Have you been 'off' in the last year? You're not alone!
Are you tracking? Have you noticed a change in your menstrual cycle since the beginning of the confinement? Lasting longer? Shorter? Heavier& Lighter? Missing some altogether? Here are some explanations of the Covid-19 effects on your periods.
Your Menstruations adapt to your lifestyle
Pretty basic stuff. The menstrual cycle of women who do not take contraceptives is affected by whatever is going on in their life. When your body experiences emotions or stress, it may decide that now is not the time to make a baby, and just pause the ovulation process. Think about it: the pandemic has brought on major social, economic and emotional impacts such as work conditions altered, illnesses, isolation, anxiety, intense stress, insecurity, uncertainties about the future, just to name a few. Fertility rates dropped to an all-time low during Great Depression. It would only make sense that your cycle is currently out-of-whack, especially if you are suffering from backlashes due to this year’s events.
So, what happens exactly?
Anatomically, several hormones work to trigger your menstrual cycle each month. During this cycle, you produce estrogen and progesterone, which triggers ovulation. However, because they are connected to the hypothalamus (a small region of the brain, this process can be hindered if the body is under too much stress. In fact, the hypothalamus acts as an interpretation center for data which processes information between the body and its environment. Basically, the brain tells the ovaries (and the reproductive system) that it’s a NO-GO for Baby-Making!
Signs that your Body is experiencing a Stress overload:
- Insomnia
- Isolation
- Overeating
- Irritability
- Mood Swings
While some women will completely stop menstruating, most will notice various changes in their cycle: ·
- More painful periods·
- Lighter flow·
- Heavier flow·
- irregular spotting
Your body is hitting the PAUSE button!
Whenever your period pauses due to intense stress, your body stops producing progesterone. So, you may experience other symptoms like mild mood swings, irritability, and pelvic pain. When does it go back to normal? Your body will resume its functions when it judges that the stress has subsided. Don’t expect this to happen overnight. Stress will not magically go away on the first day of deconfinement! It is therefore important to find ways to relieve stress in order to be able to relax the body & mind, despite these difficult conditions. Make sure to TRACK (if you haven’t done so), and speak to your OB-GYN about the changes in your cycle.
How should I rid my body (and mind) from stress?
We know that deconfinement will not magically reset everything that has happened, as we won’t go back to how we used to be, but here are a few suggestions that are sure to help you blow off some steam & help your body rid itself from all that toxic stress:
- Intense exercise
- Gardening
- Watching a very funny comedy (Your body just LOVES it when you LAUGH!)
- Big house cleanup (this includes an E-clean of your files), you will feel so calm afterwards!
- Get a massage
- Spend time in the outdoors, the air smells great!
- Connect with people who bring you JOY
- Disconnect from the electronic devices
- Get organized, get a planner, set tasks, dates and don’t procrastinate!
- Say NO! Hard to do, but you have to be kind to yourself, you are worth it!
Did you find value in this blog? Will you try any of these tips? Have a topic that you would like us to cover? Write it in the comment below!
