How Does Stress Affect Your PMS

There’s nothing worse than the perfect storm of stress and anxiety. You know the feeling- a horrible mix that leaves a pit in your stomach and on the verge of a meltdown any second. 

These feelings suck, but they also can greatly impact your premenstrual cycle. It’s important to listen to your body if your symptoms are harsher than usual.

PMS symptoms can worsen PMS fatigue, weight gain, rapid mood swings, and more. If you ignore these imbalances in your hormones, you may be at risk for more health concerns and an opportunity for PMS relief. 

Did you know each woman has a unique, personalized estrogen and progesterone ratio? This means that every woman has a different menstrual cycle. 

woman stressed out by PMS

Stress and PMS

Putting stress on a woman’s reproductive system can result in irregular or missed periods. Or it can even stop altogether, a condition known as secondary amenorrhea. 

Research continues to show a strong correlation between stress and periods. It can also affect the hypothalamus (an area of the brain that controls the pituitary gland, which contains the thyroid and adrenal glands, and the ovaries, all working together to balance hormones). 

Here’s how stress affects your cycle: Hormones are released by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, causing a response in the ovaries. The balance between your released hormones (estrogen and progesterone) is delicate and can ultimately determine the flow of your menstrual cycle. Stress can significantly affect these hormone patterns. 

Excessive stress can stop periods altogether by putting the estrogen production out of whack in your ovulation cycle. Estrogen is in charge of building the uterine lining that prepares the body for pregnancy. If stress is affecting the ovaries, missed, or irregular periods could be a side effect. 

To conclude, yes, stress can affect your hormones’ balance, but reducing your stress and finding easy coping methods is possible! 

PMS Relief & Remedies 

It’s essential to listen to your body. Everyone’s stressors and the path to relief are different- because everyone’s PMS is genetically different! With more than 50 percent of women reporting that they are missing parts of their days due to PMS symptoms, there is proven relief around the corner. 

Most importantly, if stress and anxiety are apart of your PMS pattern, try to calm yourself first with breathing exercises or mindfulness stress-reduction tips like the following: 

Exercise

Exercise can be anywhere from a brisk walk to yoga, stretching, to weight lifting. Regardless of what you choose, exercise is essential to relieving stress. Exercise lowers your body’s stress hormones, such as cortisol. It also helps release endorphins, which are chemicals that improve your mood and act as natural painkillers.

Try a quick desk exercise, for example, tricep dips on the edge of your chair. Or maintaining a breathing routine that you can go to in stressful situations (we like the 4-7-8 method). 

Sleep

Have you ever woken up and thought you slept straight through the night, but still feel like you could sleep the rest of the day? That’s because sleep quality is just as important as how long you sleep. Make sure you are getting enough sleep and sound sleep. A balanced sleep schedule helps to regulate the body and its functions. 

We recommend these Sleepy CBD Gummies. They’re made with melatonin to support your sleep and wake cycles, as well as CBD and other cannabinoids from full spectrum hemp extract. Sleepy CBD Gummies also support deeper, more restful sleep with nutrients like L-Theanine, GABA and 5-HTP, so you wake up feeling refreshed.  

Healthy Balance of Nutrients

Ensure you’re nurturing your body and providing it with the diet it needs to thrive. This means incorporating all the essential vitamins and minerals throughout your diet. Research shows that calcium and vitamin D may reduce the risk of PMS. A diet high in thiamine (vitamin B1) and riboflavin (vitamin B2), omega-3 fatty acids might also reduce the risk of experiencing PMS. 

In addition, load up on the dark leafy greens, beans, and nuts for calcium and vitamin D. Thiamine and riboflavin-rich foods include eggs, oranges, beef, and some kinds of pasta. Don’t forget about the omega-3 fatty acids! While you can take this as a supplement, some of the best foods to eat are plant oils, seafood, nuts, or seeds. That’s why use Evening Primrose is our products that are rich is healthy fatty acids to reduce PMS symptoms. 

Magnesium 

You may want to check your magnesium levels- a magnesium deficiency can cause symptoms like anxiety, depression, irritability, and muscle fatigue. It’s suggested magnesium supplements can help relieve PMS-related symptoms, like bloating, headaches, and irritability. Pairing a magnesium supplement with B6 may be even more beneficial than taking magnesium alone!

CBD

One of the best ways for your body to relax is by incorporating CBD into your day. CBD can calm a racing mind and relax muscles. It harnesses the power of CBD from full-spectrum hemp extract to physically reduce stress on the body. We have a broad range of stress-reducing CBD products to choose from here

winged cbd relief gummies

Tracking Your PMS Symptoms 

It may be beneficial for you to keep track of your symptoms in a journal to determine common occurrences in your premenstrual experience. If you find that your symptoms are more moderate to severe, try speaking with your doctor. 

Winged CBD

Many women are trying to find PMS relief. Winged creates unique CBD products for all women who are searching for a natural solution. We aim to empower women to feel their best and not let anything get in the way of being unstoppable. 

At Winged, we never compromise – we use a chemical-free CO2 extraction process that gently preserves the hemp plant's active nutrients without harsh residual solvents like ethanol. Our products are specifically formulated for a woman’s body with only the best ingredients. We are here for women to offer real, natural solutions for stress relief. Learn more about our winged women and CBD products here

Sources 

https://www.womenshealthnetwork.com/pms-and-menstruation/pms-symptoms/

https://helloclue.com/articles/cycle-a-z/9-tips-for-pms-relief

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/insomnia/stress-and-insomnia

https://www.livescience.com/51721-vitamin-b1-thiamine.html#:~:text=Food%20sources%20of%20thiamine%20include,%2C%20breads%2C%20cereals%20and%20flour.

https://www.everydayhealth.com/pms/managing-stress-during-pms.aspx#:~:text=Because%20stress%20can%20affect%20the,duration%20of%20your%20menstrual%20period.