Is Stress Contributing to Your Period Pain?

If 10 is the hightest on a scale of one to ten, what would your stress levels be? Is it getting up there 7? 8? 9? or even 10?

Stress in our daily lives is very much linked with period pain. Cortisol, our stress hormone is used when we are ‘under the pump’. Progesterone, which is one of our female balancing hormones, is robbed by cortisol if we are stressed. Therefore we make much less progesterone when we are stressed and this can cause period pain.

Here are 3 Tips which will help to cut the stress down, which in the long run, will help with your period pain.

Tip One

Get out into nature. Nature helps to absorb your ‘stress’ energy. Getting down to the beach and going for a stroll will help to reduce your stress levels.

Tip Two

Focus on your breath for one minute. When we focus on our breath, our mind switches ‘off’ and we become aware of our body again.  When one first starts doing this technique, their mind can wander offen thoughout the minute with things link ‘what am i going to have for dinner’ and ‘ I need to call such and such’. If this happens, just recognise it and bring your mind back to your breathing. This technique shouldn’t be done when you are driving in the car.

Tip Three

Block out some ‘Me Time’ in your diary. These days we seem to schedule everything into our diary except relaxation time for ourselves. It is really important that we do take time out and make it a high priority. Scheduling it into your diary will help make it happen. If someone calls up and asks you to do something at that time, you can say that you have something on, it’s written in your diary!

Keeping stress levels low, will help, in the long run, keep your period pain at a minimum, so become aware of you, and enjoy some time out.

The Period Pain Guru & Naturopath Andrea Hepner has been helping women who experience period pain and related symptoms for many years. She is also a specialist in hormonal imbalance and fertility issues. To contact Andrea Hepner for treatment call 1300 91 21 81 or go to www.PeriodPain.com.au.