I was a hot, mangled mess of tears that morning—irritated about the kids missing the bus, worried because I yelled at them, and mad at my husband for not helping me. And of course, that day, the dog had to throw up on my new rug. So when I stepped on the scale and it was up three pounds (stupid Godiva brownies!), I dissolved into a puddle. On a normal day, these would all just be normal problems with normal solutions. But on a PMS day, everything is a disaster and I just can’t. Can you relate? Can you win against PMS, or are we always destined to be at its mercy?
As mothers, we have been around the PMS block more times than we can count. While it still manages to sneak up on us, we don’t have to let PMS take over. Here are 8 things that will save you from many tearful regrets at the end of a long PMS day.
4 Things to Do:
1. Take your vitamins and drink water.
As we crave certain foods during this time, we might not get all the vitamins our body needs. So take a multivitamin faithfully to fill in the gaps. Taking extra B6 may also help with moodiness and tiredness. And drink plenty of water to fight water retention.
2. Go to bed 30+ minutes early.
Changing hormone levels can cause sleep problems for many women. When we get a rotten night’s sleep, we feel groggy and grumpy the next day. Call it a night a little bit earlier than usual when fighting PMS. Your body needs that more than another episode of your favorite show.
3. Make self-care a priority by doing something relaxing each day.
Can you win against PMS? Yes. Especially when you define winning as not losing your mind! We are wound so tightly during PMS that we could snap at any moment. So give yourself an opportunity to unwind each day. Think about what relaxes you. Is it a bubble bath with a good book? A phone call to your best friend? Do what works for you.
4. Choose what you “take in” wisely.
During my PMS time, I can’t watch intense, emotional TV shows or afterward, I feel like a loose cannon. So I choose a different kind of show. Positive music, positive books, positive podcasts—these are your friends during a PMS week.
4 Things to Avoid:
1. Don’t make any big decisions this week.
Don’t quit your job, decide to move, or get a dog—at least not this week. Sometimes, PMS will tell you that you’ve reached your limit and something must change, NOW. It’s not true. Your feelings are running on high, so put all major decisions on hold.
2. Don’t have any major confrontations.
This is also not the week to confront that one person. It’s not the time to tell your neighbor that you’ve had it with his barking dog or to tell your boss what you really think of her methods. Don’t let PMS push you into heated confrontations.
3. Don’t take on anything extra.
Even if your week is looking pretty open, it’s best to keep it that way with PMS in the picture. Just aim to get through the week with the essential tasks you have to accomplish. You are going to need “extra” time for self-care and sleep. Need help saying no? Try this.
4. Don’t be too hard on yourself.
Sometimes with hormones running on high, we say something harsh or overreact to a situation we normally wouldn’t, and it all seems so heavy. But give yourself a giant helping of extra grace this week. Push those negative PMS thoughts out for a second and give yourself a mental hug. You are human and tomorrow is a new day.
What do you think? Can you win against PMS? What are your strategies for dealing with it?
