15 tips for your period
here are some of the things i do to prevent period cramps, feel better during bleeding and also feeling better throughout the other seasons of my cycle.
before going into the tips, i want to say how important it is, like always in life, to understand that every person is different and your body may need very different things from my body. so the first tip before anything else would be to try out as much as you want and see for yourself what works best for you.
another thing i want to mention beforehand is that i am no expert in this at all. the things i mention here are based on my own experience and the knowledge i gained in the past years. that being said, all this knowledge does not origin from my brain but is a collection of what i learned from many many beautiful flinta*s which some of them i will mention during or at the end of this blog.
so let’s get started
1. drinking enough water
drinking enough water is always important. but in my experience it is extra important during bleeding. your body is already going through so much it does not need to be dehydrated as well. especially if you also have problems with gut health during this time - stay hydrated.
2. gut health
speaking of gut health, i had real problems with my digestion during my menstruation for a long time and something that really helped me was taking probiotics. right now i am taking synbiotics (probiotics + prebiotics) by mybacs every morning. because gut health is always important!
(you can get 15€ off with the code ‘katharina15’, this is an affiliate link and by using this code you also support me)
3. the right foods
there are a few foods that are especially important during/ before your menstruation. well not the foods are the important thing but the nutrients they hold. magnesium and iron are on the top of what you should have enough during that time. magnesiums helps with cramps and iron is important since you are loosing lots of blood.
foods with lots of magnesium: kale, spinach, peas, potatoes, berries, bananas, wheat, millet, oats and nuts
foods with a lot of iron: pumpkin, seeds, wheat, bran, sesame, beans, peas, quinoa, beetroot and soy
4. becoming friends with your cycle
yes this sounds maybe weird for some of you. but this is a step that really helped me with my whole cycle and is probably the base of everything else that is helping me now. we have to realize that for many many years we where thought that our menstruation is something gross, something to be ashamed of. so of course we have a bad relationship with our menstruation and it is so important to change that.
i did an amazing workshop by frau.ganz.pur on the menstrual cycle and it made me understand firstly the cycle itself so much better, but also me and my body. which helped me to achieve the next tip even better.
5. listening to your body
your body most of the time tells you what it needs. hearing can be quite difficult though, because we are always hustling, always distracting ourselves (very guilty myslef btw) and therefore we unlearned to listen and feel what it needs, or what does our body not good.
6. stop drinking coffee
i really can not drink any coffee at all during the first days of my cycle. i try to not drink any some days before bleeding and then the first days of bleeding and i really see a difference because the times where i not follow this i can feel cramps coming up instantly and problems with my gut health.
instead of coffee if i still have the need of drinking something similar - i discovered recently the ‘chaga latte’ by herbarium officinale which i really love and started drinking instead of coffee also on a regular basis. it’s not exactly like coffee but it has a light coffee taste to it and i love the grainyness to net. (if you don’t want to buy directly a whole pot of it you can taste it at the herbarium officinale store in vienna).
(you can get also get 10% off there online and in the store in vienna with the code ‘katharina10’, this is an affiliate link and by using this code you also support me)
7. start drinking this tea
so instead of drinking coffee i drink sooo much tea. and this tea recipe is really the best. i learned this from Joannas Essentials and i’ve been drinking this for about 3 years now and i am really craving it every time i bleed. The ingredients are anti inflammatory, they loosen the cervix, they have iron and calcium, are great for the pelvic floor muscles and blood purifying, good for blood circulation and calming, as well as good for your gut flora.
the ingredients:
lavender
raspberry leafs
fennel
alchemilla (lady’s mantel)
camomile
yarrow (Schafgarbe)
8. move your body
try to move your body at least a little bit and gently. do some period yoga for example. this tip is the hardest for me personally because my cramps are really bad most of the time and i don’t want to move at all. but movement activates your body and gets your blood circulation going, therefore the cramps can be released more easily.
my favourite period yoga is this here
9. take a break
yes the tip before was to move your body. but the part of the cycle where you bleed is compared to the winter season for a reason. take it slow, listen to your body and maybe your body needs a break right now. during bleeding i for example try not to make any appointments and i try to spend at least two days all on my own.
10. CBD
CBD. for those who don’t know this about me yet but i am very much pro CBD. CBD oil is proven to be anti -inflammatory, calming, helps with anxiety and can be very helpful to release cramps. during my menstruation i take CBD oil orally through an oil, through CBD dates and i put it directly onto my skin, where my uterus lies, through a CBD serum. i can highly highly recommend magu-cbd as CBD company.
(you can get 15% off with the code ‘katharina15’, this is an affiliate link and by using this code you also support me)
CBD oil flask on tree
11. heat
i guess we all know the classic hot water bottle trick. for me it’s an essential. i recently also started to bring my hot water bottle to work during my menstruation, because why not.
12. cold showers
on the opposite again to the heat something that helped me through my worst cramps where i almost passed out was ice cold water showers. showering cold is so beneficial and healthy anyways but going more into that would be for another time. but to sum it up, cold showers are great to get your body going and get your blood running which is great to release cramps. furthermore the right breathing technique can help you calm down and activate the sympathetic nervous system.
(for more information on cold showering or breath work listen, hear or watch videos on the ‘Wim Hof Method’)
13. shakti mat
a shakti mat is an acupressure mat that helps your body to relax and is pain-relieving. i’ve been using it for months now to help with my sleeping problems but recently someone told me that they also use it for cramp relieve and after trying it a few times i can also recommend it.
(you can get 10% off with the code ‘katharina10’, this is an affiliate link and by using this code you also support me)
14. stress
the first time i noticed having less period cramps was when the pandemic started, because for me as a student it meant so much less stress and i noticed a direct coherence of my cramps and stress. so you probably can apply all the other tips i mentioned and still have period cramps when your life is full of stress. and i know, reducing stress is also a privilege and not everyone is able to reduce stress in their lives, but if it is possible for you - try to do it. it will not only be beneficial for you period but for your entire mental and physical health.
15. wearing loose pants!!!
last but not least i want to talk about pants. i started to wear looser pants maybe half a year to a year ago and honestly, since then my cramps are way better. of course it can be anything else and/or the combination of everything above but i think this really helped a lot. for me it also makes a lot of sense. how insane is it to have your intestines and uterus pressed together for hours. really insane. your body needs space. your uterus needs space especially in autumn (luteal phase) and winter (menstruation).
+1 and here is an extra tipp:
MASTURBATION or better: having an orgasm.
having an orgasm is proven to help with cramps. there are already some studies out there that say that having an orgasm can help with period cramps because after having an orgasm the whole body relaxes, also the uterus of course. but, try it yourself and see if it works for you.
so that’s that
i hope this was helpful to you. it may seem like a lot of things to think about but once you integrate them into your life it becomes natural.
btw it is also important to look at you other seasons and check in with you and your body there too. if your other seasons are bad or not the way that is good for you it can show during your menstruation.
and of course always check in with a doctor !
if you have any questions or want to share anything feel free to write a comment or write me a message on my ig.
for other accounts on menstrual health check out my blog post ‘integrating your menstruation into your daily life’ or my instagram account
