PMS
To be joyful is a hard thing to do, especially when that time of the month rolls around. I am a very stable, normally joyful all of the time woman, but when that time of the month rolls around, I can feel the skin crawl on my back. When I was younger, I didn’t know how to deal with it as much as I do now, but as I get older when I start feeling the effects, I take note and take measures.
PMS usually begins about a week before your bleeding occurs. Some girls notice nothing about how they feel and others feel every single one of these symptoms:
- Tired
- Moody
- Short tempered
- Bloating
- Hungry
- Overwhelmed
- Anxiety
Sounds fun right? It isn’t as bad as it sounds. The key to dealing with it, is preparing yourself. How do you prepare? You take it easy. If you know that you are experiencing PMS, you give yourself a break. Not a break that you need to lay in bed and do nothing, just a break from all the “normal stresses of life.” If you can take it easy, by laying low and doing things on a more relaxing level, this will be best.
Some tips:
- Get some extra sleep, skip the television show, go to bed earlier. If you can take a nap, do so.
- Eat healthy foods. This is a time of craving sweet and salty foods. Don’t overindulge, just ration out a little and continue eating healthy. Your body can’t function properly if you are not giving it good, whole food choices.
- Hydrate yourself by drinking more water. This will help get rid of the bloated feeling. I know it may sound counterproductive to drink more water when you are already feeling full of water, but this will help flush out extra toxins from your body. You will be losing some fluids by the blood, be sure to replace it by drinking more water.
- Exercise—what?!?! Yes, I promise this will make you feel better and alleviate stress. Go for a quiet walk or bike ride to help ease tension.
- Take some “you” time. Relax by reading a book or doing something you enjoy doing quietly.
- Don’t over schedule yourself during this time, it will just add to the stress.
- Let your mom know what is going on and how you feel, this will give her a “heads up” and this will enable her to not question why you are in a rotten mood. It may help her to help you to focus on the positive and smile moreJ
- Don’t keep things bottled up, if you need to talk to someone, do so. Find some time to explain to someone how you are feeling and what is going on. Get encouragement!
Sometimes during your period you may experience cramping. Normal and won’t happen all of the time. You can alleviate this by taking over the counter pain medication, using a heating pad, or by taking a warm shower. (Note: They have some specifically for PMS that will help as well. )
Having periods are a big part of becoming a woman. I know it sounds like a lot of extra stuff to throw in on your already overwhelmed teen life, but it prepares you for your future. Your body is getting ready to do what God intends for it, to be a mother. Learning how to deal with emotions, irritations, and discomforts are all good for us. It helps you to be stronger and more in control of yourself. Life is about handling the stresses of it. You can view everything as half empty, and you will experience many hardship by thinking you got the short end of the stick, and you probably won’t be a very pleasant person to be around. Or you can choose to be a half full person, one who realizes there are negatives, but is going to focus on the positives going around them. These are the type of people you want to be. This is the type of friend you want to be. This is the type of wife you want to be and this is who God wants you to be. He has great plans for your life, but it is our choice whether we see those great plans manifest in our lives. It is much easier to deal with someone who is positive and looking for the good then dealing with a person who is ready for the bad to happen. Choose to be joyful.
