You would think by 20 years old I would have figured out how to successfully deal with my hormones going crazy and my emotions running wild at a certain time of the month. The truth of it is, I seriously have not at all. I have never thought to myself, "hey what are some things I can help calm myself down", instead I just stay miserable and accept the fact that I am going to be in a bad mood during this time. Now that I'm thinking about it, I have realized that I say and do things during this time that can sometimes have huge impacts, and i'm not thinking the most clearly. So here are five ways that help me with my PMS.

Putting time into you

Goalcast

Whether it is watching some of my favorite TV shows, watching new movies, or just watching TikToks on my phone, these are all ways that I like to chill out without having to be around other people. It is okay and maybe even for the best to not want to be around people all the time. Especially when I PMS I know i'm not going to be the best company, and that if i'm already in a bad mood, I might accidentally take it out on whoever I am with.

Keeping busy

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We all don't have time to just sit and do nothing, especially with the semester starting. If you keep busy and distracted with school work or anything else you have on your plate, it could definitely help you not get annoyed or upset over the little things. I know for me if I have too much free time and somebody says something that I take the wrong way, it will bother me way more than it would if I was busy doing other things.

Work out

Kale and Krunches

When you work out, you are putting all your energy and focus into yourself. Working out helps me deal with stress a lot of the time, and can also help with pent up emotions. I always feel so lazy to do it while I am PMSing, but once I do, I know my head is a lot more clear, and my emotions calm down a lot more. It is a really good distraction.

Let your emotions out, just not take them out on other people.

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It is okay to cry over sappy romcoms! It's also okay to cry or be angry, but not be able to totally identify the reasoning for it. It's healthy to feel those emotions and not hold them in. But it is unhealthy to take them out on others. Maybe put your phone down, or just go home if you are starting to act pissy with friends. If you notice yourself taking out these emotions, it's best to just take a step back, let them out by yourself, and then go back to talking to people. I know I struggle with this the most and take things so personally during this time. We all do. But being able to take a step back and calm down is the most important part. I know for me text messages almost always get misconstrued by me during this time, so I like to just not answer right away when I get annoyed, take a step back, then answer once I feel more calm.

Eat your favorite comfort foods.

Berry on Dairy

We all have our go-to snacks that always make us feel better. For some it is ice cream, for others it's chips. Whatever it is, don't be hard on yourself for eating a lot. The levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone go up and down during the different phases of your period, which affects your hunger levels. This means you are definitely going to have these cravings, and that it is totally normal to eat a lot more during this time.

Just remind yourself to not be hard on yourself at this time. I know it's hard and not in your control, but do things that make YOU feel better. Take this time to enjoy time with yourself, and try not to stress the stuff that is out of your control.