Swinging Moods

Some days I wake up steady. Other days, I swing—between focus and fog, calm and urgency, clarity and doubt. It’s not dramatic. It’s just real.

Mood swings aren’t always visible. They show up in how I answer emails, how I read a bill, how I speak or stay silent. Sometimes I feel capable. Sometimes I feel like I’m pretending. The shift can happen quietly, and it doesn’t always have a reason.

I used to think I had to fix it. Now I try to notice it. I ask:

• What’s shifted?

• What do I need?

• Can I move slower today?

This work—supporting others through overwhelm—requires me to track my own emotional weather. I don’t need to be perfectly regulated. I need to be honest. If I’m swinging, I try to name it. I adjust. I don’t push through at the cost of care.

Swinging moods aren’t a flaw. They’re part of how I move through a complex world with sensitivity and grit. They remind me that clarity isn’t a constant—it’s something we return to, again and again.