Tag Archives: Health

The Holistic Approach for PMS

Posted in Wellbeing by

After a number of years of lived experience and research on the topic of PMS. I now firmly believe that we do not just have PMS for no reason, I believe that it is due to some kind of turbulence found in one or more of the life areas listed below:

PMS Building Blocks

These areas above can be described simply as:

Now = The present moment

Your Future = Our expectations, goals, dreams

Your Beliefs = Your core values and principles

Your Past = Your history and experiences

Each area above plays a vital role in your emotional state.

If you experience stress, negativity, unhappiness in one or more of these areas then your body will need to express this, due to the build up of stored emotions, meaning that if you are prone to PMS, then this is where it will show up, with potentially severe symptoms.

If you are not a sufferer of PMS then you may experience the build up in another way, for example back pain, frequent colds etc.

So, if you . . 

Do not like your job, your situation at home (Now)
Have no direction in life, no ambition, no focus (Your Future)
Have a loved one who is not respecting one of your core values (Your Beliefs)
Have experienced a traumatic event that is still unresolved / unprocessed (Your Past)

Then you will have some kind of physical and/or mental symptom because of this.

What does this mean?

It means that to resolve PMS you need to take a holistic approach.

PMS is not the problem, PMS is trying to communicate to you that there is a disturbance in your life that needs to be resolved and it is likely to be found in one or more of the areas listed above.

By using this approach I have managed to reduce my own severe symptoms to a level where they are now hardly even evident!

So forget about PMS, instead shift your focus to the study and research of your own happiness, this in turn will lead you to the path of recovery and rejuvenation!

Happy Month 🙂

PMS – Prioritise Mental Stability

Posted in PMS, PMS Symptoms by

Is PMS a Condition or a Symptom of unresolved issues within our self?

This is a question I have been thinking about for a long time.

I’m guessing that if you were to ask a number of people this question, then you would receive many conflicting answers, probably due to factors such as:

    1. The intensity of their PMS.
    2. If they are the ones suffering with PMS or if they are just living with a person who has PMS.
    3. Their own belief system of why symptoms develop.

To further analyse this question, have you ever noticed an improvement in your PMS when your mind has been still and happy? for example, when you have been planning and preparing for a long awaited holiday or even when you have been on holiday?

Or do you remember a time when you have experienced heightened PMS due to your mind being unusually busy or unhappy?

Does the above sound familiar to you?

The above is certainly familiar to me, which leads me to believe that PMS is actually more of an indicator of our own mental and physical well-being, rather than a condition in its own right!

So surely this means that the cure to PMS could actually be within our selves rather than in medication?

PMS has always had negative connotations but how empowering would it be, if instead we used it as a powerful reminder that we must Prioritise our own Mental Stability, because if we did, I believe that most people would experience a reduction in their PMS and a generally more enjoyable life! …. and who would not want that? 🙂

To be continued . . .

happy-life-1

 

It’s all in the planning

Posted in PMS by

It’s been a few months since I last created a blog post; the main reason is that I needed to spend some time on my own battle with PMS.

As I have frequently stated on this site, I have constantly improved on my own symptoms with a lot of hard work and commitment to the journey.

But I am human, and sometimes I don’t have a “Happy Month”, in fact, I have a completely miserable one, luckily it’s not that often, but it does happen!

So I wanted to spend some time finding out what are the real differences between a good and bad month, in areas such as: my daily routines, eating habits, fitness and communication.

With this insight, I then hope to be able to reduce my symptom further and to be able to share these findings with everyone who reads this blog.

So what did I notice?

Good Month

Awareness:  On a good month, I am always fully aware of where I am in my cycle

Fitness: I have a regular fitness routine, adapting at the PMS stage to incorporate activities that will still be achievable with a reduction in my energy

Eating Habits: A good diet with fresh food, water, only two cups of coffee a day and the odd treat*
*everyone needs a treat

Lifestyle: Fully enjoying work and life, knowingly reducing the pace when approaching PMS stage and being kind to myself for doing so.

Communication: Proactive PMS updates e.g. Adding a star to my Calendar, highlighting the estimated start day of my PMS phase and an openness with my loved ones.

Bad Month

Ignorance: No awareness of where I am in my cycle, my mind is busy thinking of future tasks/events that I need to do

Fitness: 2 weeks of regular exercise and then 2 weeks of procrastination and nothingness!

Eating Habits: A good diet for two weeks and then a gradual increase of too much caffeine and undeserved treats 😦

Lifestyle: Trying to keep the pace of life at a constant level for the whole month and when unable to meet my own expectations, adding more tasks on to my to-do list

Communication: “It’s not PMS, I’m fine… “

As you have read, there is a big difference between a good and bad month and the list clearly highlights that there are many elements to focus on if you wish to reduce your symptoms, not just one.

But the biggest piece of advice that I could give, is that it all starts with awareness and being mindful of the present moment and where you are in your cycle.

If you get lost in your work, children, tasks, and to-do lists, then you will never be able to spot the signs that you are about to move into your PMS phase, instead your eureka moment will come in the middle of an argument or at the end of the month, when you would have wasted two weeks of being down, unmotivated and unhappy.

So don’t let PMS win, become aware, make those needed lifestyle changes and have the Happy Month that you deserve.

HappyMonth Plan

Adapt your Fitness Plan to your Menstrual Cycle

Posted in Health by

 

PMS Fitness

If you are a fitness fan like me….then you will be very familiar with how PMS can make you feel when you are trying to exercise!
I tend to describe this feeling as “training in toffee”, where every movement feels like your whole body is stuck in a river of toffee, making any form of exercise exhausting and not that enjoyable!

The main reason for this sensation is the Hormone “Estrogen”, which tends to increase during the last two weeks of your Menstrual cycle and this rapid rise in the Hormone can make you feel sluggish, tired and lethargic… meaning you may feel more motivated to sit in front of the sofa rather than to attempt any kind of sit-up!

But there is a workaround!!…………….I suggest adapting your fitness plan to your Menstrual cycle, which will allow you to keep fit and energised throughout the whole month rather than just for the first two weeks.

Regular exercise has been proven in a number of studies to reduce stress levels, as when we exercise our Happy Hormone “Serotonin” increases and this Hormone controls areas such as our mood, social behavior and temperature regulation, which are all areas that need a positive boost during the last few days of our Menstrual cycle…

So by sticking to your fitness plan or even starting a new one, you can combat the emotional imbalances PMS causes and start a real energised step to reducing your PMS symptoms!

Below is an example of how you can plan your exercise for the whole month, picking high energy sports at the start and moving to more low impact options towards the end of the month:

Example Fitness Plan

Days 1-14 of a typical 28 day cycle
(Classed as the Follicular Phase of the Menstrual Cycle)
Plan to take part in exercises that include anything that is fast paced or intensive such as running, sprinting, interval/circuit training, martial arts or Zumba.

Days 15-28
(Classed as the Luteal Phase)
Plan to take part in exercises that include anything that is low impact for example yoga, a slow jog, swimming, cycling or dancing round your living room!

By adapting your fitness plan to your monthly cycle as suggested above, you will notice a reduction in your PMS symptoms, mainly because of all that Happy Hormone being produced…..but remember:

“PMS requires ABM (Action Before Motivation)”

So if you are suffering with PMS, really push yourself to start exercising! I guarantee, if you do and even if it’s just dancing around your living room, you will feel so much better and very glad that you did it!

Happy Training 🙂

How am I feeling today?

Posted in PMS by

PMS

So what does it really take to have a Happy Month? – To be honest it is as simple as starting a new habit!

To reduce your PMS symptoms it is vital for you to become aware of how you feel in the present moment.

As you know, we all have busy lives and we all get lost in our daily routines and habits, meaning hours can pass by which we have no recollection of when we try to think back about our day.

The best way to describe this state of mind is to compare it with a hypnotic state where we switch off our thoughts and memory and then let our unconscious minds take control.

But this state of mind can be very dangerous, especially during the PMS phase of the menstrual cycle, as it means that you can easily react negatively to a situation before you even realise it, all because the mind is following the “normal routine”.

So to reduce your PMS you need to break this unconscious routine and start a new habit!

Sounds relatively simple? Yes it is, but the unconscious mind is very stubborn and will try to take control back from you at any given moment…

So to combat this, I have found the below task to be incredibly successful but you do need to fully commit to the task and also become incredibly disciplined with it, so that it becomes your new daily habit.

The task – “Start a new routine”

So for this task, I first need you to go out and buy a new notebook or diary, which will become your personal PMS diary.

Once you have the notebook, I would like you to start a new page every day, first writing the date and secondly the following question:

How do I truly feel today?

For the answer to the question I would like you to look deep into your heart with honesty and write exactly how you feel underneath the question.

There is no right or wrong answer, it’s just about being totally honest with yourself and really noticing every emotion and feeling being experienced in the present moment.

Once you have your answer, please read it and think about what you need today to ensure you have a good day, for example:

Maybe you need to talk about how you are feeling to a loved one?

Maybe you need to reduce your workload for the day?

Maybe you need some time on your own to relax?

or maybe you just need a hug?

Whatever it is, I promise this task will help you to find out what you truly need today and will become one of the first steps in stopping your PMS for good!

PMS – Emotional Phases of the Menstrual cycle

Posted in PMS by

PMS Phases

Above is a diagram representing the emotional phases experienced by many women during a typical menstrual cycle and below is a description of each of the phases above:

Overview of Phases

 Relief:

This phase is where you should start to experience relief from your PMS symptoms and starts as your period begins.

In the “Relief” phase emotions should become noticeably more balanced and the need for social/relationship interactions should start to increase.

Communication:

The “Communication” phase overlaps with the “Relief” and “Vitality” phases and tends to occur around 7 days after your period begins.

This phase is where you should feel more compassionate to others and generally feel more mindful of yourself and everyone close to you.

Vitality:

This phase is where you should notice a high level of energy, a real zest for life and the ability to take on any challenge or adventure.

Normality:

“Normality” is a phase where you should have full control of your emotional state but will start to be affected by the early signs of PMS and your energy levels may start fall.

PMS:

This phase is when your PMS symptoms will start to develop, you may start appearing distant and have noticeable emotional imbalances, your senses will be heightened which could lead to irritability and any other emotional symptom linked with PMS.

——————————————————————————————————

Having an understanding of the emotional phases of the menstrual cycle is key to beating PMS!

PMS happens at a subconscious level, which means if you are not aware of your current or next “phase”, you will never stop PMS from occurring……

So take conscious control and watch PMS disappear – it can really be that simple!