You must be familiar with the period cycle if you are reading this, or at least know what others experience. Even before the period cycle, it starts to scare as it reminds a woman of the previous month’s cycle. A menstrual cycle is tricky to understand, some women feel pain in their life once a month while some experience mild cramps and bloating. The worst part is, whether you like it or not, it repeats every month making you feel there is no end to this pain. You should know a few tips to maintain self-care during the period cycle.

Why is self-care important during periods?

SelfCare during a period cycle is as crucial as living everyday life happily. The periods can be very hectic and tiring, so to ease out some pain and uneasiness you should maintain a good self-care routine for your internal peace.

Your menstrual cycle goes through 4 phases, 

• pre-ovulation: before your body releases an egg,
• ovulation: when the egg is released,
• pre-menstruation: as your body prepares to shed the lining of the uterus and menstruation when you bleed.
• Luteal phase: During this body produces hormones, the major two being progesterone and estrogen. In addition to causing a spike in hormones, your endometrium becomes thicker to make room for a fertilized egg.

 Each phase brings new emotional and physical changes which, when we are in tune with them, can be easier to manage.

Before getting into the details of exercises or thinking about changes to your diet, you can ask yourself, “how do I feel?”. That should be your primary question to yourself. Overwork, stress, lack of sleep, lack of time and space for yourself, disregard of your needs, and your own inner “rhythm” of life, might disconnect us from feeling what is good for ourselves.

Take care ladies, we know what you go through.

Here are 6 Self-care tips for a better period cycle.

Healthy eating habits are a must.

You might be tempted to eat all the carbs, sugar, etc. during your period cycle, but that won’t make you feel any good. You would think, it will at least satisfy the inner you, but it won’t. Instead, it would make you feel less energetic and bloated.

Rather flow a proper healthy diet which would help you maintain good energy levels and decrease inflammation. Eating fibers, proteins and good fats will help in proper digestion and plenty of water to help your body through the night. If there is energy in your body, you can fight any cramp, else it would just contribute more to mood swings, bloating.

It is highly recommended to eat a boiled egg or something which would help you stay warm from inside. Having a good warm tummy helps and top it off with a bar of chocolate which will help your body feel good. Give yourself a treat. 

A balanced diet is advised, so eat enough of the vitamins and minerals that you need. Whole food sources of vitamins like riboflavin and thiamine may lower the risk of PMS. On the other hand, iron is vital to women since some of them suffer from iron deficiency throughout their menstrual cycles.

Listen to soothing songs.

Humans are strongly influenced by music. It will increase your ability to remember things, become better at completing tasks, feel better overall, become less anxious and depressed, avoid becoming tired, manage pain better, and work out more efficiently. You could be a soothing song person or maybe not, whatever genre you enjoy, go for that. It would surely help with the mind diversion aspect. 

Ensure you are well-rested.

Your mother always tells you to rest when you are down, she is 100% correct. Your body needs rest during your period cycle, you might not be the resting type but you should be during your period cycle. Ensure you are well rested because when you would work, and you would, you will need a lot of energy to do even the small tasks. 

Self-care is essential for maintaining a good connection with oneself since it generates positive emotion and improves your confidence and self-esteem. Know your worth.

Meditation is supreme relaxation.

When you have a hectic schedule, it may be hard to find time for yourself, but meditation can help you bond with your body and reconnect with yourself. Even just a little amount of time every day may have a positive impact on your mental health and well-being. It would also generally help you with other mental problems in life, try to adopt a routine that includes some form of meditation. 

How to take care of your menstrual health?

First, know what changes occur in your body.

You’re probably aware that your cervical mucus is different at different points in your cycle, depending on your fertility level.

It’s worth noting that your body temperature varies throughout the course of your cycle.

Determining where you are in your cycle by measuring your basal body temperature (BBT, your morning temperature) is simple. This method is often used as a kind of natural birth control, with either the intent to prepare for or to prevent pregnancy.

Adapt your daily routine to match your menstrual cycle and self-care needs

You’re in charge! Be proud of your wavering and fluctuating body and the things that go with it. Preparing for your period by having a soothing bath or spending some time alone can help you to accept mood swings and be patient with yourself. Similarly, you can ask for the understanding of others. Your self-care habits will determine how comfortable you stay for the next 3-7 days. 

A hot water bath to feel fresh and clean.

A hot water bath is highly recommended, you would be all cleaned up and a sense of relaxation would take over your consciousness. It would increase your chances to sleep right after a good bath, and well all know, sleeping pleasantly helps during a period cycle. Apart from that, a hot water bath makes you cleaner and helps maintain good hygiene. 

If you aren’t still comfortable and cozy in bed. Take a hot water bottle to sit and relax while you Netflix and chill. The warmth always helps with the cramps and pain. Try it, you’d love it. 

Do just absorb the back pain, keep them away.

You may have lower back discomfort due to your menstrual cycle. If you suffer from uterine fibroids, pelvic inflammatory disease, or endometriosis, you may find this lower back discomfort to be especially painful.

It is advised that you see a doctor if your symptoms are severe. Self Care doesn’t mean bearing the pain thinking it would pass automatically, if you are genuinely uncomfortable with it, just go see a doctor. 

The therapies that your doctor prescribes will depend on the specific reason for your lower back discomfort. These things include:

• Estrogen and progestin-based birth control tablets may help ease discomfort. One group of birth control options includes the pill, the patch, and the vaginal ring. 
• Prostaglandins, which are produced in the body, cause pain. 
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen and aspirin, may reduce the number of prostaglandins generated by the body, thereby soothing pain.

You won’t die, first of all. It would and could cause a lot of pain and no one can magically make it go away. Only you know your body’s cycle and its response to it, you are your best support system. Feel good about yourself, keep yourself clean and make sure you eat. You would be just fine. 

Happy period cycle.