How to Deal with a Moody Partner? Easily! 

A mood swing is a sudden or intense change in your partner’s behavior. Emotions last for a shorter period of time, whereas a mood can be persistent for hours or days. Although mood swings itself is not a psychological issue, if your partner’s intense mood shifts are causing issues in your life, then you must implement these effective ways to deal with a moody partner.

Noah & Olivia

Olivia seemed easygoing with her husband during dinner with his friends. However, the following day, Noah heard Olivia banging jars in the kitchen and was completely surprised, wondering what might be the reason.

Olivia’s mood persisted through breakfast, during which the duo barely spoke. Noah left for the office, thinking she might need space and that everything would be fine by tonight’s romantic date, which they had planned a week before.

However, when Noah came back, he saw Olivia already leaving in her car. She left a message saying she was going to her mom’s house and would be back in a few hours. Surprised, Noah tried to call her, but she didn’t answer.

Later that night, Olivia returned with messy hair and mascara smeared around her eyes and went straight to sleep. In the morning, Olivia was completely normal and greeted Noah with a kiss and a warm hug.

Noah was amazed, caught in a dilemma. Should he confront her with those hard questions, or should he remain silent and give her some space since she already seemed fine?

Dealing with a moody partner

At times, the mood swings of your partner leave you in a complete dilemma, thinking about what’s your mistake and what you should do. That’s why there are a lot of questions about how to deal with a moody partner but with no guaranteed answer. 

Psychologically, every situation is different and requires a specific approach for resolution. However, despite the individuality of the problem, some things will always remain the same. 

1. Signs of moody person

Often, lifestyle factors and stress play a major role in mood shifts. If we leave mood disorders aside, then some common signs of mood swings include: 

• Frequent and dramatic changes in emotions 
• Irritability or anger
• Withdrawal from social interaction
• Changes in appetite or sleep patterns
• Difficulty concentrating

Frequent mood changes can indicate an underlying condition. Some symptoms are common in both men and women, while others affect women only. 

2. Don’t play their game

The moment when someone’s partner starts showing these symptoms, or the one I mentioned in the story, the next course of action is to let it go. How often have you tolerated these mood swings of your partner thinking it’s just for the time being, maybe because of the stress, and they’ll be fine shortly? 

Remember, a behavior that is rewarded is repeated quite often. The first step to deal with moody people is to make them realize they are doing something unacceptable in your relationship, and it’s affecting your mental health. 

3. Check your mood as well

There’s a common saying, “When you’re sad yourself, you cannot understand how sad the other person is.” A psychological study also proved this.  

Scientists studied this phenomenon and found that brain areas of people in bad moods have less activity that helps us connect with others’ emotions. When they asked the participants, they revealed that they literally cared less about the sad person when they themselves were going through sad emotions. 

You cannot help your partner out if you are feeling sad. So take a deep breath and try to calm your mind before confronting your partner. Remember, you have to make things good—not worse. 

4. Talk and empathize

Whatever tricks you find over the Internet suggesting how to deal with a moody partner are usually just good for reading, not practical. Also, since you’re not a professional, you would never know how these tricks would backfire on your relationship. 

As I mentioned, stress is the primary reason behind a moody partner. So, empathize with your partner, make them comfortable, and explain how they reacted in the past and how it affected your peace. Ask why you might be doing this. Are you dealing with something alone that’s changing you? 

The talk is about them, so focus on asking about their suffering but subtly add what distress it’s causing you as well. Then, let them speak and just listen patiently. Listening is often underestimated, but it’s often the most effective tool. 

Based on your partner’s personality, they may open up or not in the first trial. However, keep hope and try to genuinely help without getting irritated. This may sound like regular advice, but these issues take time to resolve. 

5. Don’t worry it’s them not you

Dealing with a moody husband, wife, boyfriend, or girlfriend can be stressful. You may feel like you’re on an emotional roller coaster, and you never know when the heights and falls will come. However, always remember it’s their emotions, not yours. 

You both might be sharing a deep connection, sharing everything, and looking after each other, but understand that you both are different. Your emotions and moods come from your experiences, which can never be completely the same for both of you. 

So, keep yourself strong and try not to get affected by your partner’s mood swings. Try to help, genuinely! 

How to Deal with a Moody Husband?

Considering that husbands and wives share a very strong bond, you might have spent a very long time together and know a lot about each other’s behavior and emotions. It’s actually easier for you to implement the ways I suggested above. 

Also, for the moment, to make your partner’s mood better, you can pull out an old photo album or watch a funny movie you both enjoyed. It will enlighten the emotions you share and the strong foundation of your relationship. 

When you’re confronting your partner, frame your support in terms of “we” being in this together, like we can figure this issue out or let us find out some ways to deal with it. It shows that you’re both in this together. 

How to Deal with a Moody Boyfriend?

Dealing with a moody boyfriend can sometimes get tricky if you have only known each other for a short time. It will be challenging to understand if the changed emotions are because of stress or other issues. 

But you can definitely console him, saying everyone has those bad days and that he can open up to you without the fear of being judged. Avoid fixing everything in one go; listen to him and give him some space. 

You both can plan an “electronics-free date.” This way, you’ll have more time together to talk and figure out what might be the problem. If you allow physical touch in your relationship, then you can hold his hand, hug him, and kiss his forehead. It’s a great nonverbal way to show affection. 

How to Cope with a Moody Wife?

Women function differently than men. They need more affection, attention, and support, so no matter the situation, you’ll be there. They love it when you pamper them and make them feel special. Sometimes, mood swings happen because you don’t give her enough attention and care. 

Basically, you know your wife, give her what she loves, and show your affection. Instead of pointing out her bad mood, gently say, “You seem a bit down lately. Is everything alright?”

You can treat her with small surprises, like doing the chores she hates to do or having a candle-lit dinner to delight her mood. Once she gets calm, you can lend her your ear and listen to her problems. Most of the time, women just need you to patiently listen to them instead of offering solutions. 

How to deal with a moody pregnant wife?

Mood shifts during pregnancy usually happen because of hormonal imbalances. Most of the time, you can do nothing about it instead of being calm and an understanding husband. 

Pregnancy demands a lot of physical strain, so you can offer back rubs, foot massages, or fluffy socks to make her feel valued and relaxed. Giving her gifts for no reason, like flowers, her favorite pregnancy snack, or a funny card, can make her day. Make her feel that she’s not alone in this. 

Also, you can suggest a pregnancy bucket list—the things that you will do during the pregnancy. It can include a prenatal yoga class, a babymoon getaway, a spa day, or a maternity photoshoot. Try to keep her engaged so she has time to think about negative thoughts that trigger mood swings. 

How to handle girlfriend mood swings?

The biggest problem with girlfriends is that they don’t listen. You might be entirely correct, but it will be challenging for her to understand this. So, instead of telling her about the mood swings, show her! 

You can make a mood meter. It can be physical or digital, but I suggest a physical meter. Whenever your girlfriend’s mood swings, you can mark negative points in that meter, showing her the frequency of mood shifts. This will bring you both to the same page.  

Then, you can talk and try some tricks to make her happy. You can leave sweet notes hidden in the house for her to find out and feel loved. Have a movie night, suggest an activity to do together, try to do what she loves, and encourage her self-care activities. 

Most of the time, the solution is simple. So, if you ask how to deal with a moody partner – don’t do anything extraordinary; do simple things consistently! 

Mood disorders leading to intense mood swings

This is a whole different topic but very important. There can be various psychological disorders behind recurring mood shifts. It includes: 

For Male & Female 

Bipolar disorder

• Major depressive disorder (MDD)
• Cyclothymia
• Persistent depressive disorder (PDD)
• Borderline personality disorder (BPD)
• Schizophrenia
• Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD)

For Female 

• Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
• Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)
• Mood swings in pregnancy
• Menopause

Despite giving all your efforts, if you fail to address the issue, then ask for professional help. Your partner may be in the early stages of any of these disorders that only a professional can address. 

More articles on psychology

60 MIND-BLOWING Psychology Chat Up Lines to Get You LAID

100 Controversial Psychology Topics in 9 Branches

Psychology of Ignoring a Man! Effects on his Emotions

When a Guy Doesn’t Respond to an Emotional Text!

Conclusion

I hope you got insights on how to deal with a moody partner. I would again stress the importance of sticking to the basics—don’t do anything extraordinary; just do simple things consistently!

First, both come on the same page, and you both need to address a problem. Then, console your partner by saying, “we” are in this together, and “we” will figure out a solution. Finally, you can try various ways to keep your partner engaged, as I suggested in this article. 

Additionally, never forget that it might be a psychological disorder. If you find things getting completely out of the way – seek professional help! 

Do check out the faqs on our topic on how to deal with a moody partner! 

FAQs