How Menstruation Affects your Mental Heath

How Menstruation Affects your Mental Heath

Experiencing major mood swings, bloating, irritability, moodiness, headaches, etc. are all premenstrual syndromes (PMS). Usually, about 90% of women experience at least one of the above-mentioned symptoms as they are nearing their monthly cycle. Menstruation is a natural phenomenon of the female body which normally starts when a girl reaches her adolescence.In this blog post, we will explore how menstruation affects your mental health, and what you can do to improve your overall well-being during menstruation.

Hormones & Mental Health: The Science

Firstly, in order to understand the hormonal changes linked with the menstrual cycle, lets first learn about the 3 key hormones that play a role: 

• Estrogen:Estrogen is one of the main female sex hormones and is responsible for proper functioning of our menstrual cycle and reproductive cycle as well. It is also popularly known as the “Feel Good” hormone, estrogen boosts the serotonin production and uplifts the mood.A drop in estrogenlevels during the luteal phase can lead to mood swings and irritability.
• Progesterone:It is another one of thecrucial hormones known for its calming properties. It actively helps to calm the mind, regulate sleep, and reduce anxiety. Similarly, any fluctuations in the progesterone levels can trigger feeling of sadness or overwhelm.
• Serotonin: You might be knowing about this hormone, as it is commonly referred to as “Happiness Hormone.” It is responsible to regulate our mood, behaviour, breathing, focus span, and also regulates the body temperature.

As we now know a bit about the 3 key hormones, let’s understand what happens to our body mentally and how PMS occurs. Fluctuation of progesterone and oestrogen levels in our is completely normal before and during our menstrual cycle. These fluctuations during PMS and throughout periods cause someunpredictable changes in emotions that we may experience during this time. 

How can you take care of your mental health while on my period?

• Stay hydrated: We often ignore drinking adequate water while we are on our periods, to avoid frequent washroom visits. But this is completely wrong notion, we must keep our water intake up during periods which eventually helps reduce bloating, alleviate pain and discomfort caused due to period cramps.
• Practice light yoga & exercise:While it is not advisable to do high intensity workouts or going to the gym while you are on your periods, but you can certainly practice light yoga asanas and exercise like gentle stretching, brisk walk, and jogging to move the body and reduce discomfort and alleviate pain.
• Balanced diet: Ensure you have a balanced diet including leafy greens, hydrating fruits, sprouts, and completely avoid junk food of which cravings may arise while you are in the luteal phase. Also avoid sugary and aerated drinks which may increase ethe chances of bloating and induce pain and discomfort.
  
• Practice meditation: A desire to be alone in this phase may often hover your mind, and hence you can take time out for yourself, gently close your eyes and relax your mind and body while you meditate. This will help reduce overthinking, irritability, and anxiousness.
• Using period care products: We all know the discomfort of using single-use sanitary pad, the itchiness, and rashes. However, the innovation in the period care products is highly beneficial, safe, and reduce the pain and discomforts often cause by single-use sanitary pads.

GynoCup – A must have period care product

GynoCup is a game-changing menstrual cup designed with your comfort and reliability in mind. It gives up to 12-hrs protection, depending on your menstrual flow and is eco-friendly. It is a cost-effective option that saves tons of your money that you might spend on buying single use pads, and is reusable. It is BPA-free, with no added chemicals, plastics, or dyes, and is leak-proof.

So, when are you planning to switch to GynoCup and reduce the stress of discomfort with the best eco-friendly period care product available?