For most of my life, my period was something I dreaded.
In high school it was so bad I would miss the first one or two days of school every single month. The cramping, the drain in energy, the heavy flow it was a lot. Eventually my doctor put me on birth control at 17 to "help fix my periods." And I stayed on them for over 15+ years without really questioning it. Eventually when I started to learn more about the side effects of birth control, I stopped taking them and felt like my cycle was all over the place for years. And eventually hit my 40s and felt like everything changed overnight again.
Now I know if I'm crying over a puppy commercial… it's time to start preparing my body.
For years I used to get angry when my period showed up month after month. It slowed me down. It made me moody. It felt like my body was working against me.
But something shifted when I stopped fighting it and started actually supporting it.
What Changed Everything
After getting off birth control my cycle was all over the place for years so I started tracking it just so I could figure out what was going on. That's when I started to notice patterns. The first 1-3 days were always the hardest. The most draining. The most crampy. Digestive issues, low energy, emotional heaviness. My body was clearly asking for something I just didn't know what yet.
What actually changed everything was slowing down to support my body with what it actually needed. I never realized how important magnesium is during that time of the month and once I started giving my body that support, everything shifted.
And honestly? I don't get mad about my cycle anymore. It's just a time I get to be more intentional, slow down, and let my body rest.
Here's exactly what I do.
Night One The Everything Nervous System Bath
The day of or the day before my cycle starts, I do what I call my everything nervous system bath. But it actually starts BEFORE the bath.
Step 1: Salt Stomping
Before I even get in the bath, I do salt stomping. Salt stomping is a simple practice of standing and slowly stomping your feet on epsom salt. I add about 1-2 cups of epsom salt on my bathtub floor before I start my bath. It's a way to remineralize your body it helps lower cortisol levels, supports mental clarity, boosts energy and promotes better sleep. I do this for about 10 minutes with only a red light or candle on, with some calming music or just quiet time.
Step 2: The Epsom Salt Bath
After salt stomping I use that same epsom salt and add it to a warm bath so you get the epsom salt with double the benefits. During our cycles our bodies burn through a lot more magnesium quickly which is a huge reason why we feel that crash in energy and all the hormonal shifts.
What really helps this whole routine be extra nervous system friendly is keeping the lights low the whole time. Red light or candles only or whatever soft lighting you have available at home. This helps shift you out of fight or flight, which is especially helpful before bed.
What seals the deal My favorite post bath routine is putting some of our Calm Vibes magnesium & arnica body butter on the soles of my feet, calves, lower back, belly and underarms. Those are my sweet spots to help reduce cramps, my sore back and honestly it helps me actually sleep through the night. Then I put my feet on the wall and within 20 minutes I am out.
The Morning Routine That Brings Life Back Into My Body
I always love to start my morning with the sun and my warm water with lemon and apply our Restore Magnesium & Arnica Body Butter to my underarms, lower back and belly to support my energy and help my body keep replenishing what it lost overnight. These 3 things are pretty much non negotiables for me on a daily basis sun, warm lemon water and magnesium on my underarms.
Then I set up my salt stomping station outside I add parchment paper to the ground, pour epsom salt on it and do my morning stomp for 10 minutes. I'll also try to add in a couple minutes of grounding before or after too.
And that epsom salt from the morning? I save it for my next epsom salt bath that night for another nervous system bath.
Why This Works
We burn through so much magnesium during our cycles, and most women are already deficient in magnesium as it is. Salt stomping, epsom salt baths and adding in topical magnesium are the most direct ways to help your body reabsorb what it's losing more quickly.
My cycles are so much more manageable now. I don't dread them. I don't get angry when they show up. It's just a time to slow down and give my body what it needs.
And honestly I think that's what our bodies have been asking for all along.
The Support Your Body Has Been Asking For
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I no longer have to dread my cycle anymore because I know I am just giving my body the chance to rest and recharge that it's been asking for all along.
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