6 Tips To Make Your Period Easier To Deal With

Being a person with ovaries is no walk in the park. To be honest, when you're mid-menstruation, you can barely walk to your kitchen to get ice cream, let alone find a park to walk in. Cramps, bloating, fatigue…oh my! Periods can be quite nightmarish if you're prone to all those painful side effects, and sometimes downing a chocolate bar and watching Breakfast At Tiffany's over and over again doesn't quite cut it. Sure, they're fairly good distractions, but the gnawing pain that your organs might explode is hardly cancelled out by a good sugar high (or Holly Golightly's wardrobe). What you really need is to listen to your body, and give it exactly what it needs: a little relief!

Everyone who has a period experiences it in a different way. For you, it might be wild mood swings and hot wing cravings. For someone else, it might include terrible back pain and zero energy. Regardless of what your period pains are, you need to find out exactly what your body is lacking (whether that be a certain vitamin, or just some good old fashioned sleep) and make up for it! That way, you can feel your best, even when it feels like a civil war is breaking out in your stomach.

1. Have An Extra Cup Of Coffee

Caffeine is actually really great for giving you an energy boost and relieving cramps — that's why you find it in common medications aimed at easing the side effects of periods. When you're beyond exhausted from all those period pains, opt for a second cup of coffee and get the jolt you need, while simultaneously easing cramps. If you're a caffeine addict who usually tries to limit their intake, feel free to indulge in another cup, or shot of espresso. It's actually recommended you do!

2. Get Tampons Delivered Right To Your Door

There is nothing more painful than opening your cabinet and realizing it's time to make a tampon run, despite the fact that you can barely move. Good news is, there are plenty of delivery services you can use to make sure that kind of thing never happens. At MyLola.com, you select which kind of tampons (lights, regular, supers — or a mix!) you want delivered each month, and how many boxes your prefer. Plus, they're made from 100 percent cotton, unlike pretty much every other tampon company that is made from who knows what. BTW, your first order of two boxes is only $9 (talk about way cheaper than your usual drugstore brand).

3. Embrace The Heat

I am very serious when I say, heat helps. Whether you prefer a heating pad, hot water bottle, or a warm bath, simply warming up can make all the difference. It's scientifically proven. Heat basically works in the same way aspirin does; it temporarily helps block pain receptors. Tip: If you don't have time to lounge around with a hot water bottle all day, buy some of those stick-on heat pads at the drugstore and get some cramp relief on the go!

4. Up Your Iron Intake

Iron deficiency is already so common amongst women — and when you're on your period, you're losing even more of it. That means you might become way more lethargic than you already are, plus develop some serious cravings for a burger. Make sure you're getting plenty of iron-rich foods in your diet like lentils, tomatoes, spinach, and chickpeas while you're on your period, and keep those energy levels up.

5. Get A Little Exercise In

I know, I know, working out is probably the last thing you want to do when your body feels like it's literally eating itself. As if running spandex wasn't tight enough, a bloated midsection takes it to a whole different level. But don't get discouraged before you even start; working out will help balance out your mood swings because of all those endorphins coming your way! Your usual cardio or weight-lifting routine might be too intense, but try a little swimming or a gentle yoga class to help ease cramps and raise your mood.

6. Have An Orgasm...Or A Hundred

Whether it's with a partner or solo, an orgasm is a quick fix for temporary period relief. Seriously, can orgasms do any wrong? They combat back pain, stomach cramps, and pretty much any other physical discomforts you have. So basically, the more orgasms you have, the less annoying your period might be. START COUNTING!

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