3 Simple Tricks to Avoiding the PMS Blues

For me, PMS can look something like this…

I’d said all of my goodbyes. I updated my status for the last time and picked out the perfect profile picture that I thought would be suitable to last me for the rest of eternity.

And when I closed my eyes to fall asleep that night, after a torrential downpour of tears, I seriously thought that that was going to be the end of me.

But the next morning… I woke up…

Along with the gift of a new day, the bright red splotches in my undies announced the arrival of another gift, the one that came once a month as a celebratory reminder that I, in fact, was not pregnant.

While not every crisis is foreseeable, knowing how to manage PMS symptoms can help to make a smoother, less stressful transition into having your period.

Here are three simple tricks to avoiding those PMS blues:

Mark your calendar.

One of the first lines of defense that can help to manage PMS symptoms I to know when it is coming. PMS generally begins 1 to 2 days before your period and can last the entire time you are on your period or come and go. Either way, being aware of the possible window when you can expect symptoms can help in managing them. Being able to view things from a more logic center can help to dial down emotions when they are at their height. In this way, not being able to find your keys can be viewed as a minor inconvenience rather than Dooms Day.

Take it easy.

Your body is preparing to do some of the hardest work that it does all month. It is literally like getting a monthly visit from the cleaning lady of a baby factory (if there were such a thing). And as with any major work, it can take a toll on you both physically and emotionally. Emotional meltdowns and burnout can be avoided by resting as needed and putting off any strenuous or potential stressful tasks for a week, if at all possible. It might not be necessary to find a cave to hide out in for a good week, but giving yourself permission to take naps might offer much-needed relaxation.

Watch your diet.

In the last few days leading up to your period, the foods you eat will have a major impact on your mood and physical state. Eating foods which help with mood regulation, such as bananas, avocados, or beans (just be sure to warn innocent bystanders about possible toxic fume emissions) can help to keep hormones at bay and help stay off any emotional hijacking that may occur as a result of a hormonal imbalance.

You don’t have to worry about being in the throes of PMS if you proactively apply these helpful tips in emotional and physical management. I could have easily avoided the round of sheepish apologies that I had to make to my friends and family who had already graciously begun to pick out my headstone. Learn from my mistakes and make for smooth sailing (as much as humanly possible, anyway) as your body and mind prepares you for the gift that keeps on giving: your period.

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