Mental Health and Menstrual Health - Your Psyche and Cycle Are Connected
I’m gonna say something you may not have heard before…
Your mental health and your menstrual health are closely connected.
Read on to learn how and what you can do to take care of yourself with this connection in mind. Mental health resources are also listed at the end of this post.
What is “Mental Health”?
I have my own definition of “mental health” to gauge how I’m feeling and what I need. I see mental health as an internal spectrum. Our current state can be seen as a dot on this spectrum between significant mental illness and superb mental wellness. Of course, there is nuance to everything (including cultural factors that may affect how you view mental health), but to help break down my definition and identify key aspects of your mental health, you can ask yourself the following questions:
How present do I feel right now?
Do I feel at ease?
How connected do I feel to what I’m experiencing right now?
When we answer these questions honestly, we can see what areas of our mental health may need further support with practices like mindfulness, relaxation techniques, and self-compassion.
What is “Menstrual Health”?
Similar to my definition above for mental health, I see menstrual health as being a nuanced spectrum between significant dis-ease and superb menstrual wellness.
Menstrual health involves the health of reproductive functions, female biological development, hygiene practices, hormonal balance/imbalance, feeling connected to one’s body, and feeling connected to one’s safety, expression, confidence, receptivity, and fertility.
Put simply, while menstrual health has a lot of physical and biological components to it, there are a lot of internal and emotional aspects to menstrual health too. More than that, the physical and emotional aspects of menstrual health often influence and impact one another.
How Mental Health and Menstrual Health are Connected
When we don't feel safe, or when we feel consistent stress or anxiety, our bodies might not feel safe to:
ovulate (with the biological hopes of conceiving a baby) or
menstruate (and release what no longer serves us).
It can be hard for our bodies to receive rest and let go when we feel depleted or constantly "on-edge." If our bodies sense that it is not safe or in good health to ovulate or menstruate, then we may miss a period… or two. We may experience harsher PMS symptoms. We may experience feeling disconnected from our bodies and the wisdom it gives us.
Our cycles and menstrual health are connected to revitalizing ourselves and bringing life into this world in a healthy way.
Chronic stress of any kind (mental health-related stress included) can have a significant impact on our hormones and our cycles as a result. So what does this mean?
Healthy cycles flow in sync with a healthy psyche. Take care of your mental and emotional health by releasing stress and maintaining inner peace.
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) / Premenstrual Exacerbation (PME)
It’s important for me to acknowledge and recognize anyone who may be experiencing PMDD/PME. These conditions can be incredibly challenging to navigate due to stigma, minimizing comments from doctors or others, relationship challenges, and for some who experience it, a lack of education or support.
If you are experiencing PMDD/PME, I want you to know that I see you, I support you along your journey, and that every step you take when it comes to supporting your mental and menstrual health should be celebrated.
My Experience with the Mental and Menstrual Health Connection
Personally, I’ve found that when my mental health has suffered, my menstrual health has suffered right alongside it. Whenever I’ve felt significantly stressed for a long span of time, for example, my period was always late. My cycles got longer. Cramps were more painful. I felt a lack of connection to my body, safety, expression, and confidence. Wherever my mind went, my body followed and communicated to me that something was off and affecting my wellbeing.
In my experience and for many women, we tend to lead with our minds. Whenever our minds are going through unhelpful spirals, overwhelm, or circumstances that don’t feel safe, we try to mentally manage things and feel disconnected from our bodies. Some of us, given our circumstances, feel the need to minimize or put a lid on our true feelings. We bottle them up. We refuse to admit or release the pressure we feel, the pain we’re going through, or the issues that bother us most.
So what happens with all that suppressed energy? It shows up in our bodies.
I’ve had clients who are 24/7 caretakers, have demanding jobs, or have a lot of internal conflicts that weigh on them. They also have experienced irregular cycles, absent periods for months, hormonal imbalances, and difficulties feeling connected to their bodies.
With two clients, I found that their symptoms and the quality of their lives improved just weeks after they started taking care of their mental and emotional health. Oh, and one of them went from having no periods for months to consistent, regular periods!
When we are doing well mentally, we take better care of ourselves, and our bodies feel safe enough to operate with ease. We can more fully enjoy what nourishes us. When we are not doing well mentally, it can be hard for us to take the best care of ourselves, and our bodies may not feel safe to operate with ease. It can be hard to fully enjoy what feels nourishing to us.
Here are some ideas for taking care of your mental health and well-being:
1) Identify - Carve out time for honesty and transparency about what may be affecting your mental health (e.g., relationship issues, job stressors, etc.)
2) Acknowledge - Acknowledge what feelings have been coming up for you (e.g., anxiousness, apathy, sadness, etc.). Acknowledge the mental challenges you've been facing (e.g., issues concentrating, restlessness, feeling scattered, etc.) Acknowledge any physical sensations you’ve experienced recently (e.g., trouble sleeping, constant fatigue, migraines, intense cramping, etc.)
3) Release and Express - Experiment with different healthy practices to release tension and express how you feel. For example, you may want to try journaling, creatively expressing how you feel through the arts, moderate exercise, bodywork and massage, breathwork, etc.
4) Connect - Connect with the people that love you and let them know how you’re feeling. Along the same lines, connect with people that can help you (e.g., therapist or counselor, mentor, friends, etc.)
5) Restore - Restore peace to your nervous system by doing what relaxes you and taking time out for practices like deep breathing, meditating, praying, etc. Don’t forget that restorative practices can also involve doing what brings you joy!
6) Embrace Your Journey - Develop more compassion for yourself and where you are on your journey. Engage in self-love and care practices, and practice speaking to yourself with kindness. You may experience resistance and fall back on some habits that don’t serve you from time to time. That’s okay. All parts of your journey, the hills and valleys, are valuable.
Here are some mental health resources to help you along your journey:
National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI)
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
International Association for Premenstrual Disorders (IAPMD)
Affordable or free options for therapy:
10 Free Or Affordable Resources For Black Mental Health
May your journey be filled with compassion, healing, love, and patience.
-Valencia
*Note: The intention of this blog post is not to diagnose, treat, or provide any medical guidance in the realms of mental health or menstrual health. The information provided in this post is not a substitute for professional counseling or medical attention. Please consult with a medical professional if you have any concerns or extensive questions regarding your health.