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Why am I like this?

There are days I wake up and everything feels off, completely out of the normal. I just know it’s going to be one of those days. I find that I snap easily, I cry easily, I’m irritated for no reason, or I just want to be left alone – anxiously, not peacefully. And the worst part is I never really know why. I start thinking maybe I’m being dramatic. Maybe I’m doing too much. Am I okay? Is it just me? And then a few days later…my period shows up.

But no one talks about it.

We feel this shift but barely talk about it. Maybe we’re scared people will think we’re being dramatic. Or we’ve been told to ‘calm down’ or ‘not takes things too personally’ so often that we start to hide how we feel during our periods. I used to keep quiet about how I felt because I didn’t want to be misinterpreted. It’s like we’re forced to hide behind the scenes, played by our hormones, so we don’t feel ashamed.

But why should we be ashamed of emotions that are literally part of being human? Shame makes us bottle things up instead of giving ourselves space to feel and this can be overwhelming, so why not just speak about how you really feel? You might even be relieved.

It’s not just in your head.

Even if you don’t track your cycle, these emotions are real. It’s biology. Hormones change throughout the month. They affect our mood, our energy and our confidence. Just because you can hide it for a while doesn’t mean it’s invisible. You don’t have to drown in these feelings. Talk to someone – your trusted friend, doctor, sister, mother or even your journal.

Every week hits different.

Sometimes I feel overexcited and unable to contain it. Other times, I feel down and avoid everyone. It’s like experiencing different versions of my own self. I used to try to fight these feelings, make them stable – but not anymore.

If I feel the need to rest or cry, I let myself.

It’s okay to pause and listen to your body. Sometimes a small thing can make a big difference – a warm bath, your favourite playlist, a movie, a walk or just writing.

You’re not too much.

You’re not overreacting. You’re not being dramatic. You’re just a human and that is beautiful. So, stop being ashamed. Instead, embrace it and treat yourself with love and respect.