints, so you can create a healthier, more balanced life.
Conclusion
In conclusion, addressing irritability involves understanding its root causes and triggers, making lifestyle changes, and adopting effective stress management techniques. By prioritizing sleep, fostering positive relationships, and seeking professional help when needed, you can significantly reduce irritability. Implementing practical tips for immediate relief and long-term strategies can lead to a calmer and more balanced life.
If persistent irritability affects your daily functioning and relationships, consider reaching out to a Makin Wellness therapist. Our online therapy services can help you enhance self-awareness, develop coping skills, and achieve a healthier emotional state. Contact Makin Wellness today to take the first step towards a more balanced and fulfilling life.
