Periods And Mental Health: What Your Mood Changes Mean & How To Deal With Them

Do our menstrual cycles affect our mental health?

A menstruation cycle entails much more than bleeding. Besides bleeding, many other common symptoms of periods are nausea, cramps, indigestion, mood swings, tenderness in the breasts, and so on.

One of the most common symptoms which are not talked about enough is mental health changes. Although we often hear vague comments about period ‘mood swings'. We are not taught what may be causing these changes.

A menstrual cycle is run in accordance with many hormones. The various hormones in our body help aid our emotions. Hence, it is extremely normal for our period cycle to influence our mental health and moods.

How do periods affect our mental health?

Our menstrual cycles can cause various mood changes to our mental health. Most women during their periods have reported experiencing anxiousness, irritability, anger, and so on. Oestrogen and progesterone are reported to reduce in the body as the first day of our menstrual cycle commences.

Reduction in the levels of oestrogen and progesterone in the body has also been reported to lower serotonin production in the body. Serotonin is considered to be one of the ‘happy hormones' our bodies produce. Serotonin also exhibits feelings of satisfaction. A lack of serotonin in the body may affect one's moods instantly.

In fact, a menstrual cycle may influence one's mood even before it begins. PMS is one of the most common terms used for the same. PMS stands for Premenstrual Syndrome. One might experience physical as well as mental symptoms during PMS.

PMS may cause acne, anxiety, sadness, tenderness in the breasts, shifts in appetite, indigestion, lethargy, anger, headaches, lack of focus and many other issues. Hence, feeling overwhelmed or emotionally confused during or around your periods is completely normal.

How to manage mood changes during periods?

As discussed earlier, changes in moods during and around periods are completely normal. However, one may wish to reduce these symptoms. Here are simple steps through which you can reduce the severity of these symptoms.

Simple ways to manage mood swings during periods:

Eat well

The key to a healthy physical and mental health is proper diet. What we eat significantly influences our health. Our mental health may also be greatly influenced by our diet. Eating foods rich in nutrients such as protein, fibre, water, and so on help keep your mind on track.

Exercise

Exercising has been proven to aid the production of various ‘happy hormones'. Exercising regularly may also reduce other symptoms of periods such as bloating, indigestion, cramps and so on. Exercising helps regulate moods and promotes improvement.

Sleep properly

Getting enough quality sleep at night may also affect one's moods during the day. Getting proper sleep also helps aid the production of various happy hormones. In fact, lack of sleep has proven to worsen pre-existing symptoms of menstrual cycles.

Seek emotional guidance

Feeling overwhelmed or various emotions all at once are completely normal during or around your periods. We encourage you to speak to a health professional to help you understand your emotions. They may also help reduce the risk of mood disorders.

In conclusion, proper research can help you navigate your feelings better. Follow these tips to improve your mental health during periods.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.