It’s days before your period and your significant other is avoiding you because of your mood swings.
You have been smiling and happy one minute, nagging them about minor things that don’t typically bother you the next. Feeling out of body as you pick fights. Maybe you’re even going from crying to laughing in the matter of minutes. You feel like a crazy person.
And then when you start your period, everything goes back to normal and you feel more like yourself again.
My friend, it sounds like you have a case of the mood swings.
And though you may think mood swings are common – everyone has them, right? – they are not normal! And there are things you can do to reduce your mood swings before your period.
If mood swings aren’t normal, why do you get them before your period?
Your estrogen and progesterone levels impact your serotonin and dopamine levels, which regulate your mood.
After ovulation, your progesterone and estrogen levels decrease if you aren’t pregnant, to signal to your body to prepare to shed your uterine lining (aka, start your period).
With these decreases, if your estrogen or progesterone (or both) dip too low, it will cause an imbalance in your serotonin levels and dopamine levels, which leads to irritability and mood swings (aka, out of body arguments with your partner!).
These fluctuations can cause worsened sensitivity, irritability, and depressive feelings.
When you’re really going through it with your mood swings before your period, it can feel impossible to get out of. But there are things you can do throughout the month to help support your estrogen and progesterone to skip the mood swings as your period gets near.
How to minimize your mood swings near your period
Balance your blood sugar daily. This will help with hangry outburst and keep you even. Focus on getting a protein, healthy fat, and fiber at every big meal.
Take magnesium glycinate or enjoy magnesium-rich foods. There are several types of magnesium, but glycinate is known for helping anxiety. As for magnesium rich foods? My favorites are dark chocolate, avocado, bananas, pumpkin seeds, and edamame.
Try adaptogens like ashwagandha or maca to support your hormone levels. Specifically, both of these herbs help decrease cortisol levels. When your cortisol levels are higher, you may have an imbalance with your progesterone and estrogen, leading to mood swings.
Get sunlight or a vitamin D supplement (if you get a blood test and are deficient) to help boost your serotonin levels. Serotonin regulates our mood, sleep, appetite, and is known as our “happy chemical” in our body. When it feels supported, when you are making enough of it, your mood swings will decrease.
Journal or meditate. Often when you feel run down and depleted because you’ve been go go go for the entire month, it’s important to take a pause because your hormones are likely depleted too. Though journaling and meditation are great options, it’s important to find what works best for you. This can also be grounding, stretching, listening to music, getting in therapy.
Even if mood swings seem common, it doesn’t feel good to be annoyed or to start fights every month.
Mood swings are a symptom of a hormonal imbalance (likely more than one!) in your body, which can spiral into more period symptoms like bloating, acne, cravings, digestive issues, sleep issues, and more.
The cool thing though? You have so much control over optimizing your hormones to stop mood swings (and other symptoms) and make your period way less annoying!
➡️ And if you’re looking for more education and support on your period symptoms, how to manage and reverse them, and optimize your hormones to feel the best in your skin, check out SHECycle today! (Try it free for 7 days!)
