Mental Health and the Menstrual Cycle

Photo: Affinity Magazine/US

The human body is regulated and mastered by different hormones and organic micro-stimuli. They tend to set in motion different physical and mental health conditions that affects a human being’s social experience. Just like physical health conditions vary greatly, so do our mental conditions. They range from us being focused, anxious, impassive and restful based on the different situations brought about by our daily life exploits. 

The menstrual cycle is one physical hormone-ran human encounter. In this discussion of exploring and destigmatizing the menstrual cycle, it is important that the discourse is inclusive and accommodating. As a non-gendered body experience, menstruation bypasses lingua prejudice. People of all genders experience menstruation. This means that the access to physical and mental health support and information is a global social security issue.

The correlation between mental health and the menstrual cycle is struck by the subsistence of  estrogen and progesterone. These hormones that have authoritative roles in managing the menstrual cycle. With the potential to impact the cognitive function of a human being, it important to acknowledge and even track the intricate relationship between one’s mental condition during their menses. 

Tracking your period is helpful as one can understand the positive and negative mental conditions to anticipate and cope during your reproductive years. This is beneficial when you encounter unfamiliar mental states prior to, during your period - and even those unassociated with your menstrual cycle.

Inconsistent mental states associated with your menstrual cycle can affect your attention span. This has the general capacity to affect your productivity. With the average attention span of human beings reported to be 8.25 seconds, one’s work momentum, school efficiency and even familial responsibilities can be swingingly affected. This justifies the discussion and the pursuit of menstrual leaves, a category of occupational leaves, in workplaces globally. 

A medical research by Clue reported that existing mental health issues may be exacerbated in the premenstrual phase. When symptoms from existing conditions are premenstrually aggravated, the diagnostic term premenstrual magnification is used. A research paper Premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder states that premenstrually magnified mood symptoms of anxiety and depression and other mental health conditions may overlap with and/or be confused for menstrual mood symptoms.

If you are experiencing a considerable amount of stress and shift in focus while undertaking your daily responsibilities, it is important to seek the advise of a medical practitioner. Prolonged bouts of stress and distraction may impair your normal functioning and affect your productivity. Period pain, also known as dysmenorrhoea, has been shown to negatively impact one’s concentration and attention span. Irregular sleeping schedules, excessive work loads and lack of exercise during the menstrual cycle are other factors that can also induce high stress levels.

A social research paper titled Shift work, jet lag, and female reproduction analysed that the disturbance of the sleep-wake cycle by night shift work, chronic insomnia, or even travel across time zones has an impact on menstrual cycle characteristics. A research paper titled Circadian rhythms, sleep and the menstrual cycle stated that effects of irregular sleep patterns result in menstrual irregularities and longer menstrual cycles. 

It is necessary to find calm and quiet places to take a breather and relax during stressful times whilst on your menstrual cycle. Mindfulness exercises such as meditation and yoga may be helpful during such times. Regular, moderate exercise is also recommended as a treatment strategy for easing painful and negative symptoms of the menstrual cycle. If your productivity changes drastically without obvious cause, seek medical advise.

In the past, many women were incarcerated in asylums when they experienced and revealed different mental states. Menstruation was one of the reasons their mental health was arbitrated, leading to many women being diagnosed with hysteria. For many years, shallow comparisons of the menstrual cycle created an impression that deemed women’s health neurotic and even deranged. Research has filled this gap of ignorance in the society attesting that variations in your cycle are normal and healthy.