By Fiona Brennan, Clinical Hypnotherapist
If you are someone who suffers from mood swings around the time of your period, my heart goes out to you. The fluctuation of hormones can play havoc with your ability to feel calm and in control. Hormones are just one aspect of what can impact moods and keeping this in mind is very empowering. Your mindset and lifestyle choices can either hinder or help you to feel more balanced in the lead-up to and during mensuration.
The pendulum of stress and hormones swings both ways, so for example, if you are stressed due to a work or personal family situation this will also have a knock-on effect on your hormones. How you take care of yourself really matters and the choices you make can help soften the overwhelming emotions that hormones can induce.
A mood swing is not just negative feelings, it can also be very high feelings of elation that can leave you feeling very tired afterward. Personally speaking, I have totally transformed my relationship with my hormonal mood swings. The main tool I use is mindfulness.
An awareness that you are feeling hormonal and the impact it is having on your mood is key. Awareness creates space between yourself, stressful thoughts, and emotions. You can move from a reactive state to a responsive one. This helps you to feel calmer and more in control of your own physiology and nervous system.
You are not at the mercy of mood swings, and you can master them. Once you are able to notice how your mood changes in the lead-up to your period, the next vital step is to apply self-compassion. Breathing deep and repeating positive affirmations such as, ‘this will pass' and ‘my awareness is more powerful than my moods’ will prevent you from being sucked into a hormonal fog.
All month it is important to maintain a self-care practice that covers the following: sleeping for at least eight hours, getting plenty of fresh air, eating a balanced diet, avoiding too much alcohol, resting often, and spending time with positive people. It can be hard to maintain all of this, especially when you are busy. Supplementing can ensure you are getting the nutrients required to help balance your hormones each day. Cleanmarine PeriodPlan is a unique all-in-one blend scientifically formulated to offer nutritional support to women from 15 - 40 years.
Each Cleanmarine PeriodPlan capsule is packed with Omega-3, Vitamins B1, B2, B6 and D3, as well as Rosemary Extract and Soy Isoflavones, with Vitamin B6 helping to regulate hormonal activity, all in just two capsules a day.
During your period when you feel emotional or overwhelmed, please be really gentle with yourself. You need more rest and tools such as listening to calming hypnotherapy, meditation, and journaling on how you feel will really help alleviate negative feelings. 'Feeling is healing’ and speaking to someone who understands and will listen to you is incredibly beneficial. One of the best ways to release emotion is to cry – so if you feel the tears welling up, it is important to let them flow when you feel safe to do so.
Overall, the awareness that you are not your moods is essential. Just like the clouds in the sky, they come and go. You are the bright blue sky – always light and present.
For more tips on managing your mood and staying positive follow me @the_positive_habit_