So Christmas is over and New Years Eve will soon be upon us….. this means that it is the time of year when we all start to think about the things we would like to do or achieve in the new year.

So I thought I would list my top 10 resolutions needed to combat PMS:

1. During the last 10 days of your menstrual cycle you may notice your energy levels dropping, which can lead to irritability and low moods…. So this year commit to adding additional whole grain carbohydrate foods into your shopping basket that can be used to help sustain your energy levels during this time e.g. Baked potato’s, nuts, bananas, wholewheat pasta and brown bread.
2. Caffeine is known to increase anxiety and irritability, so combine this with PMS and it can be a dangerous combination… So this year commit to reducing your caffeine intake to a maximum of two cups of Coffee/Tea a day during the last 10 days of your menstrual cycle.
3. Commit to positively changing your thought patterns e.g. “expect a happy month and you will”.
4. Commit to talking honestly and openly to your partner, close family and friends about how you are feeling during the month.
5. Commit to making time for yourself during the day, this could be in the form of meditation, reading, listening to music or any other enjoyable activity, even if it is just 10 minutes a day!
6. Commit to providing yourself with compassion on those difficult days, remembering to talk to yourself as if you were talking to your best friend, providing yourself with words that comfort and support you.
7. Having a bad day? is everyone annoying you? then commit to Journaling…
   Grab a note book, a pen and then just write…write down everything that is on your mind, ignore grammar and punctuation, just let your pen do the talking!….
   Once done, tear the paper up and throw in a bin, I guarantee any problems will reduce in size and you will feel mentally lighter.
   This technique is great for gaining insight into your current behaviors and moods.
8. Commit to letting yourself relax during the last 10 days of your menstrual cycle without feeling guilty.
9. Commit to adding a star to your wall or pocket calendar every month, indicating when you are expecting your PMS symptoms to start, this will allow you to be mindful of your thoughts and actions during this time and will also benefit the people you live with, as they will have a better understanding of whats happening.
10. Of course number 10 could only be:
    Commit to following the Happy Month Blog, a sure-fire way to reduce / cure PMS for good!

I hope you find the above list of resolutions helpful…….but, remember, to achieve a goal takes more than just a decision, it requires constant small steps and commitment to achieve the desired result!

Happy New Year!

Chrissie
Happy Month.