A woman's menstrual cycle is mostly regulated by her hormones and other involuntary internal processes. Stress, however, can take a toll on a woman's monthly cycle. To maintain a regular cycle, it can help to understand how your emotions impact your period and to discover positive ways to cope with stress. Decreasing the amount of physical stress you put on your body can help you have regular, less painful periods.
Identification
The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development reports that emotional or mental stress can cause you to have late periods. This is due to the fact that emotional stress can negatively affect your hypothalamus, which is the part of your brain that regulates hormones for both menstruation and ovulation. If the hypothalamus becomes altered or impaired, a woman's hormones do not regulate ovulation as they should, which results in skipped or delayed ovulation and menstruation.
Features
Physical stress can interrupt a woman's normal menstrual cycle by causing her period to start later than usual. The Mayo Clinic reports that extremely vigorous physical activity can delay your period from starting or cause you to skip one or two periods at a time. This usually affects people who exercise a great deal on a regular basis. Professional women athletes and dancers, for example, are more likely to skip periods or start menstruating later than women and girls who exercise moderately to stay healthy. A lower than average amount of body fat can also contribute to late or skipped menstruation.
Effects
Stress can also cause women to experience unpleasant side effects, such as bloating, irritability, lower back pain and menstrual cramps. You might also experience breast tenderness and general soreness when having a period in times of great stress.
Treatment
The best way to treat irregular and painful periods caused by stress is to eliminate or at least minimize the factors that contributed to your mental stress in the first place (such as an unhealthy relationship, demanding work conditions or juggling too many responsibilities), according to the Mayo Clinic. If you are underweight due to exercising too much, decreasing the amount you exercise and gaining weight can be helpful. If physical stress is the culprit, you might need to create a less-intense workout routine. Your doctor might be able to prescribe you some birth control pills or other types of medicinal treatments to help make your menstrual cycles regular again.
Prevention/Solution
The Mayo Clinic recommends eating a nutritious diet and getting enough sleep to help your body stay balanced during times of stress, which can also help prevent irregular and painful periods. Adopting a gentle daily yoga practice, emphasizing slow movement and meditation, can also help regulate your monthly cycle by helping to eliminate your physical and mental stress before, during and after your periods.
