I recently listened to a friend lamenting about her painful PMS symptoms, and her irrational desire to “kill anyone who comes near me”. Now we all have a bit of a laugh, and pull out the chocolate and the hot water bottles, but there are some nasty side effects to deal with during menstruation.

So I thought I’d jot down some of my top tips, and hopefully they help! Feel free to add yours below!

1. Drink chamomile tea. It will help to keep you calm and can also help alleviate cramping associated with menstrual bleeding. It has also been found to be mildly sedating and therefore relax nerves. Nice one to have on standby!

2. In the pre-menstrual window, we are best suited to pulling the reins and going gently. This may mean a night or two on the couch or cancelling a meeting. We really do benefit from some down time. Do something nice for yourself – get a facial or a massage and really take advantage of some ‘you’ time.

3. Eat Vegemite. It is loaded with B vitamins which immediately balance out oestrogen and boost the feel good hormones, dopamine and serotonin. Just one teaspoon of Vegemite supplies 35 per cent of the recommended daily intake for B vitamins thiamine, 45 per cent of riboflavin and 25 per cent of niacin. No wonder it has survived the test of time!

4. Gentle exercise is perfect to gently stretch out the body, improve circulation and ease tension. Get bendy – grab your yoga mat and stretch.
5. When your body is about to menstruate, it actually is a big deal for your insides. To rest more is key. You often feel extra tired for the first few days of your period – listen to the wisdom of your body, it is telling you this for a reason. Being in bed by 11pm is essential – from a chinese medicine perspective, this is when your body renews blood.

6. Burn or bathe with lavender oil. It is an instant mood lifter as well as tension easer. Plus it smells good!

7. Get a little sunshine in – without doubt a mood lifter. One sure way to put a smile on your dial is get your 5 minutes of sunshine in.

8. Stock up on Maca powder – it’s the perfect hormone balancing food, excellent for headaches and PMS. We love loving earth brand.

Once you get past PMS and the onset of the period, many are so relieved it’s over, they are jumping through hoops – literally! Remember, it’s best to just chill out for a few days whilst your body does what it needs to do. And whilst PMS, period pain and woes are considered normal – they don’t have to be there. Chinese Medicine is fabulous at ironing out the creases and treating these frustrating symptoms. You know where we are if you need us – The Pagoda Tree!