The severity of a woman's premenstrual symptoms is often related to stress, diet and exercise.
Here are some quick ways to help you avoid feeling acute discomfort before menstruation and during your monthly cycle.
Exercise - Too much or too little exercise can be a deciding factor for the severity of PMS symptoms. If you do not spend much time exercising each day, try to set up a simple exercise routine for yourself. A few sit-ups, a brisk walk and some slow stretching and breathing exercises should help. Exercise will help to lower your stress levels and ease irritability.
Diet - Start incorporating more vitamins into your diet, especially supplements such as vitamin B-6, vitamin C and vitamin E. Fresh fruit and dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach provide high vitamin content, as well as fiber to aid in the digestive process. Calcium and magnesium supplements will help to ease cramping.
Avoid coffee, tea, alcohol and sugary drinks. A high salt intake assists in water retention, so go easy when adding salt to food.
Hydrate - Drink plenty of water to hydrate the body, and to flush out toxins that may not be beneficial during menstruation. Hot drinks to replace Ceylon tea or coffee should preferably not contain dairy or sugar. Try drinking herbal teas, green tea and fruit teas in place of your usual hot drinks.
Sleep - Irregular and broken sleeping patterns can lead to a heightened level of stress in the body. Insomnia and sluggishness are both symptoms of PMS, and can be avoided by drinking chamomile tea half an hour before going to bed. Practice relaxation techniques when going to sleep, focusing on relaxing your body and resting your mind. Racing thoughts and worrying are a common occurrence during PMS and can lead to arguments with loved ones and restless nights. To sleep, try to focus on a relaxing image, perhaps happy memories and holidays.
If you are living with a male partner or spouse, play fair. Warn them ahead of time that you are expecting your periods, and ask for their patience and understanding. At times, you may want to rip their head off, but exercise self-control. Instead of fighting, give yourself a time-out somewhere quiet until you are calm.
Appreciate your body, and its life-giving capacity. Nurture yourself, and if necessary, spoil yourself a bit out of self-love.
