Can Stress Affect Your Menstrual Cycle?

You may have noticed that after a particularly stressful life event that your period did not arrive when you thought it would. While they might seem initially unrelated, stress can have a significant effect on your menstrual cycle, including causing fluctuating hormone levels and delaying menstruation. It can also cause irregular periods, spotting, more severe cramping, and other problems. 

Although stress is often a normal part of everyday life, excessive amounts of it can interrupt the normal rhythm of ovulation and menstruation for several reasons that will be discussed in this article. In understanding why stress affects menstrual cycles, you may also learn strategies to cope with unexpected change to bring balance to not only your cycle but your life in general. 

Stress and your cycle

Significant negative life events like a breakup, death in the family, or personal or professional disappointment can increase the likelihood of stress affecting your menstrual cycle.

Stress and late periods

A normal menstrual cycle ranges between four and five weeks, although cycles can be longer or shorter depending on the individual. Even more important in determining a healthy cycle than period length is period regularity. Regular, consistent cycles indicate a healthy reproductive system as well as general physical health.

When you experience excessive stress, your menstrual cycle can be disrupted or delayed, leading to a late or skipped period. Both chronic and short-term stress can affect your cycle, particularly if the stress is severe enough to cause other symptoms, like changes in appetite and sleep patterns. Stress can even cause, or lack of a menstrual period.

A late or missed period can compound the stress you are already feeling, further delaying your cycle, and exacerbating irregularities in your cycle. While a missed period due to stress is relatively common, it can still be scary to experience, especially when you're worried about possible pregnancy or other health issues.

If you are not sure what caused your period to be late and you are sexually active, consider a pregnancy test or visit your healthcare provider for a possible diagnosis. If you know you have been particularly stressed out lately, there is a possibility that stress is the culprit behind your period's delay.

Stress and spotting

In addition to period delays, stress can also be caused throughout your cycle due to its effect on the control of hormones. Spotting is light, unpredictable bleeding that is not as heavy as a regular period. Stress may cause you to spot instead of a typical period or can induce spotting when you are not expecting a period at all. Just like with irregular periods, check with your healthcare provider to make sure that spotting is not a sign of anything more serious and to rule out other possible causes.

Stress and period pain

When you do have your period, stress can also contribute to increased period pain or dysmenorrhea. Research has shown that stress at different points of the menstrual cycle can increase your risk for increased menstrual symptoms, including intense cramping. The most sensitive time for stress to impact the pain experienced during periods appears to be in the first two weeks of the menstrual cycle. 

Studies also show that people who experience increased stress levels two weeks before menstruation are two to four times more likely to have moderate to severe symptoms during their period. These symptoms include more severe cramping, feeling bloated, and increased levels of lethargy and fatigue.

If you are managing severe cramps, there are a variety of natural treatments available for both stress and period pain that you can try at home. Hot water bottles, microwavable heating pads, and electric blankets can all provide physical relief for intense pain. The heat helps relax uterine muscles and soothe the area. 

Counterintuitively, exercise can also help both periods and stress. Aerobic exercise is one way to reduce the severity of painful menses and releases good-feeling hormones, such as dopamine, that reduce pain and improve mood. You can also take over-the-counter pain medications to provide relieve pain. Lastly, herbal medicine has been shown to help reduce pain associated with menstrual cramps. These include beneficial herbal tea, such as ginger and turmeric.

Other common causes for a missed or delayed period

While stress may be the cause of delayed menstruation, amenorrhea, or increased severity of premenstrual and menstrual symptoms, there are also a variety of other causes for missed or delayed periods. If you are not sure why your menstrual cycle is irregular, it is important to check in with a medical professional to make sure that nothing more serious is occurring.

Pregnancy

If you have missed a period and you are sexually active, you may be pregnant. While birth control methods, such as the condom, I.U.D., and birth control pill offer safety assurance against pregnancy, there is the possibility that you can still become pregnant. Learning that you are expecting early in the pregnancy gives you more time to decide what your next steps will be. If you are concerned you are pregnant, take a pregnancy test and confirm with a healthcare provider. 

Weight changes

In addition to stress, recent weight changes can also be a common cause of an irregular menstrual cycle or missed period. Weight fluctuations can affect hormonal levels, resulting in delayed menstruation or amenorrhea. If you are extremely underweight or overweight, this can also negatively affect your cycle. To help stabilize your cycle and experience regular periods, try to maintain a healthy weight and avoid abrupt weight loss or gain. If you are struggling with eating or weight, consider seeking the help of a doctor or nutritionist to make sure that you are at a healthy weight for you.

If you are living with an eating disorder, help is available with NEDA – National Eating Disorders Association. Call or text 1-800-931-2237 for help. If you or someone you know is in crisis text Crisis Text Line at 741741. Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message to individuals who are struggling with mental health, including eating disorders and are experiencing crisis situations.

Exercise

Excessive exercise is another common cause of a late or missed period. If you exercise daily or complete several intense workouts in a row, your period can be delayed, or even stop altogether. While exercise is a beneficial treatment for both period pain and mental health issues, overdoing exercise can have a negative effect on your health in general, including your menstrual cycle.

Birth control

Birth control can also affect your period, and in some cases, stop it completely. If you have recently switched birth control methods, your period can be delayed for up to a few months. Certain types of birth control can also make your period infrequent, light, or even nonexistent, including some varieties of birth control pills and the hormonal IUD. 

If you are concerned with period irregularity, check with your healthcare provider to make sure all is well and there are no other underlying issues causing these issues. 

How to prevent stress-related missed periods

If you are worried that stress is affecting your period, there are a variety of methods for reducing stress and increasing period regularity. As always, if you are concerned about your cycle or your overall mental health, make an appointment with a healthcare provider or therapist to discuss treatment options and make sure that nothing more serious is wrong.

Treating stress

If your period is delayed or you missed it altogether, consider looking to sources of stress in your life and take steps to manage them. Exercise, when performed in moderation, is a way to improve your physical fitness, reduce stress, and control your menstrual cycle. Mindfulness and meditation are also methods to help reduce stress and introduce calm in your life while learning to live in the present moment.

For those who are overwhelmingly stressed by life events, including personal relationships and work-related issues, it can be helpful to develop a routine and form positive habits that support your mental health. Healthy lifestyle changes like nutritious food, physical activity, positive social interactions, and fulfilling hobbies and activities can all help mitigate the effects of stress and get your cycle back on track.

When these self-motivated interventions do not seem to help or if you are seriously struggling with mental health, consider seeking help in the form of therapy or medication. For moderate to severe anxiety, these treatments can improve stress levels while improving your overall mental health. Physicians can prescribe medication to treat anxiety while therapists can help you get to the root of underlying mental and emotional issues that may be contributing to anxiety and stress.

Tracking your period

Since missed periods can be stressful, as well as a sign of potentially significant underlying issues, keeping track of your period as well as any accompanying symptoms can be useful information. There are several websites and apps that make period tracking simple. They can also record sexual activity, spotting, ovulation, and other events related to your menstrual cycle. If you prefer to not use tracking apps, you can keep track of this information in a notebook or on your calendar. Tracking your period can help you notice any changes or irregularities in your cycle while helping you become more familiar with your body’s unique patterns.

Reaching out for professional support

If you are experiencing excessive stress and anxiety that are impacting not only your menstrual cycle but life in general, consider reaching out for professional support.  A therapist can help you find strategies to reduce stress and promote well-being. 

While in-person therapy is beneficial, many people find it difficult to manage appointments, commutes, and the inconvenience of making time for therapy. Whether you are looking for professional counseling or just need someone to talk to, BetterHelp offers a diverse selection of online therapy services that can provide you with the help you need to manage your mental health. 

Furthermore, online therapy has been shown in several studies to be not only just as effective as in-person but in some cases more beneficial due to accessibility factors and cost-effectiveness. An extensive review published in Telemedicine and e-Health reported that online and telephone-directed therapeutic interventions demonstrated good efficacy in the treatment of anxiety and depression across a diverse group of people. The researchers also noted online therapy was especially beneficial for those unable to seek in-person therapy.