Tag Archives: mental-health

PMS – Busy Mind?

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When our PMS phase starts, our minds can become busy, irritated and frazzled.

If we do not find an outlet for the heightened self-talk, it can lead to arguments, withdrawal and a general low mood.

A simple technique that can help is known as Journaling (aka writing therapy), to free your mind and lighten the load.

You do not need to be a prolific writer, or even a writer at all, to benefit. All you need is a piece of paper, a pen, and the motivation to write.

I recommend writing every day, it only has to be a few minutes and you can make it easy for yourself, by having a pen and paper handy at all times.

So what do you write about?

Write down whatever feels right, scribble your thoughts, emotions, annoyances and pet-hates.

Fully offload on to the paper!

The last part of the process is to write down three things that you are grateful for… it can be the house you are sat in, the soft bed you are laying on or maybe the cup of tea that was made for you.

This final act, fills the hole where negativity was and pours in some much needed positivity and gratitude, a sure-fire way to stop PMS in its tracks.

Give it a go, I promise it will make a difference!

How am I feeling today?

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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 requires ABM (Action before Motivation)

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Over the last few blog posts I have mentioned a number of different techniques that can be easily incorporated into your month that could truly make a difference to the way you feel…

As I know all to well, it is sometimes very difficult to find the motivation to change, even if the change will benefit you and the change is relatively simple to implement….

Typically if your mood is low, motivation for change will only follow action, so this month take action!! and motivation will naturally follow.

Action = Motivation = Change

Action = Motivation = Change

A Great Book – Self Compassion by Kristin Neff

Posted in Book Review, PMS, Wellbeing by

A book I highly recommend is Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff:

http://www.self-compassion.org/self-compassion-the-book/about-the-book.html

Self-Compassion is not a skill natural to most people, as we tend to be better at negative self talk.

If Self-Compassion is low or non-existent then getting through any difficult times of the month can be very challenging, but by introducing self-compassion then those challenging times can become that little bit easier, as you will be providing yourself with the support needed rather than just constantly attacking yourself with negative talk!

The book highlights questions such as:

  • If we cannot be compassionate with ourselves at difficult times of the month then who will be?
  • Would you talk to a friend using the same words and tone, as you do with yourself when you make a mistake?

So make self-compassion a new habit… use words that support and comfort you, not ones that would make your best friend cry!

You will really feel the difference on a bad PMS day 🙂

Awareness

One key factor in winning the battle with PMS is building awareness, this means when a symptom develops such as:

Irritability
Depression
Mood Swings
Anxiety

You can actually notice the arrival and departure of that symptom…. meaning that you can actually learn to take control of the condition rather than letting the condition control you!