Navigating the emotional rollercoaster of period mood swings can be challenging, but recognizing the signs can make it easier to manage. Here are five telltale signs you might be experiencing those hormonal mood swings:

1. Crying Over Commercials: If you find yourself tearing up over a cute puppy in a TV ad or getting misty-eyed at the sight of a happy family, it’s a classic sign. Hormones can turn even the most stoic among us into a sentimental sap.
2. Instant Irritability: One minute, you’re fine; the next, you’re snapping at your roommate for breathing too loudly. Sudden irritability and annoyance at minor things often signal that your period is around the corner.
3. Chocolate Cravings: That overwhelming desire for chocolate, or any comfort food really, can be a mood swing in disguise. Your body’s craving for a serotonin boost can translate into a sudden, intense need for sweets.
4. Emotional Whiplash: Swinging from euphoric joy to deep frustration within a matter of hours? Mood swings can have you feeling like you’re on an emotional seesaw, with feelings changing rapidly and unpredictably.
5. Heightened Sensitivity: If you’re feeling more sensitive than usual, taking things personally, or getting more affected by others’ comments, it’s likely those hormonal changes are at play, making you more emotionally vulnerable.

While period mood swings can be challenging, remember that they’re a normal part of the menstrual cycle. Keep a stash of your favorite snacks handy, practice self-care, and know that this too shall pass!

By Edima Columbus