Did you know that PCOS can worsen depression and anxiety symptoms?
Have you been silently struggling and wondering how to cure PCOS permanently?
Treatment for PCOS isn’t black and white. It requires a holistic approach, including nutrition, joyful movement, possible medications, and self-care.
Many women do find the relief and answers they’re searching for - and you can too!
PCOS self-care can help manage your hormonal imbalances and regulate your emotions so you can be on your way to feeling happy and healthy!
In today’s article, we will be talking about how self-care can be helpful for PCOS management, self-care ideas, and how to create a personalized game plan!
Are you interested in learning about self-care strategies for overcoming eating disorders? We have just the course for you! Recovery in Bloom is our targeted self-care system to support your eating disorder recovery and improve your quality of life.
Understanding PCOS and Mental Health
When you think about PCOS, you might think about how it has to do with hormones and reproduction, but did you know that it’s also a psychological condition?
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is the most common reproductive disorder in women, and its impacts are intertwined with mental health and emotional well-being.
It’s characterized by a wide range of symptoms, including irregular menstrual cycles, hormonal imbalances, insulin resistance, and even infertility.
The exact cause is unknown, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be treated!
PCOS has been shown to have a negative impact on mental and emotional well-being:
- Increased depression and anxiety
- Higher prevalence of eating disorders and body image issues
- Lower quality of life
This is why we want to show you how self-care can be helpful for women with PCOS.
How Self-Care Can Be Helpful for PCOS Management
I’m sure you hear the term “self-care” all the time. You might think of spending a relaxing night doing face masks and taking a hot bath.
This is all great for unwinding and relaxing, but there’s much more to it! PCOS self-care can have even deeper impacts on things like your hormones and insulin sensitivity.
Here are some of the amazing benefits of self-care for women with PCOS:
- Weight Management: Self-care like physical activity can reduce stress levels and aid in weight management, which can decrease the intensity of symptoms.
- Stress Reduction: Stress levels can worsen PCOS symptoms, which is why activities like deep breathing and yoga can be so helpful.
- Hormonal Balance: Reducing stress is a great way to regulate hormone levels and even improve insulin sensitivity.
- Empowerment: Taking an active role in managing your PCOS with self-care will allow you to feel in control and empowered to keep taking steps in the right direction.
As you can see, self-care has the power to reduce your stress levels. Managing your stress can profoundly impact your PCOS symptoms and overall well-being.
It’s time you start taking self-care seriously!
PCOS Self-Care Ideas That Aren’t Boring!
Now, let’s get into the fun part!
What pops into your head when we ask you, “What is self-care?”
Is it journaling… exercise…meditation…sleep?
Well, the answer is yes! All of it! But there’s more.
Self-care has different pillars that each nurture and care for different parts of your well-being. We’re going to give you unique and realistic ideas for different types of self-care.
Mental: This one is all about creating a healthy mindset through inward thought and reflection.
Ideas
- Journal: Write down 3 things you’re grateful for before going to bed every night.
- Meditate: Use a meditation app to take a break during a stressful day. This might sound out of your comfort zone, but seriously try it! It’s a game-changer. Our favorite app is InsightTimer.
- Technology break: Intentionally put your phone down for 30 minutes before bed. Use the time to relax and unwind by journaling or reading a book.
One thing we always like to tell our clients is that mental health is just like physical health. Just like it’s important to get daily movement, it’s important to take time out of your day to care for your brain. Your brain deserves love too!
Physical: Increase your energy levels by taking care of your physical body - and we don’t just mean exercise!
Ideas
- Joyful movement: Appreciate everything your body does for you and find a way to celebrate it that you enjoy!
- Healthy eating: Try your best to eat 3 full meals and at least 2 snacks a day. Focus on getting a variety of food groups!
- Sleep: Get 7-9 hours of sleep to feel your best.
Environmental: It’s important to take care of the spaces around you so your brain doesn’t start to feel cluttered.
Ideas
- Clean: Spend 10 minutes before going to bed, decluttering and organizing your space for the next day.
- Rearrange: Play around with changing up your bedroom or re-decorating.
Spiritual: This involves doing things that bring a sense of purpose and meaning to your life.
Ideas
- Reflect: Identify the most meaningful things in your life and values.
- Higher power: Whatever this means to you, spend time connecting to a higher power.
- Volunteer: Give your time to a cause that’s important to you.
Social: Connecting with others is just as important as connecting with yourself.
Ideas
- Reach out: Text a friend once a week to check in and see if they want to make plans.
- Visit: Make an effort to sit down and have a conversation with family or loved ones.
Hopefully, this list will inspire you to try a new type of self-care to help manage your PCOS symptoms.
Create Your PCOS Self-Care Game Plan
Feeling inspired but not sure where to start? Grab a pen and paper because we’re about to make you a personalized game plan!
Step 1: Reflect on which areas of self-care you think you’ve been really great at and which ones you’ve maybe been neglecting. Write down the area that needs the most improvement!
Step 2: Write down your favorite idea from each category in this article.
Step 3: Each day, practice one act of self-care from the category that needs the most improvement and one act of self-care from any of the other categories! Don’t limit yourself to this list either, you can brainstorm your own ideas too!
You got this! If you need support along your journey, visit our services page to see how we can help!
The Takeaway
PCOS self-care can be beneficial in reducing stress and all of your worst PCOS symptoms.
There are all different kinds of self-care that need nurturing: mental, physical, environmental, spiritual, and social.
Spend some time creating your self-care game plan so you can see the powerful benefits self-care can have on PCOS symptoms and mental health.
Remember, it’s always best to work with a healthcare professional when looking to manage PCOS and other conditions.
Are you ready to get your life back and love the life that you choose? Let Bloom help you! Head over to our services page to learn more about our current offers. There is no better time to invest in your health!
Are you interested in learning about healthy habits for eating disorder recovery? We have just the course for you! Recovery in Bloom is our targeted self-care system to support your eating disorder recovery and improve your quality of life.