Aunt Flo, Shark Week, Mother Nature’s Monthly Gift, That Time of Month — whatever cutesy names we come up with for our periods, there’s no denying that it’s no one’s favorite time of month. From feeling bloated and breaking out to terrible cramps and mood swings, periods are draining and painful. Sometimes all you want to do is curl up on your bed and pretend that you didn’t just cry over a YouTube ad. But periods don’t have to be so debilitating. If you’re looking for a way to make your period all the more bearable, here are some easy tips to follow.
1. Eat dark chocolate. Here’s some good news for all my fellow chocolate lovers out there. Dark chocolate helps reduce period cramps because it relaxes the muscles. Make sure it’s over 70 percent cocoa because anything less than that is not as effective.
2. Use a hot water bottle. If you don’t own a hot water bottle (or are too lazy to buy one — there’s no shame in that), an easy trick that my mother taught me is to wet a face towel and microwave it for half a minute. Stick it in a plastic bag so it doesn’t burn your skin.
3. Drink raspberry tea. Any sort of hot beverage will do the trick of soothing you, but raspberry and green tea have been known to relieve cramps. Try to avoid extra caffeine though, as it may make you anxious and tense.
4. Take a bath or long shower. Baths work the best, but if you’re stuck in a dorm or just don’t know how you’d take a bath on your period (I’m still trying to figure that out myself), take an extra long hot shower to relax your muscles and relieve tension.
5. Exercise. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but exercising may help relieve period cramps. If you’re not a super active person, trying some light stretches might help.
6. Stay hydrated. This is a pretty obvious thing that you should be doing anyway, but in case you weren’t aware, fluids are very helpful when you’re feeling bloated and cramped.
7. Get calcium from non-dairy sources. Dairy has been known to trigger cramps, but calcium is essential for when you’re on your period. Get it from other sources, such as broccoli and sesame seeds.
Periods aren’t something we look forward to, but with a little relaxation and just the right amount of Netflix, you can make yours a bit more bearable and easy to manage. Just hang in there for a week and soon you’ll be fearlessly wearing your favorite cute underwear and white shorts again!
Photo credit: wikihow.com