It’s the most wonderful time of the month… not.
Coping with a monthly period is by no means an easy feat, and I’m sure many of you ladies may agree with this statement. It’s the time of the month we dread most. Horrid cramps, pounding headaches, blood… Did I mention cramps? They don’t make being a woman easy. However, not to fear! I’m here to share some tips with you to hopefully make your time of the month suck a tad less. These hacks have drastically improved my attitude towards periods and I’m hoping it will help you guys as well. Although periods are a drag regardless, I’m hoping these hints will help you overcome some of those pesky period symptoms. Let’s jump in!
1. Loose Fitting Clothes
If you’re anything like me, any excuse to lounge around in sweatpants is an absolute win. I believe period time is the perfect opportunity to break out your comfiest hoodies & joggers to optimize that time of the month. In my experience, wearing loose fitting clothes dramatically reduces the pressure on your tummy during your period. If you experience any forms of bloating and cramps during your time of the month, try avoiding those tight fitting jeans or skin tight tops. Although these clothes might be super cute, the more pressure you put on your stomach, the more severe your cramps can escalate. The tighter the clothes, the more pressure on your body. Ultimately, sticking to loose fitting clothing can help reduce pressure on your stomach and alleviate intense cramps.
PROTIP: I personally aim to wear darker coloured pants during heavy days to avoid potential stains that can occur. You can never be too careful! Although, it’s nothing a little detergent won’t scrub out.
2. Heating Pads or Heated Blankets
This was an absolute lifesafer! Heat therapy works by relaxing the muscles of your uterus. In turn, this increases blood flow eases pain. When applied directly on your stomach, the heat from either a heating pad or blanket can dramatically reduce the severity of your cramps and even decrease bloating. You can purchase a heating pad/blanket in store or online, like through Amazon .ca. Personally, my mother had one lying around the house and it turned out to be an absolute must have for myself during my time of the month.
PROTIP: If you’re unable to come across a heating pad, a hot bath or shower with a similar effect in relaxing your uterine muscles. Add your favorite bubble bath or a relaxing bath bomb and enjoy.
3. Gentle Exercise
“There’s no way I’m exercising when I’m in all this pain. You’re crazy, Carrington!” Hear me out. This was my response when I first heard of exercising during my period. However, I can testify that gentle and low impact exercise can definitely help alleviate bothersome symptoms of your period. Exercise has been proven to improve one’s mood, boost energy while reducing fatigue, and ease stomach pain and bloating associated with your period. Simply 20 minutes of low impact exercise such as walking or light yoga can dramatically improve those pesky period symptoms—and in turn lift your mood. I find myself to experience sadness and irritability while on my period, and exercising not only encourages me feel better physically, but also mentally.
PROTIP: Personally, I find stretching to be an amazingly helpful practice that helps reduce my bloating when it escalates severely. In particular, I find any kind of Cobra Pose helps to stretch out my stomach muscles and ease cramping in the surrounding area.
4. Tons of Water
Good old H2O. You truly can’t go wrong especially during that time of the month. Water helps flush out all the toxins out of your body which has a number of benefits. Firstly, drinking water can reduce bloating and cramps. At the beginning of your period, a woman’s hormone levels take a nasty dive. As a result, our bodies like to retain more water than usual which can make you feel increasingly bloated and sluggish. In order to replenish this loss in fluids, increasing your water intake can have an amazing impact in combating your period symptoms. Staying properly hydrated is crucial in maintaining your body’s fluid balance and reducing bloating. Nobody likes being dehydrated, and neither does your body during that time of the month! Get a head start and drink a glass of water now—that H2O is calling your name!
PROTIP: Drinking water also helps to reduce stubborn hormonal acne appearing during the course of your period. Personally, I’ve found a drastic difference in my skin while upping my water intake during these crucial times. Say goodbye to those pimples!
5. Birth Control
Finally, the use of birth control has dramatically helped tracking my periods and reducing the severity of my period symptoms. I completely understand the use of contraceptives to manage period pain is a personal choice and is not meant for everyone. Although I found this to help with my symptoms, it doesn’t mean there aren’t an abundance of natural remedies to help you girlies during this time of the month. My favourite aspect of using birth control to manage my period symptoms is having the ability to track when I’m expected to get my period. I’ve found this to be a game changer, as being off the pill gave me no real sense of anticipation of when I should’ve been expecting my period. I’m able to prepare for the days to come, and stock up on all the supplies (tampons, pads, etc.) needed for the upcoming week. Birth control has also helped keep my periods regular and consistent month to month. I’ve found this is especially crucial when sexually active as it provides women with peace of mind regarding their cycle. Practice safe sex, ladies!
PROTIP: If you don’t wish to track your periods using birth control, have no fear! There are various period tracking apps available to download onto your phone. One of my personal favourites is Clue.
Ultimately, I hope you ladies are able to find these tips helpful in managing your period symptoms. These are tips that have made that time of the month drastically more bearable for myself, and I’m hoping in relaying these tips to you all, I can help make your time of the month just a little less dreadful. Stay strong, ladies!