Question - how do you take care of yourself when you have your period? I have absolutely devastating cramps the first 2 days and have always tried my best to power through it. I'm trying to slow down and live my life differently, but I still feel immense guilt about basically grinding to a halt every month.
Hi Anon,
Dealing with painful period cramps is difficult and I'm sorry you have to go through that! Outside of consulting with a doctor about any medicines you can take to minimize the pain, I do have some tips on how to #1 take care of yourself during your period and #2 how to not feel guilty about taking time for yourself!
I will address #1 first:
I have cramps for the first day of my period as well, although they are not as painful as what you're describing but nonetheless try these out and see if they help!
- I try to move my body. I try to do light exercises at the gym or I'll go for a walk. I know for you it may not be possible to go out to the gym or on a walk during the first 2 days of your period but even getting up and doing some light stretching or yoga could help alleviate some of the pain.
- I have an orgasm or orgasms. I know this is somewhat of a taboo topic and not a common piece of advice for period pain but orgasming can help with period cramps! Look it up if you need more convincing! :)
- I take birth control which helps reduce cramps - the main reason I went on birth control was because they help with period cramps (I was younger than I am now but I had pretty bad cramps) but this is DEFINITELY something you need to talk to your doctor about before starting any form of birth control!
- I take Vitamins like B1 and fish oil and I drink ginger in some form - tea or just in my water almost daily. Those vitamins and ginger help with period cramps.
-Rubbing lavender, peppermint, rose or fennel essential oil on your uterus area is also helpful. It really is the aromatherapy of the oils that helps alleviate the pain but massaging the area also helps!
-Starting to drink two cups a day of chamomile tea a week before your period is also a good thing to start doing. Chamomile tea increases urinary levels of glycine which acts as a nerve relaxant (it helps relieve muscle spasms).
-Lastly, taking cinnamon capsules helps. Cinnamon helps reduce bleeding, pain and nausea which is definitely helpful for periods!
Now that I've laid out some tips on how to help reduce the cramping, let's move onto #2, not feeling guilty about taking time for yourself:
Think of yourself as a plant. Plants need care, sunlight, water and nutrients to grow. If they don't, they wilt and stop growing. You need the same things in order to thrive. Nobody can pour from an empty cup for long. Taking the time to prioritize your mental and physical health ensures you are the best you you can be, for yourself and for your loved ones. Like I said in my previous post, you give your all to work or school or your kids - whatever your situation is, day in and day out. Although you never need an excuse or inherent reason for self care and mental health days, reminding yourself that you earned some time off can be helpful. You only have one body and one mind, nurturing them AKA yourself is extremely important and necessary for your health mentally and physically. We take everything around us seriously - work, school, our family, our friends, etc., the least we can do for ourselves is take us and our health seriously!
I truly hope this helped. Thank you for trusting me enough to reach out for advice. I'm sending all the good vibes your way!
Much love,
DK