Juji's Blog

Okay, so the subject may be a little uncomfortable for some - but it shouldn't be - maybe that's half the problem. Guys, you need to better understand the challenges PMS means for women, and gals, you need to understand why the hell we suffer it in the first place. I'm wondering about why the most natural cycle on earth, the one that happens to align with the moon, (hence the name, Moontime) and the one that allows us to keep re-populating the planet, is filled with stress, aggro and lots of issues for women. While I don't have any clear answers yet, it's bugging me so I thought I'd open it up for your ideas. I'll get the ball rolling:

-I reckon it's our attitude, mercilessly conditioned into our brains, about periods that created all the fuss in the first place, and then gazillions of books have written on the topic trying to undo the whole mess.
-How many of us had it drummed into our heads from a young age that it's The Curse? Dunno 'bout you, but curse to me means witches, voodoo dolls and green-vomit-spewing heads spinning 360 degrees. Ain't that something to look forward to every month.
-Some cultures (don't know where, but tribal ones somewhere) have all these rituals that go on around the time that actually honour the whole process as the life giving process it is. The women are treated in special ways and I'm imagining all the wise grandmas sitting round together under the moon and passing on years of wisdoms, chanting and celebrating.
-We've been conditioned to march on regardless, ever stoic, and get on with our gruelling daily lives. While I'm all for not collapsing into a non-functioning heap, I do think most women don't really stop to acknowledge this time and give themselves whatever it is they're needing at the time - whether it's more downtime, or whatever.
-Our society doesn't have time to fully respect the feminine. We're all to busy trying to survive in a society largely controlled by men.
- PMS has been the butt of TOO many jokes. Instead of trying to understand and help a woman through, too many men write it off as hysterical behaviour. We wouldn't be acting so hysterical if we were getting what we needed.
- I was debating whether to turn this into a funny blog, but fuck the funnies about this subject. I'm sick to death of it. I tell my chiro about stress during PMT and he, note the 'he', says, "I'm not buying it", cos he believes in mind over matter. All well and good and so do I, but unless you're a chick, you have no bloody right to comment.
- So you guys can open your minds and so us gals know lots of us struggle with this, I'll give you a little personal insight into my PMS - not 'cos I'm into telling the whole planet personal stuff about me, but 'cos it's about time we talked about it and understood it more.

- I normally pump hours of energy into my work every day and I love it. During PMS, I run for hours and feel like I get nowhere. Mind processes are slower and mind-fucking thoughts keep running round the brain trying to sabotage everything I do.
- Normally-high confidence levels plummet.
- Frustration at not being able to achieve all that I usually do makes me want to punch someone.
- The bodily tension makes me feel having a weeklong body massage while lying in bed, but I can't tell that to the people who pay me, so I pump out less-than-stunning work, which gives me the utter shits.
- I quit doing all the stuff that keeps me sane and healthy (daily walking, uplifting reading, drinking lots of water, etc) 'cos I'm too damn stressed to do it. I crave and eat crap like calorie laden Cornettos (one a night) and Curry Laksa (Yum, but the coconut milk's a heart stopper).
- I normally love life and all of its adventures, but I hate the whole PMS process and the whole world during that week.
- One quarter of my life is spent in this state.

Guys, what are your experiences/views on the subject?
Gals, where are you at on this and any tips on managing it better?

Signing off to go find myself a tribe of wise elders and sit under the moon...Juji x