5 Travel Tips When On Your Period
They say that there are only two certainties in life, death and taxes. Well, for 80% of women there is most certainly a third…period pain. Actually there may even be a fourth, and that’s period pain hitting you at exactly the wrong moment. I am all too familiar with this ‘wrong place, wrong time’ phenomenon, in fact I was reminded of it just this past month while traveling to Mexico for a friend’s wedding. Thankfully I am also a certified veteran in the menstrual game fully equipped to handle such a surprise appearance of nature’s worst travel companion ever. Here are a few of my field tested tips for dealing with menstrual pain while traveling.
If you’re someone who experiences nausea or headaches while on your period (or perhaps while on a plane in general), peppermint oil is a great way to alleviate your queasiness/pain. My preferred method of application is by lightly massaging a diluted mix on my temples and under my nose/chin. This also helps me when I’m feeling tired or whenever I experience indigestion.
2. Tea Bags
Speaking of peppermint I always make sure to bring a healthy supply of peppermint tea bags along with raspberry leaf, ginger, and chamomile. I find the raspberry leaf tea especially helps with cramps, ginger for nausea/motion sickness, and chamomile for helping me relax.
THIS is by far the most underrated secret weapon for dealing with menstrual cramps while travelling - period. As far as design and user experience goes, they really went the extra mile with this one. It’s small, discrete, wireless and most importantly, natural/drug-free. I always keep it close by in my carry-on/purse/backpack depending on where I am during my trip. Its perfect for traveling for all of these reasons plus you don’t have to worry if you forget to charge it here and there because the battery lasts 20 hours on just one charge alone! Worth. Every. Penny.
4. Magnesium
I could honestly write an entire blog post just on the benefits of this miracle mineral. You will never catch me abroad without a bottle for several reasons. The fact that it really helps with things like menstrual migraines, cramps and reducing irritability/mood swings is fairly widely known at this point but perhaps most importantly for me is that it keeps my PMS cravings at bay. This comes in handy especially when visiting resorts that include multiple chocolate fountains just steps away from your hotel room.
While all of the tips above will definitely provide significant relief to you, one thing I always need to remind myself of is that adequate rest and relaxation is necessary when travelling on your period. When I was younger I always felt a sense of FOMO if I chose to rest instead of participating in every aspect of a trip I had planned. As I mature I now realize that my health and well-being is what’s most important and that I should not feel the need to push myself beyond my limits whenever I’m travelling especially on my period.
The importance of being prepared for the worst while travelling on your period is something I’ve had to learn through many years of being underprepared. I hope these tips have helped you come up with your own plan to make your travels as painless as possible!