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Do you recognize the feeling of mood swings just before your period? Suddenly, you get incredibly irritated by things you normally wouldn't even notice. Meetings last too long, and a package that won't open makes you almost furious. You dread a party that you normally enjoy. And then, as soon as your period starts, you think: 'Ah, that's why everything went so smoothly and I felt so tense and out of sorts!'
Many women recognize this pattern in the days before their period. Ideally, you would just curl up on the couch, with a blanket over your legs and a cup of hot tea in your hands. But reality often demands something else: work, family, appointments. Fortunately, there are ways to better get through these restless or tense days. Viv Support helps you with practical advice and support based on nutrition and lifestyle.
Where do those irritable feelings come from?
In the second half of your menstrual cycle, after ovulation, the ratio of estrogen to progesterone changes. This hormonal shift also affects neurotransmitters such as serotonin and GABA, which are involved in mood, relaxation, and energy levels. Some women are more sensitive to this than others.
Fortunately, you can do a lot with lifestyle, nutrition, and paying attention to your body to keep your mood stable and increase your resilience.
Tips for your lifestyle
- Move mindfully: Regular exercise helps maintain a balanced mood. In the period before your period, choose activities that are gentle on your body, such as walking, yoga, Pilates, or leisurely cycling. During these days, you don't need to exhaust yourself; it's about staying active, not about performing.
- Make time for relaxation: Plan a moment of rest every day. This applies not only in the days before your period, but all month long. Plan it smartly, early in the morning, during your break, or just when your children are in bed. Think of breathing exercises, meditation, calming music, or a warm bath. These moments help calm your nervous system.
- Sleep sufficiently and regularly: Sleep is essential for recovery and can help regulate mood swings, fatigue, and irritability that you may experience before your period. What helps for a good night's sleep? First of all, a consistent schedule and a dark, cool room. Furthermore: turn off your screens well before going to sleep and avoid caffeine in the evening.
- Support your mental resilience : Consciously take mental 'breaks' throughout the day. Five minutes of fresh air or a short walk can already help release emotional charge. The same applies to doing absolutely nothing for a short time, simply just being.
Tips for your diet
- Eat foods rich in vitamin B6: Vitamin B6 contributes to mental resilience and supports your energy levels and hormone activity. You can find vitamin B6 in bananas, potatoes, chicken, and whole grains.
- Add magnesium-rich foods: Magnesium has a positive influence on the functioning of your nervous system, contributes to a clear mind, and helps with fatigue. You can find this mineral in dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, and dark chocolate.
- Limit sugars : Strong blood sugar fluctuations can worsen mood swings. Choose complex carbohydrates, such as oatmeal, quinoa, nuts, and sweet potatoes, to keep your blood sugar stable. Craving something sweet? Eat a date with some nut butter inside, for example, or a square of dark chocolate.
- Eat enough protein and healthy fats: Protein (such as from eggs, meat, poultry, nuts, fish, or tempeh) contributes to stable blood sugar levels. Healthy fats from avocado, olive oil, and fatty fish support the production of sex hormones.
- Drink herbal tea or hot beverages: Chamomile, lemon balm, or rooibos can have a calming effect. Drink plenty of water and avoid too much caffeine in the week before your period. Skip coffee in the evening.
Special herb in the spotlight: Chasteberry
Chasteberry* is a plant traditionally used to support the female body during the cycle. Why is Chasteberry so interesting?
- Supports discomforts preceding menstruation
- Helps with irritability and mood swings during the menstrual cycle
- Helps maintain a normal menstrual cycle
Evaluation of health claims is ongoing
Finally
If you regularly suffer from mood swings or irritability before your period, know this: you are not alone. With conscious attention to your lifestyle, diet, and natural support, you can do a lot to make these days go better. Listen to your body, schedule moments of rest where possible, and be kind to yourself.
Viv Support is happy to help you by sharing information with you. Would you like to supplement Monk's Pepper? Then click here .
