Ladies,

We’ve all been there. Crazy cramps, tampons and pads for days, but what about the other side of it? How do we tackle those hormones that COMPLETELY change who we are as a person for a week (or even the addition week before our period week), and not burn bridges and kill relationships with those closest to us? How to do we fight for our normalcy while our logic gets thrown out the window and our bodies are at their weakest?

There are millions of answers, supplements, medications you can take to help this. I currently take a supplement called Maca Root to help with my hormones, but it seems like it may not be enough. It’s only been a couple months since I started taking it and I haven’t wanted to take the full dose because of what it might do to my body, as I am sensitive to certain things like caffeine.

I can only give you my “personal experience” answer on how to control our personality changing hormones. Sometimes we forget to do this one thing when we are on our periods because we tend to beat ourselves up too much. Just two days ago I was planning on hiking all the way up to the Hollywood Sign. I made sure to eat enough food before we started and I had water with me. I had made sure I had a new pad and tampon, so there wouldn’t be an accident. I was ready. So ready. I’ve been wanting to hike this hike for 4 years since I got to do it the last time. I was stoked. And then a quarter of the way up, my body shut down. My body was telling me I didn’t eat enough; it told me that if I drank the water in my hand, I would instantly have to pee. I knew I was going to pass out if I kept going. I was infuriated with myself. But my body was telling me that if I were to push myself to hike all the way up and back, I would die. Hah… maybe not die, but I would definitely pass out.

I felt like not only did I let myself down, but I left down the person I was on a hike with. I had to wrestle with my inner self at this moment. *Do not cry, Laura. It’s just a hike. Your friend will understand.* But my hormones were telling me, *You suck as a person. You can’t even hike the entire hike, and it isn’t even hard. You are huffing and puffing, Laura, you’re out of shape, and your friend is let down that you couldn’t make it all the way to the top and back.*
And it was in this moment as we turned around and walked back down the mountain that I had to stop my head from speaking to me, whether it was logical or it was hormonal at that point, and give myself grace. It was grace that got me down the mountain. And usually, I would head down the mountain in anger. But with grace, I got to have a normal conversation. I was given the freedom to be happy again. All because I gave myself grace. It’s the constant battle for us girls to always remember to give ourselves grace.
Have you had a similar story happen to you? I would love to hear it. Ladies, give yourself and other ladies some grace. We deserve it.
– Breed style, Breedlove.