Riding the Hormone Roller Coaster: How Hormones Impact Your Mood and What To Do About It

Have you ever burst into tears over a puppy commercial or felt personally victimized by your own craving for a party-sized pizza at 11 a.m.? If so, congratulations—you’re on the hormone roller coaster with the rest of us! Spoiler: hormones aren’t just about puberty and high school health class. They’re tiny chemical messengers, riding shotgun throughout your life, shaping your mood, focus, and even your mid-afternoon snack habits.

So, what exactly are hormones? Think of them as your body’s text messages, roaring through your bloodstream with updates for your brain and body: “Time to wake up!” “Uh oh, we’re stressed!” or “Let’s just eat cookies and call it a day.” Hormones like estrogen, testosterone, cortisol, insulin, and thyroid hormones all have substantial say in how your mind works.

Recent research shows that hormonal changes can have a major impact on mood, motivation, and cognitive function—sometimes for better, sometimes for “is this my actual brain today?” This is especially clear in women, whose hormone levels change during puberty, pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause. Studies also show hormone treatments, like those for transgender folks, can bring about powerful mental health benefits when affirming care is provided. (For a deep dive, check out the latest at University of Florida’s overview.)

The Many Moods of Hormones

Let’s get real:

• That “pre-meeting panic attack”—thank you, adrenaline and cortisol, our fight-or-flight MVPs.

• The “3 PM nap-urge” after a carb-heavy sandwich? Insulin, quietly dimming the office lights in your brain.

• PMS mood roller coasters or the infamous “post-baby blues?” That’s hormones playing musical chairs. 

• For men and non-binary folks, hormones like testosterone and thyroid still run the ship—and everyone, no matter your gender, can get hit by the hormone hurricane.

When Hormones Go Off Script 

Sometimes, hormones absolutely refuse to stick to the script. Anxiety, mood swings, brain fog, and legendary chocolate cravings can all be signs that your hormone orchestra is playing jazz instead of classical. Science backs this up: in a systematic review of studies on puberty and mental health, shifts in hormone levels were linked to higher risks for anxiety and depression (read more here). And affirming hormone therapy—for instance, for transgender people—can reduce distress and boost quality of life (see this research).

The Balancing Act—What Helps

The good news: you’re not doomed to a life of mood whiplash. Here’s what helps, according to science (and survivors of hormonal chaos everywhere):

• Prioritise sleep: If your brain is a phone, sleep is the charger.

• Move your body—joyfully: Whether it’s dancing, walking, or interpretive desk-chair stretches, movement helps hormones play nicely.

• Eat well, mostly: Blood sugar dips and spikes make mood swings worse. Aim for balance (but yes, a bit of chocolate is always doctor-approved).

• Track your cycles: Patterns help you prepare, not just panic.

• Talk to a pro: If your mood feels out of control, a therapist, gynecologist, or endocrinologist is literally what they’re there for. You're not “just dramatic.”

• Cut yourself slack: Hormones are wild, but you are not alone.

Hope, Balance, & Resources

Here’s your happy ending: hormones can be tamed! With quality information, support, and a bit of patience, those big swings can settle, and you can start to feel more like yourself again. Remember, mental health is about the whole you—brain, body, and all their text messages.

Want to learn more or get support?

• Mayo Clinic—Hormone Health

• The Endocrine Society

• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)

• Books like “The Hormone Cure” by Dr. Sara Gottfried or try the Clue app for cycle tracking.

No matter where you are on your own hormone roller coaster, keep your hands inside the ride, grab a friend, and remember: it does go up again.