PMS Survival Guide

It is Thursday morning and I am battling a pretty serious case of PMS! 

The last thing I felt like doing this morning was getting up and going to work but no matter how much I whinge to myself I cannot take the day off and I don't want anyone to realize its that time, so out comes my trusted and true survival guide.

Lets pull out the guide shall we....

Get your cramping under control!!!
Wheat packs are everything, especially the ones with lavender in them. I always keep a couple wheat packs on hand at home and a couple in the office at work as well. If anyone asks why I am using them I normally say that I pulled my back out, works every time.
Why are wheat bags so helpful in easing cramping you ask?
Well the heat helps the blood vessels dilate which increases the flow of oxygenated blood to the sore area, the increased oxygenated blood allows the lower abdomen and uterine muscles to relax. Heat also acts as a pain reliever by stimulating the the specialized pain receptors within your skin which decreases the frequency of pain messages that are sent to your brain. 
So in fewer words heat makes everything better!

Exercise gives you endorphin's, Endorphin's make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands, they just don't!
Exercise sucks, especially when you are on your period! However doing light exercise like a gentle walk or some Hatha yoga will help to release endorphin's which will help to calm and relax you plus it takes your mind off whats going on down stairs.
One of my favourite things to do is head down to the beach with Dylan take our shoes off and walk in the water to help relax me, sometimes getting up and out the house can completely fix the worst mood swings.

Eat all the foods!!

Okay maybe not all the foods, it can be hard to deal with craving during TOM but you are better off avoiding or swapping out certain foods. 

Beware of sweets, refined sugar actually causes inflammation which is really the last thing you want considering how much inflammation you are already dealing with so try avoiding or limiting chocolate. I do like to make a nice big bowl of either strawberry or chocolate nice cream and devour the bowl whilst watching a soppy movie!

You might want to slow down on anything too salty as well, salt helps to retain water and your probably already bloated enough for one life time so I suggest switching the take away hot chips for oven baked sweet potato chips seasoned with garlic and or onion powder. Its also lower on the calories which is a plus in itself.

Tea is always a good idea.

Caffeine has been shown to increase cramping pain and of course can aggravate a bad mood and can make it harder for you to fall asleep so its best to switch to tea if your not already a avid tea drinker.

Chamomile has a relaxing properties that can help to ease cramping and help lull you off to sleep whilst peppermint aids in digestion and soothing a upset stomach. Some brands like Yogi have blends specifically for PMS and I personally find Tea2 has all sorts of relaxing teas.

Be prepared
I like to use the app Period Diary on my phone so I always have a rough estimate of when Aunt Flow is going to arrive which means I always have some stuff on hand and can avoid embarrassing moments and unfortunate stains.  There are millions of apps out there so I am sure you can find one that suits you, mine does list the days that it calculates I am fertile and I have heard that some women will use this as birth control but it is just a estimate and I would never leave something so important down to a free app!!!
It also means that Dylan knows when to cool it on some of his more annoying jokes so that I don't bite his head off, start asking for a divorce or burst into tears in a public place (that has happened before but never again).

You do you!
Finally if your feeling sick just take the day off work, lay in bed all day watching sappy movies and cry. Its your body do what feels right for it, almost all women have to go through this during their lives, its nothing you should be afraid or embarrassed about and its about time that we de-stigmatize something that is completely natural.
.......and of course if all else fails there is always wine and Taylor Swift!

What are your PMS Survival Guide Tips? What is your favourite thing you do to relax?