Tackling That Time of The Month

Time of the month, girl problems, surfing the crimson wave, shark week, whatever you want to call it, we all know periods suck. I've not yet met one person who can honestly say they enjoy being on their period. For a good proportion of us, our hormones are all over the place, our skin is suffering and it feels like some sort of creature is desperately trying to escape our uterus. Even the few days leading up to it can be a total whirlwind of emotions. From the age of 15 I have experienced horrendously painful periods, I've passed out, spent days off school in bed unable to move and probably tried more painkillers than I care to admit. For those of you lucky enough to not suffer for a week out of every month, I seriously envy you, for those of you who do, hopefully I can help you with some of the following tips and guidance.

The first and most obvious step at overcoming a painful period is to trow back some painkillers. I know this is a seriously personal preference and changes from person to person. Some people don't like to use medication and others rely on it, whatever works for you is absolutely fine, granted you're following the correct dosages and instructions. I personally take ibuprofen and paracetamol simultaneously as I find paracetamol alone to be totally ineffective. Whether I take one or two of each totally depends on the level of pain, generally two of each is pretty standard for me and ALWAYS with food and drink. Never on an empty stomach. (Again, all this is in the instructions for painkillers). Another pill that can not only help with pain but also regularity and reducing the flow is the contraceptive pill. I was put on this at 15 after meeting with my GP and though it doesn't completely eradicate the pain, it does help for a much smoother experience. 

If you don't particularly like using medication, there are still plenty of other things you can do to help your week go by much more pleasantly. My first tip would be to get yourself a hot water bottle. Seriously. If you're anything like me you'll be glued to this baby all day. I even used to take mine to work at the pub when it got particularly bad. Applying any sort of heat to the lower back or front can help relax the muscles and ease any serious aches, plus it's just super cosy for this time of year. I find having one in bed particularly helpful when there's nothing else to take your mind off the pain. 

I know getting up and active is probably the last thing on your mind but bare with me here. Exercise is really effective at not only relieving pain but also just generally taking your mind off everything. When you exercise your body releases endorphins which react with your brain to help reduce the feeling of pain as well as triggering a positive feeling in your body. That's why although it's so much effort to drag yourself to the gym and get started, it always feels amazing once you've finished. Also for anyone that is losing weight, don't worry too much about gaining weight around your period, I always pile on about 5lbs or more before my period. At first I hated this, I'd weigh myself and get so upset but now I just learn to accept it and move on knowing that once it's over, I'll be back down to normal. 

Finally, treat yourself. Snuggle up with a film and your hot water bottle, drink a warm brew and relax. Buy the new palette you've been lusting after, take a warm bath (the hot water will also help your muscles relax much like a hot water bottle). Go out, enjoy yourself, don't let shark week get you down. (Can you tell shark week is my new favourite phrase?) 

What do you do to get you through your time of the month?