Why do I feel grumpy around my period?

Behind the wheel of the car, somewhere on a main road, I suddenly have to cry hard. Is it the music? No. Is it that phone call from just now? Nope. I usually balance on the edge of the emotional abyss for about two days before my period.

When I walk around the house a bit grumbling, I already know. The other approximately 30 days of my cycle, I am of the cheerful kind, but then pressing the doorbell too long can sometimes make me furious. The nice thing is that I've been noticing it myself for the past two years; before that, only my inner circle noticed something. But where do those damn mood swings actually come from?

Everyone always immediately shouts that you have PMS, the premenstrual syndrome, which is simply a collective term for everything that could be linked to menstruation. From that bloated belly to those medium light murderous tendencies. The simplest explanation is that the hormones estrogen and progesterone are quite active just before your period, and the fluctuation of your hormone levels can cause significant mood swings. Normally, you feel quite on top of the world due to estrogen, for example, and when that drops, you feel the opposite. Annoying, but the simplest explanation.

The remarkable thing is that doctors and gynecologists often talk about substances that make you in a better mood and the level of aggression that a woman has. Men are generally often already fiercer or even more aggressive, while this only peaks a bit for a woman just before menstruation. And gynecologist Christiane Northrup even states that women around the fertile period of the month are nicer due to certain substances than they actually are, because this increases the chance of fertilization.

All nice and good, but is there anything that can be done about it? Because it might be a bit inconvenient for your surroundings, but for yourself, it's really the worst—can I say 'shitty' here? Experts say there are definitely things that can be done, but those are exactly the things you don't want to hear. Keep eating healthy, because sugars worsen the situation. Go to yoga or Pilates, because the production of endorphins helps improve your mood. Drink little alcohol and caffeine, because your body already has to work hard enough to break down everything and anything. Oh, and there is one thing I find attractive: take more rest. You really use more energy when you menstruate, so curling up on the couch with a hot water bottle and going to bed early might just be the best medicine.

Just cancel my appointment for tonight so I can go to bed at 10:00 PM.