Stress & The Menstrual Cycle
Have you noticed changes in your menstrual cycle lately? Perhaps increased PMS and period pain, or a change in cycle length?
Have you experienced increased stress in this uncertain and challenging time?
If the answer to both questions is yes, then read below to find out why.
Our menstrual cycles are sensitive creatures. The tiniest physical or emotional change within our body can throw our beautiful hormonal symphony out of tune, resulting in changes to when we get our periods and how we experience them.
Stress is a large determinant of menstrual health. Did you know that the area of the brain that processes stress and controls our menstrual hormones is actually the same? This master control centre is known as the hypothalamus.
When the hypothalamus perceives an unusual amount of stress, it may make an executive decision to turn off or play around with our menstrual cycles in order to prevent the chance of bringing a baby into a stressful or unsafe environment. This sneaky little trick played by the hypothalamus was evolutionarily very useful when being chased by tigers, however today when people experience lots of stressors that don’t pose a threat to physical safety, this stress response can wreak havoc with our hormones.
For those of us that are sensitive to stress, our cycles may be disrupted by the current climate. We all know that it is impossible to just click our fingers and remove stress from our life. What we can do is signal to our hypothalamus (stress perception centre) that things are OK by dampening down the biological stress signals in our body. This may have the downstream effect of improving our menstrual cycles.
Top tips:
Use the extra free time you may have I'm your day to engage in a hobby you love. For me this is cooking and reading. For you this may be drawing/colouring in, knitting, listening to podcasts or other creative outlets.
Engage in deep breathing daily. Deep breathing is wonderful for activating relaxation centres in the body. I find guided meditations through the free apps calm, smiling mind and insight timer super helpful and convenient.
Engage in moderate exercise such as walking/ light jogging in the sunshine (whilst it lasts) and yoga. Avoid intense and prolonged exercise that can increase the bodies stress response.
Get more sleep! The quieter nature of this time for many means we can go to bed earlier and wake up later. Take advantage of this opportunity to get in those 7-9 hours.
How I can help:
Sometimes our bodies need an extra push to dampen down stress signals and improve the menstrual cycle.
As a naturopath I am able to prescribe an individually tailored plan using herbs and nutritional supplements to restore your cycle. Whether it be irregular cycles, period pain or increased PMS, natural medicine has many natural remedies that can help.
Some of my favourite herbal medicine friends for reducing stress and improving menstruation include Withania, Peony, Dong Quai and Chaste Tree.
My all time favourite nutrient for decreasing the bodies stress signals is magnesium. Whilst supplemental magnesium is often required in times of stress, increasing intake through foods such as nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables and dark chocolate is another wonderful option. Putting magnesium oil on the body can also increase our magnesium levels.
If you need any help you know where to find me!