There are things that happen to us as part of our physiology as women, recurring for years of our lives, and we assume they have a fixed shape, that they are simply supposed to be that way, because our experience with them has been a certain way, or because we have heard so much about them framed a certain way. So we formed an idea that they are, for example, exhausting, difficult, annoying, and painful.
The menstrual cycle, something every woman goes through, is one of these things. All of us as women have an idea that the time of our period and the days before it is an annoying, exhausting, painful time, and other words that express just how much it bothers us. Most of us take this as a given. Do not get me wrong about what I am about to say, it genuinely is exhausting, but does it really have to be this exhausting and this annoying? Have you ever wondered if there is a way to ease it?
I noticed something a few times, but it really caught my attention the last time it happened. A few months ago, a friend and I had planned a trip to take a break from work and routine (and of course your mood and mental state during travel are usually great). It happened that the trip fell during what is normally my PMS days and my period itself. Anyway, I traveled, went, and came back, thank God, and after I got back it occurred to me: "this past month I barely felt any PMS symptoms at all, to the point that I almost forgot it was that time, and my period passed without the usual discomfort and pain."
At that moment I noticed something, and I remembered that every time my trips and vacations happened to fall during my period, the same thing happened, the intensity would ease dramatically. I got curious and wanted to look into it more, whether this was actually a real thing or just my imagination. And it turns out, dear reader, it is in fact something scientifically established. Mental state and emotions play a very significant role in the intensity of PMS symptoms and in the period itself, its intensity, pain, duration, flow, everything. This whole time I had assumed, like a lot of other people, that this was not something that could be changed.
It turns out that most of the symptoms many women complain about, heavy flow, cramps and abdominal pain, long period days, fatigue and exhaustion, mood swings, a delayed cycle, all of these symptoms happen in the first place, or get significantly worse, when a woman is under high stress or in a difficult mental state, dealing with anxiety, fear, depression, frustration, and other negative emotions.
Imagine that, this whole time, it has been within our power, and still is, to ease something exhausting for ourselves. It matters a lot for us as women to take care of ourselves, our physical and mental health, especially since it shows up in the body. Taking rest time, pampering yourself, listening to yourself, scheduling breaks and time to relax and enjoy yourself is not a secondary thing at all, it is essential. And setting boundaries with things that drain our energy and exhaust us matters just as much, if not more.