Is stress making your period more painful?

• Time management is important as it will help to reduce and defuse stress. Prioritise jobs and cut things down to size, breaking up big tasks.
• Keep a narrow focus and don't let yourself be distracted by other thoughts. If you're stressed, you'll find this particularly hard to do, but it means you'll get the job done and that will make you feel better.
• Pace yourself. If something happens that upsets you, allow yourself time to reflect before jumping in straight away with an angry response as this will fire up the stress response.
• Take a break when you feel you're banging your head against a brick wall or that you're about to blow up. If you can, go for a brisk walk and make an effort to notice what's going on around you as this will widen your horizons. You'll burn off the stress hormones and get your circulation going - all of which should help put life back into perspective again.
• Changing how you behave will be a bit stressful, so don't expect it to be plain sailing. Start with realistic aims and expect to feel a bit uncomfortable as you alter familiar ways of doing things.
• Setbacks are normal and not a reason to abandon whatever you're trying to change. Start afresh the following day. Give yourself treats from time to time as a pat on the back!
• Get on with things instead of getting stuck and worrying endlessly about what could go wrong.
• Try something new, even if it seems a tiny thing - doing your normal walking route the other way round, for instance - will help you build your confidence.
• Positive thinking will help you to stay cheerful and reduce your anxiety (No More Anxiety: Be Your Own Anxiety Coach by Gladeana McMahon, Karnac, 2005, is a useful book on the subject). Stressed people usually think very negatively about themselves and the works and these thoughts are usually inaccurate, so challenge them. For instance, the next time you write yourself off, saying, 'I'm a total failure', ask what the evidence for that statement is. You'll find you fail at particular things but not everything!

Mary-Claire Mason's book Coping Successfully With Period Problems is published by Sheldon Press and costs £7.99.