PMS is More Than Just Mood Swings
- 75% of menstruating individuals experience symptoms of PMS.
- Fluctuations in hormones cause mood swings during PMS.
- PMS is manageable through cycle tracking and lifestyle modifications.
Some days, the world feels like it is crumbling. The smallest of things seem to irritate me, the sound of someone chewing or breathing too loudly. My head feels foggy, my patience disappears, and every choice I make becomes an existential question.
I do not need to check the calendar. I already know that the most dreaded time of the month is almost here!
Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS) is the cluster of symptoms that show up in the days leading up to your period. Historically, it has been associated with more than 100 symptoms. Some are physical- bloating, acne, tenderness in breasts, fatigue, headaches, muscle aches, constipation, or diarrhea. While others take you on an emotional rollercoaster, irritability, anxiety, sadness, mood swings, including difficulty concentrating, and alterations in sleep or sex drive.
Research suggests that 75% of menstruators experience PMS symptoms and 20-40% experience it severely, disrupting their work and social life. And yet, it continues to be brushed aside as “just hormones” or reduced to jokes about women being “moody”. The experience is common, but not trivial.
What Happens During PMS?
During the Luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, the fluctuations in hormones such as estrogen and progesterone not only affect the reproductive system but the brain as well. These hormones interact with neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, responsible for regulating mood. And that’s the reason for frequent mood swings, irritability, and emotional sensitivity. Further, changes in progesterone can contribute to fatigue and sleep disturbances. These hormonal shifts also affect digestion, which explains bloating and bowel changes.
And that’s why PMS feels both physical and emotional. It is not just all in your head; your entire body is going through turmoil. And it is frustrating to see society normalising and reducing these intense experiences to being “moody” or “difficult”.
While the period is here to stay, we may not be completely helpless around it.
Here’s what you can do to manage your period better.
Track your cycle: Awareness gives you leverage. You can track your period to learn about the onset of symptoms and their effects.
Find out how to calculate your menstrual cycle here.
Cycle Syncing: Customising and managing your lifestyle according to the four phases of the menstrual cycle can come in handy. Cycle syncing helps beat lethargy, dysregulated mood, and cater to the needs of your body.
Learn more about the stages of the menstrual cycle and cycle syncing.
Support your body: Sleep, hydration, yoga and gentle movement make a huge difference in supporting your body and managing physical discomfort.
Take care of your diet: While it’s okay to give in to those sweet cravings, don’t forget to fuel yourself with nutritious meals, healthy fats and multi-vitamins.
Talk if you wish to: Talking about your PMS experience is a way of normalizing and reducing shame and isolation surrounding it. Remember, your experience is valid and backed by science.
Most importantly, practice self-compassion. You are not dramatic. You are not “too much.” You are responding to real biological changes.
Since eternity, we have been taught to push through it. To work the same way. To show up the same way. To perform the same way. And if we struggle, it is dismissed as overreacting.
So the next time someone casually asks, “iS iT That tImE Of The mOntH?” you do not have to shrink. Yes, it is. And it is real.
https://inne.io/blogs/the-blog/the-pms-experience-around-the-world?srsltid=AfmBOoqy394rYOYg06rjjfupmCdcnDGFbYnRie5aZdoVn78EKaUT-M8g
https://www.guudwoman.com/en/blogs/menstrual-health-pms/all-about-post-menstrual-syndrome
https://www.guudwoman.com/en/blogs/menstrual-health-pms/say-guudbye-to-pms
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