Mental Health Throughout Your Cycle
Jerin dreaded her period days. The days leading up to it and the menstruating days were terrible for her. Her mood was always off. She got irritated at every small thing. She felt so numb and detached that she couldn’t leave her bed. Her mother tells her to accept her fate and move on with life.
What Jerin goes through is rare but it happens to women during their period. Menstruating days can be taxing on someone mentally. Plus mood swing is a huge symptom of PMS that exists in many women.
Discussing mental health is a stigma in our society. Pair that up with period, you have two topics which no one wants to talk about. But, ignoring the conversation won’t make the problem go away.
why does our mood change during menstrual cycle?
The days leading up to your period and the period days themselves are a time of mental fluctuations. Your mood, productivity, confidence and sex drive will go up and down.
Since there is a decrease in estrogen which is a “happy” hormone and an increase in progesterone or “anxiety” hormone, you will feel contrasting emotions. This is why you might’ve noticed that we feel more sensitive about our bodies while we’re menstruating.
There are women who feel numbness and depression during those 7-10 days every month. Some women can feel added anxiety and stress. For those who have depression, anxiety or other mental health issues, the symptoms might be heightened during this time.
How to take care of mental health during menstrual CYCLE?
The first step for taking care of mental health during menstruation is acceptance and validating yourself. Our hormones are over the place during this time. In fact, we feel happier during ovulation and then our mood drops significantly during menstruation. This contrast is hard to deal with.
You must let yourself accept what you’re feeling. Don’t ignore or brush them aside. Unlike what Jerin’s mother suggested, don’t suck it up and go on as if nothing happened. Ignoring the issues will lead to a deeper spiral.
To increase mental stability during this time, you can try sleeping 8 hours a day and exercising. Exercise helps to treat PMS symptoms, including depression. If you are unable to walk, like Jerin was, think about working while sitting up and taking a 10- to 20-minute stroll every few hours.
Having a balanced diet of minerals, fibers, good protein and plenty of water will help to elevate your mood as well.
Binging on sugar and carbs is a huge temptation during menstruation days. While you can eat to your heart’s content every once in a while, having too much sugar and carbs will increase irritation and other PMS symptoms. Cut down caffeine and alcohol intake as well.
If you find yourself finding it extremely hard to manage your mental health, trying counseling can be helpful for you. There is no shame in asking for help. Counselors or therapists help us to put matters into perspective and move forward from what plagues us.
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