6 Self-Care Techniques for PMS Symptoms

I've found that self-care for premenstrual syndrome is critical. Hormonal changes from premenstrual syndrome (PMS) cause me to feel tired, bloated, sore, depressed, and sometimes angry. There are days when I can barely get out of bed. During this time, I feel guilty for not being productive. However, to manage, it is important to be kind to myself and practice self-care for PMS symptoms. Here are six ways I take care of myself during my period.

6 Ways to Practice Self-Care for PMS Symptoms

I manage my PMS using these self-care methods:

1. I seek support from my female friends. Talking to people who understand my struggle with PMS helps me feel less alone. My girlfriends share things that help them during their periods, such as baths, tea, dark chocolate, and heating pads. In addition to getting helpful tips from friends, we can joke about our periods. As they say, laughter is one of the best medicines.
2. I engage in creative hobbies. Light exercise is important, but sometimes my cramps are excruciating. Pain medicine does not always help. Creative hobbies like coloring, diamond painting, and writing relax me, which helps me feel better physically and mentally.
3. I practice thought reframing. Every month during my period, bloating makes me feel terrible about my body image. So, I often label myself negatively, which makes my depression worse. I reframe my thoughts by reminding myself that bloating is a natural part of the hormonal changes during my period. It will go away in a few days.
4. I listen to autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) sounds. Sometimes, brain fog makes it difficult to practice thought reformation and positive affirmations. So, I listen to soothing sounds and voices from ASMR artists. Some audio recordings are specifically tailored for PMS relief.
5. I try to stay hydrated. During my period, I often get migraines. When pain medicine does not help, I assume that they are caused by dehydration. While drinking water is critical, I do not like the lack of flavor. So I drink chamomile tea and hot chocolate. The warmth relieves my headaches and my cramps.
6. I allow my body to rest. Losing a lot of blood during my period depletes my energy levels. So when I feel significantly more tired some days, I remind myself that something isn't necessarily wrong with me. This is a natural part of having my period. So, it is okay to sleep more some days. By allowing myself to rest, I recover faster.

Those are just some self-care techniques for PMS. I will practice self-care in many more ways in the future, such as changing my diet and taking daily vitamins. Do you have any PMS self-care during tips? Please share them in the comments.