Mother Nature’s favorite gift to women… a period. We all know what it’s like to deal with the stages of our period, even the PMS stages that follow one to two weeks beforehand (we usually stop PMSing on the second day of our period). For most of us, we know when our period is about to arrive and usually suffer from some of these typical stages. Here at Her Campus, we’ve come up with the 4 stages of your period and what to do when you just can’t even.
1. The emotional stage
This stage is probably one shared by most women. The highs and lows of our emotions often get the best of us, and we find ourselves riding on an emotional rollercoaster throughout the week. We may cry at the smallest things, like a cute Hallmark commercial or even a movie that isn’t all that sad. Our emotional ride is sometimes hard to predict during our lovely time of the month, but it’s different for everyone. Luckily, these symptoms sometimes go away after the first day of bleeding, but they often last for the entire week. It all depends on the girl!
Solution:
Try to find an activity that really relaxes you, such as going for a walk or doing yoga. Even taking a quick breather and listening to some calming music in your room is sure to settle your emotions down. If you feel that your emotions get the best of you during your period and distract you from school, work, or friends, it’s important to seek help because there are things that help regulate hormones to prevent moodiness.
2. The cramps and bloating stage
Ah, period cramps and bloating. Gotta love those uterine contractions! This stage is basically the most frustrating one because it makes you feel like someone is stomping on your uterus. You feel so bloated that you could either float away or just melt into your bed and not come out until your period goes away. There’s nothing worse than the combination of cramps and bloating, especially when added on top of all of the other stages of this wonderful time of the month.
Solution:
Working out actually helps lessen the pain from cramps. Even though it might be hard because of how bloated and blah you feel, it’s well worth it when you feel refreshed and in less pain. Ibuprofen is a lifesaver for cramps – however, it’s best to take it when you aren’t bleeding yet and are only experiencing cramps. It works better this way! Another at-home remedy for cramps is a simple heating pad placed over your lower stomach – it feels amazing and really brings your pain down.
3. The craving stage
It’s true; we could basically eat a house while we are on our periods. The worse the food is for you, the better! Sometimes we crave things that aren’t good for us, but they just taste SO. GOOD. But, no fear, giving into these cravings is not a bad thing…
Solution:
Remember… everything in moderation! You may be a super healthy eater but find yourself craving unhealthy things during the week. That’s totally okay – there’s nothing wrong with giving into these comfort food temptations.
4. The exhaustion stage
We’ve all been there. Sometimes we wake up to our period and all we want to do is cuddle in bed all day. Or if we get it during the day, all we want to do is get right into bed and sleep it away. It usually feels like all of the energy has been drained from our systems – no thank you. Cramps, bloating, irritability and fatigue? Definitely not.
Solution:
Stay active, get enough sleep, and eat a well-balanced diet to keep your energy up. It’s okay to give into temptations, but remember to stick with healthy meals for that extra jolt of energy.