Cultivating a Positive Attitude Toward Your Period

We all know dealing with periods can be a pain every month. But what if we looked at them differently? What if we saw them as a reminder of how awesome our bodies are? I’m talking about embracing our menstrual cycles and finding the good in each period. 

Let’s talk about how having a positive attitude can totally change how we feel about our periods.

Recognizing the Incredible Capabilities of Your Body

First, can we just take a moment to recognize how cool our bodies are?  They’re like these incredible, intricate machines that go through this monthly cycle with precision and grace. It’s like our own little superpower, if you ask me! As women, our bodies show:

• An astonishingly complex reproductive system: Let’s be honest, the female reproductive system is amazing. Our whole bodies were made in a way that is meant to house and nurture life. From conception, to pregnancy, to breastfeeding, we have capabilities that men don’t. We house specific hormones and organs that have a sole purpose of contributing to the continuation of life. 
• Hormonal Regulation: Throughout our cycle, our hormones drastically change. A man has a hormone cycle that lasts 24 hours, but our hormone cycle averages 28 days, leaving a lot of room for so many other things to happen! Oue hormones aid in our digestion, fertility, energy and mood. They even play a vital role in the health of our organs, heart, brain and bones. In order for us to stay healthy, we have to undergo these hormone changes throughout the month. 
• Resilience: Some scientists believe that, because the female body is designed in such a way to care for offspring, women have adapted more to changing environments. We have better immune systems, live longer, have a higher pain tolerance, are more likely to survive traumatic bodily injuries, and can even cope better on less sleep. 

Menstruating is one of the main components in making sure everything stays balanced and in check. More than just shedding the uterine lining, it’s essentially a monthly health report that our bodies provide us that shows a lot about the overall health of our bodies. If something is wrong with our periods, it could tell you important information about our hormones, thyroid, weight, bones or heart. If we didn’t get our period, our bodies wouldn’t be able to start our cycles over. Periods help:  

• Remove toxins and bacteria from the body
• Restart fertility cycle
• Shed uterine lining so cancer does not develop
• Usher in beneficial hormones

So while we don’t always feel the urge to celebrate when our period starts, it is a need and a method your body uses to continue improving your health month after month.

With that said, if you believe your period may be irregular or have other concerns about your monthly cycle, reach out to your primary care provider to see if there may be an underlying issue.

Understanding What Menstruation Is

Thinking positively about your period really starts with an understanding of what is and what’s happening inside of your body. Perhaps you already have a pretty good understanding of this, but if not, our blog post on Natural Family Planning can help demystify your period with some good info on your menstrual cycle: Natural Family Planning.

Throughout history, talking about periods has been a bit taboo, making a lot of us feel awkward or grossed out about something that is completely natural. But it’s high time we switch up this story! Let’s start seeing menstruation for what it really is: just a regular and super important and amazing part of being a woman.

How To Make Talking About Our Periods “Normal”

We get it: even though it’s a shared experience between all women, periods can still be awkward to talk about. It’s scary to share an embarrassing period story without knowing how the other person will respond.  

Let’s encourage honest conversations about our periods. When we’re open about it, it creates a space where everyone feels comfortable sharing and asking for help without feeling judged.

Here are 5 tips to make period chats with your friends a little less daunting:

1. Start the convo: Don’t be shy to be the first to bring it up. It might feel weird at first, but it sets the stage for others to join in.
2. Share your stories: Open up about your own period tales. Whether they’re funny, frustrating, or just interesting, sharing stories breaks the ice.
3. Support each other: Let your friends know you’ve got their backs, no matter what period stuff they’re dealing with. Honest talks strengthen bonds and make periods less of a hassle.
4. Be empathetic: Everyone goes through periods differently, so be understanding. Showing empathy creates a supportive vibe for awesome conversations.
5. Get informed: Learn about menstrual health, like symptoms, cycles, and products. The more you know, the more comfy you’ll be chatting about periods.

Understanding your period and the benefits of it doesn’t take the cramps away, but it does give you a good excuse to curl up in bed with some ice cream and watch a movie. So if nothing else, you have permission to draw a hot bath and do a facemask.

So here’s to us, ladies, embracing our womanhood, celebrating our bodies, and owning our periods like the amazing women we are. Let’s ditch the stigma and make menstruation not just a monthly inconvenience, but a monthly celebration of everything that makes us uniquely fabulous. ✨

Have More Questions?

Care Net Milwaukee seeks to empower and educate women on their own health. If you’re interested in an opportunity to get together with other women and learn about helpful topics about women’s health and/or pregnancy-related info, check out our list of ongoing classes.

References:
https://naturalwomanhood.org/