Period Mood Swings: Ever wondered why you get a little more unstable and temperamental at a certain time of the month – this minute you are happy, playful and optimistic and the next minute a minor thing leaves you feeling too aggressive, angry, irritable and sad?
It’s because your menstrual period is at hand.
That’s the only time you don’t want attention, all you want is space. It gets so bad that you don’t even want to talk to yourself. You get pissed off by a tiny mistake or even by someone just entering your room to say good morning; you want to do something big and you just let all go; or you feel like crying without any specific reason.
Don’t worry, you are not alone. We all experience this physical or emotional discomfort called premenstrual syndrome but in different degrees.
If there is anything I enjoy during pregnancy, it is the fact that I don’t have to worry about menstrual periods. That’s not to say pregnancy doesn’t come with its own discomforts.
But like many menstruating women, I experience uncomfortable and distracting menstrual cramps with appetite changes, backaches, feeling bloated, headaches, irritability and insomnia. This makes me a bit nervous or oversensitive. It starts a week before I get my period and lasts till about 2 or 3 days into the period. If you have this experience, you’ll agree with me that it’s no fun at all. It’s quite a lot to handle at once.
So, why do your emotions run wild because of your menstrual cycle?
It is as a result of chemical changes in the body, i.e., when those two hormones, estrogen and progesterone hit rock bottom in the few days prior to each menstrual period. At this time, estrogen dominance is thought to be associated with mood swings involving more irritability and anger whilst progesterone dominance is more commonly associated with feelings of low mood, weepiness, anxiety, and low self-confidence.
Though these changes are normal, as mood swings creep up on you when your period is close, do you know they might be affecting your relationships?
Yes, your mood swings also affect everyone around you. You may start losing friends, your spouse may be getting frustrated with you and your family may be showing anger or impatience with you. Even work relationships are not immune to the effects of unhealthy mood swings.
Not everyone knows what you are going through and you can’t make them understand even if you tried. So what’s the way out?
Work on it! Yes, work on it.
There are a few steps you can take to help manage period mood swings:
Step 1: Keep a mood diary: Try keeping a record of your mood swings and when they occur during the menstrual cycle. You may try this PMS Tracker. It’s a logbook that will help you recognize the causes of your mood swing, and you anticipate them happening. It comes with 120 pages so you can use it to monitor your symptoms for 3months and get a clear result.
Step 2: Eat balanced meals: Ensure that you eat a balanced diet within this period. Reduce or stay away from sugars, caffeine and processed foods. Research has shown that even little amount of processed food alters the chemical balance in the brain and causes negative mood swings, so stay away from them. Drink a lot of warm water too. The Hormone Balance Cookbook comes with 60 anti-inflammatory recipes that regulate hormonal imbalance and improve brain function. It will help you plan your meals and you’ll enjoy them.
Step 3: Engage in Exercises: Regular exercises like skipping can lessen the emotional and physical symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). I particularly like skipping because it improves coordination, stamina and focus. It also improves your mental health by releasing endorphins, a hormone known to ease depressive moods. Once you’ve bought your Jump Rope, skipping is a zero-cost exercise. So get a Jump Rope immediately and start skipping.
Step 4: Learn To Manage Stress: Engaging in any simple relaxation technique such as meditation or deep breathing while pressing on your stress relief balls will help reduce your stress level and increase your ability to stay calm under pressure.
Step 4: Take calcium supplements: Calcium supplements are known to improve anxiety, depression, and emotional changes connected with premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Taking enough calcium can help to ease mood changes, depression and fatigue. Caltrate Bone Health Calcium Supplement is highly recommended. It contains Calcium and Vitamin D3 which helps maximize calcium absorption. The calcium in Caltrate 600+D3 plays an important role in the health of your nerves and hormones.
While premenstrual mood swings are considered as part of life, you shouldn’t let them interfere with your relationships. If your moods don’t improve, even if it’s due to expected hormonal changes – there is no need to worry. There are treatment options available to help you regain stability. Talk to your physician.
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