Got PMS?
PMS, or premenstrual syndrome, is a collection of symptoms that occurs in the days or week leading up to the period and impacts up to 90% of cycling people. Even though it is so common and so intrusive to people’s lives, there is surprisingly little that we know about these symptoms. But just because PMS is normal, doesn’t mean that we have to continue to suffer every month. If you struggle with PMS, here are some things you can do.
Don’t invalidate yourself - just because certain thoughts and feelings are occurring just before your period, does not make them any less valid than any other thought or feeling. Women’s anatomy has been used to invalidate emotions for CENTURIES. From witches to hysteria (fun fact, that word derives from the term “hystera” which is greek for uterus) culture has found ways to link our cycles and emotionality to a perceived inability to be strong or rational. It’s time to change the narrative, to see how emotions may be a different type of logic, but one that is just as meaningful and valuable as any other.
Feel all the feels throughout your whole cycle - Living in a culture that encourages positivity, finding the “silver lining” or “looking on the brights side” at all times, it can be very difficult to really tune into the full range of our emotions. And whether we like it or not, our cycles help us do just that. So addressing things throughout the cycle can mean that there is less that needs to come up with the help of your hormones, and can make this time feel less intense.
Journal - The premenstrual and menstrual phases are times where we are more in tune with ourselves. They are a time for reflection, and inward focus. Spending time journaling about your experiences being a woman, your feelings about your period and towards your body, the things that are bothering your or that you’re feeling grateful for can alleviate some of the moodiness. Our feelings are just messengers, and when we make a conscious effort to listen to them, they don’t need to be quite so loud!
Slow down and make time for self care - it is OK to be angry, sad, irritated, frustrated, or whatever it is that you’re feeling at the moment. Often we think of these feelings as something to “fix” but that is not always the case. You also do not need to be functioning at 100% at all times. So if your body or mind is telling you to slow down, take that bubble bath, cry, treat yourself, have some chocolate, or whatever else it might ask for then do it. Give yourself permission to be how you are with no need to change it. Give yourself permission to pamper yourself.
Know when to ask for help, and who to ask - While I love reframing the menstrual cycle and PMS, the last thing I want anyone’s takeaway to be is that you need to live with discomfort. We’ve all heard that life isn’t always going to be uncomfortable, but it shouldn’t be uncomfortable on a regular basis either. If something feels off, then reach out to a provider who is willing to listen and take your symptoms seriously. Examples of these providers are functional doctors, acupuncturists and Chinese medicine practitioners, holistic health coaches, and of course fertility awareness educators!
