The Best Hacks to Help with Your Period

We’re not going to sugarcoat it. Period pains are not fun. The cramps, the bloating and the low moods can really make us miserable- and when you calculate that in our lifetime, we’re going to spend around 2,280 days on our period, we may as well try to make it as easy as possible!

Here are WUKA’s best hacks to help with your period. 

What are period pains?

Some of us start to feel period pains before our period actually appears, others experience them during the cycle, and others afterwards. This is all normal and very common. 

Period pains are those cramps you feel in the abdomen, lower back and/ or top of the legs. They happen due to the natural tightening of the womb’s muscular wall. This tightening prompts the lining of the womb to shed as the muscles contract the blood vessels, cutting off their oxygen supply. This leads to the release of prostaglandins, which is why we feel pain. 

Period pains often feel like a dull ache, and can be accompanied by bloating, nausea, headaches, dizziness and diarrhoea. They usually last for a couple of days, but this can vary from person to person- all of this is totally normal! 

If you do think that your period pains are particularly severe, speak to your doctor for advice.

Best hacks for period pains

Don’t suffer in silence! Try these hacks for period pains:

• Heat. Try using a heat pad or hot water bottle on your tummy, or take a warm bath (yes, you’re allowed!)
• Rest. While you can do it all on your period, you don’t have to. A duvet day is perfectly acceptable now and then.
• Massage. Like heat, massage will encourage blood flow to increase, which can help to alleviate period pains.
• Orgasm. The body releases endorphins during orgasm, which can help soothe pain, reduce stress and even soothe headaches.
• Exercise. Hitting the gym might be the last thing you feel like doing, but exercise is another activity that stimulates endorphins, so it’s worth a try!
• Paracetamol. It’s absolutely fine to take pain relief during your period and paracetamol can work fast to relieve period pains. 

Period pains and low mood

Let’s get this straight. Your period does NOT mean you need to curl up into a ball and shut the world out completely- unless you want to, of course. Sometimes period pains just make us miserable, irritable and emotional. Experts believe thats down to the drop in oestrogen and progesterone, which reduce the production of serotonin. In other words, its completely normal to experience low mood during your period. If this is you, try these hacks:

• Sleep. Everything feels better after a good night’s sleep, and your body needs the rest during your period, so an early night or two might be a good idea.
• CBD oil. Derived from the marijuana plant, CBD oil is a cannabinoid that can help you to feel more relaxed and reduce stress.
• Track your cycle. Not a fan of surprises? Or maybe you just like to understand more about your body and what happens during your period. Using an app can help with this- read our post on tracking apps here. 
• Wear comfortable clothes. There’s nothing worse than feeling bloated during your period! Dress for comfort- and that goes for underwear too. 
• Eat well and stay hydrated. Staying on track with a healthy, balanced diet and drinking plenty of water can not only help to relieve period pains, but it will help to balance your mood too.