🧠 Mood: More Than Just the Mind
We often think of mood as something that lives in the head — a thought, a cloud, a mindset. But mood is a whole-body experience.
Your emotional state is influenced by:
- Gut health
- Nervous system and breath
- Sleep quality
- Hormonal balance
- Environment and daily rhythms
The first step to improving mood is to understand where the signals are truly coming from.
🌿 Gut and Mood
Did you know that over 90% of serotonin — the neurotransmitter that helps you feel calm and emotionally steady — is produced in the gut, not the brain?
When the gut is imbalanced or inflamed:
- Serotonin drops
- Anxiety and irritability rise
- Digestion falters, clouding mental clarity
Supportive practices:
- Choose fiber-rich, unprocessed foods
- Add fermented foods and probiotics
- Avoid processed sugars and inflammatory oils
- Sip warm water instead of cold
🌬️ Breath and the Nervous System
Your breath is the fastest way to shift mood. It tells your nervous system whether you are safe or under threat.
- Shallow, fast breathing = stress response
- Slow, long breathing = calming parasympathetic state
Simple breathwork for mood:
- Inhale for 4 counts, exhale for 6 counts (3–5 minutes)
- Alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhana)
- Gentle sighing or humming when overwhelmed
When the nervous system feels supported, mood naturally steadies.
🌙 Sleep and Emotional Reset
Sleep is when the brain clears emotional waste, resets cortisol, and restores inner balance.
- Poor sleep → irritability, looping thoughts, low resilience
- Deep sleep → clarity, calm, and better mood regulation
What helps:
- Sleep by 10 PM
- Dim lights after sunset
- Avoid screens an hour before bed
- Try magnesium, warm herbal tea, or calming breathwork before sleep
🔄 Hormones and Emotional Stability
Hormones powerfully influence mood:
- Estrogen → supports serotonin and motivation
- Progesterone → brings calm and aids sleep
- Cortisol → fuels energy but creates anxiety if too high
Fluctuations before periods or during perimenopause are often hormonal in nature.
What helps:
- Track your cycle and note mood patterns
- Support with healthy fats, B vitamins, and magnesium
- Include grounding rituals like Abhyanga (self-oil massage) or gentle yoga
👁️ Patterns and Awareness
Every mood carries a message. Instead of resisting emotions, observe:
- What time of day does this arise?
- Is it linked to digestion, sleep, or overstimulation?
- What is this emotion asking for — forest, movement, stillness, expression?
Awareness transforms mood from random to meaningful.
🌸 Closing Reflection
Mood is not just in your mind — it reflects your whole body’s rhythm: gut, breath, hormones, and sleep.
When you nurture these systems, your mood becomes more resilient, vibrant, and grounded.
✨ Start small: one breath, one nourishing meal, one early night. Each shift ripples outward.
👉 Take your AURA assessment today to discover the root causes shaping your mood and receive a personalized daily flow to support emotional balance.