The Importance of Emotional Well-being During Periods

Many people associate periods with physical symptoms like cramps, bloating, or fatigue. However, another crucial aspect often goes unnoticed: emotional well-being during periods. Mood swings, irritability, sadness, anxiety, or feeling overwhelmed are just as real as physical discomfort. 

Emotional changes during menstruation can deeply affect everyday life, relationships, self-image, and overall mental health. This is why the focus on menstrual health and menstrual hygiene initiatives must also include emotional and mental care alongside physical well-being.

As we move towards more inclusive and holistic conversations around menstrual health, it is important to recognize and normalize emotional experiences that come with the menstrual cycle. Understanding these changes and learning how to manage them is a powerful step toward improving overall menstrual health and hygiene.

Why Does Emotional Well-being Matter During Periods?

As we deepen our understanding of menstruation, emotional health is becoming a central theme in menstrual conversations. Emotional well-being during periods is not just about managing mood swings but also about building a healthier relationship with your body, emotions, and menstrual cycle.

Many women and menstruating individuals feel emotionally drained or vulnerable in the days leading up to their period. These feelings may last during menstruation and even slightly after it ends. This isn’t ‘being dramatic’, it is a hormonal and biological response your body is going through.

Bringing this awareness into the scope of every menstrual health and menstrual hygiene initiative ensures that emotional care becomes a natural part of period care.

What Causes Emotional Changes During Periods?

Hormonal fluctuations play a huge role in affecting mood and mental balance during the menstrual cycle. Here is a breakdown of how your emotions might be affected and why:

1. Hormonal Fluctuations

• Estrogen and progesterone levels shift significantly throughout the menstrual cycle.
• In the luteal phase (a few days before the period), progesterone rises and then drops, triggering mood-related symptoms like sadness or irritability.
• Lower estrogen levels just before menstruation can reduce serotonin, the “feel-good” hormone, resulting in emotional low points.

2. Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

• PMS is a common condition experienced by many menstruators in the days leading up to their period.
• Symptoms include anxiety, tension, fatigue, irritability, and emotional hypersensitivity.
• PMS can make one feel emotionally fragile or unable to cope with regular stressors.

3. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)

• A more severe form of PMS, PMDD, can cause intense mood swings, depression, and feelings of helplessness.
• PMDD affects a smaller percentage of menstruators but can significantly impact emotional well-being during the period.

4. Physical Discomfort Influencing Mood

• Pain, cramps, bloating, and sleep disturbances often accompany periods.
• These physical issues can contribute to fatigue and emotional exhaustion.

Common Emotional Symptoms During Periods

Every individual experiences different emotional responses to menstruation. However, some common symptoms can include:

• Mood swings or feeling emotionally overwhelmed.
• Sudden sadness or unexplained crying spells.
• Anxiety or nervousness before or during the period.
• Short temper or increased irritability.
• Fatigue or lack of motivation.
• Difficulty focusing or making decisions.
  
  

These are valid symptoms and should not be dismissed as mere moodiness. They are indicators of what your body and mind are navigating through during menstruation.

How Menstrual Health and Menstrual Hygiene Initiatives Can Help?

A strong and inclusive menstrual health and menstrual hygiene initiative plays a crucial role in addressing the emotional aspects of periods. By spreading awareness, providing accurate information, and creating safe spaces, such initiatives empower individuals to manage both their physical and emotional health.

Some key components, such as initiatives, can include the following:

• Emotional literacy: Teaching girls and women about the emotional changes that accompany menstruation and how to cope with them.
• Mental health workshops: Facilitating discussions on anxiety, stress, and depression associated with the menstrual cycle.
• Community support: Encouraging open dialogue to reduce stigma and loneliness.
• Access to counselors or support groups for emotional challenges related to periods.

What Are The Simple Ways to Manage Emotional Well-being During Periods?

If you are someone who experiences emotional turmoil around your period, here are some gentle and practical ways to care for yourself:

1. Track Your Cycle and Emotions

• Use a menstrual health journal or app to track how you feel mentally and physically during your cycle.
• This helps anticipate emotional patterns and plan self-care accordingly.

2. Practice Gentle Self-Care

• Give yourself permission to rest and say no to draining tasks.
• Take warm showers, read a comforting book, or engage in relaxing hobbies.

3. Move Your Body

• Light exercises like yoga or walking can improve mood by releasing endorphins.
• Movement helps reduce cramps and lifts emotional heaviness.

4. Balanced Diet and Hydration

• Eat mood-supporting foods like leafy greens, nuts, whole grains, and dark chocolate.
• Avoid excessive caffeine or sugar, as they can heighten anxiety or irritability.

5. Mindfulness and Breathing Exercises

• Practicing mindfulness or simple breathing techniques can calm the nervous system.
• Helps in staying grounded and managing overwhelming thoughts.

6. Stay Connected

• Talk to a trusted friend or family member about how you feel.
• Knowing you are not alone can offer immense emotional relief.

When to Seek Help?

Sometimes, emotional symptoms may become intense and interfere with daily life. You should consider reaching out to a mental health professional if:

• You experience prolonged sadness or hopelessness during every cycle.
• Anxiety feels uncontrollable or persistent.
• You feel isolated, irritable, or emotionally reactive beyond your regular pattern.
• You suspect you might have PMDD or are unsure about the severity of your symptoms.
  
  

Mental health professionals can offer therapies or treatment plans tailored to your menstrual emotional patterns. There is no shame in asking for help. Emotional well-being is a vital part of menstrual health and hygiene and should be given the same importance as physical care.

The Interconnectedness Between Emotional Health and Menstrual Health

The body and mind are intricately connected. Emotional well-being during periods is not an isolated issue but a part of the larger menstrual health and menstrual hygiene debate.

Ignoring emotional symptoms can also affect physical health. For example:

• Stress can lead to irregular cycles.
• Anxiety and depression may worsen period pain.
• Emotional fatigue may prevent individuals from maintaining good hygiene practices.

Thus, tending to your emotional needs during menstruation is a powerful form of self-respect and self-care. It enhances your relationship with your cycle and helps you feel more balanced and supported through the ups and downs of each month.

Final Thoughts: Embracing Every Part of Your Menstrual Journey

Menstrual health and menstrual hygiene initiative is more than distributing sanitary pads or raising awareness about cramps, it is about advocating for emotional support and empowerment. Recognizing emotional well-being during periods as a real and important issue gives menstruators the permission to care for themselves fully.

Every mood swing, every tear, every sigh of exhaustion during your period deserves acknowledgment and not dismissal.

Ujaas, founded by Advaitesha Birla, is a menstrual health initiative committed to enabling this transformation. By equipping girls and menstruators with the tools to manage their emotional and physical well-being, Ujaas aims to bring about a meaningful and sustainable change in how society views menstruation.

Because caring for your period is also caring for your mind. And you deserve both.