PMS – Friend or Foe?

I’m sure most of you are rolling your eyes at the thought of PMS being your friend. It’s definitely a crazy time of month where you feel bloated, irritable and exhausted. The statistics say that at least 85% of women experience PMS on a regular basis.

Since that’s obviously so many of us, maybe it’s time to try to see PMS in a whole new light – a positive light. Don’t laugh or roll your eyes! It is possible to see PMS differently if you just put on your rose-colored glasses and start thinking a little differently.

Most women will admit that they’re never more emotional than at those times when PMS is rearing its seemingly ugly head. The slightest upset and they’re in tears, screaming, yelling, tearing their hair out – or at least wanting to.

But all of those emotions that have us bursting at the seams have some positive benefits too. After all, I think a lot of us try to keep some of our emotions under the surface. It’s not appropriate in every situation to tell everyone how you really feel, right? Then again, being a little more honest with yourself and others can have its advantages.

When you’re PMSing, you’re more apt to turn down an invitation for something you really don’t want to do, like a dinner with that annoying old friend from college that you feel you just don’t have anything in common with anymore. Normally you might feel bad saying no to things, but when you’re being overtaken by your emotions with PMS you realize that you don’t have to say yes to everything, nor do you have to apologize.

You’re also more likely to let your emotions rule your behavior. You get a little selfish because you’re irritable, a little sore, and just plain tired of living your life for everyone but you. But maybe this type of selfishness isn’t so bad.

For example, your guy wants you to go to a sports game with him, but you hate sports and the last thing you want to do is sit and watch a game you don’t understand while he and his buddies grunt, hoot and holler. Normally you’d grin and bear it because you want to spend as much time with your honey as possible, but not when you let your PMS take over.

You want to sit in a hot bath with a good book and just take it easy. So you say no. Immediately you feel better because you’re doing something that you really want to do – and not putting up a façade to keep someone else happy. Your greatest concern in this scenario is pleasing yourself. And maybe that’s something we all need to consider doing more of on a regular basis, not just when PMS is visiting.

My point here is this: Yes, PMS can be an annoying, terrible time of the month, but it can also be a positive, cleansing experience. You feel more comfortable stating how you really feel and doing what you really want because you simply don’t care for once about analyzing every action before you take it. Letting out who you really are and how you really feel is what being a woman is all about, so don’t let anything stifle that. And if you need a little push in the right direction, let PMS be your guide…