Urg, PMS is the worst thing ever! It starts with irrational crying and binge eating, and before you know it you are curled up in a ball of stomach cramps, while feeling fat and miserable. Yes, this is the life of most woman for one week, 12 times a year! Don’t worry, we have your back — and with these PMS hacks you’ll be feeling more like yourself (and less like a crazy lady) all month long.

1. Drinking Wine

There’s nothing like a good bottle of red wine, and when those cramps are cramping, that bottle can go down real well. Bonus: research has shown that resveratrol (a compound found in red wine) helps stop cramps. I’ll have another glass and drink to that!

2. Eating Chocolate

Chocolate might pack on the pounds, but who cares, as long as you’re feeling great. There’s nothing like giving into that craving, unwrapping a slab of your favourite chocolate and devouring it. And even though the experts say you should only have a small amount of dark chocolate everyday, they were obviously all men and don’t understand the cravings.

3. Buy Some Lavender Oil 

And then there are those sleepless nights that leave you in a sweaty mess. Not only do you want to bite your co-workers heads off the next day, but you can hardly keep your eyes opens at your desk. I mean, how are you meant to be productive. Well, all you got to do is put a few drops of lavender oil on your pillow and you’ll sleep like a baby!

4. Go Veggie For A Week

Even though you feel like having that bacon and cheese toasted sandwich with a side of french fries and onion rings with extra bacon bits, it’s not the smartest thing to do when you’re PMSing. A smarter option would be going vegetarian for that week as it helps with cramps.

5. Pop Some Painkillers 

Now we all pop painkillers for the horrid body pain during that time of the month, but here’s the trick: take the painkillers before the pain begins. You know your body and your cycle so why not prevent the pain before it happens. It’s like taking vitamin C before you get a cold. Logic!

6. Use Birth Control 

Birth control isn’t just good for preventing pregnancy or making your skin look amazing, but it helps with heavy periods and period pains. The estrogen eases the pain from PMS, makes your period shorter, your flow lighter, and your hormonal swings less severe.

7. Eat Loads Of Dairy

Whether its cheese, a glass of milk, some yoghurt, or a tub of ice cream, dairy is a PMS stopper. The calcium in the dairy help with mood, bloating, cravings, and pain. Bring on the brie cheese, Ben and Jerry’s, and Bulgarian yoghurt.

8. Have More Sex

Not only will having sex help with your self esteem and make you feel awesome, but it helps with the PMS pain too. Plus the endorphins in you get will make you super happy.

9. Wash Your Face

You know it’s almost that time of the month when your skin gets super oily and you get those type of pimples that you can’t cover up with make up. To avoid this embarrassing situation just buy a face wash that contains salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide and wash your face with it twice a day. It will help dry out excess oil and have you looking amazing in no time.

10. Drink Hot Drinks

There’s nothing better than curling up to a cup of hot chocolate or tea when it feels like an elephant is sitting on your stomach. It not only soothes the pain from the inside out, but just makes you feel really good. Tea anyone?

11. Eat All The Protein

First they say go veggie, now they saying eat loads of protein. We know these studies can be confusing, but eat as much protein as possible (mushrooms, tofu, beans) to keep yourself awake and perky after those sleepless nights or when you’re feeling exhausted.

12. No More Coffee

First they take away all the meat and now the coffee, how are you meant to survive? Well, it’s for your own good. If you suffer from having sore boobs, then you better stay away from coffee as it makes the pain experienced during PMS worse. We’ve warned you. Coffee also acts as a diuretic and can make cramps worse.

13. Don’t Go For That Wax 

WARNING: Everything in the genital area is going to be crazy sensitive when you’re PMSing. You’re pain threshold is also lower, so maybe give that bikini wax a rain check until next week. Trust us, it will save you a world of pain and there’s nothing wrong with wearing cute shorts on the beach.

14. Workout 

Yes, you still have to workout even though you’re suffering from PMS. Its been proven that woman that workout suffer from fewer PMS symptoms. And even though you have a banging body, your mind will be telling you’re looking slightly chunky. Working out will shut those thoughts straight up.

15. Get A Massage

Go ahead, treat yourself. Side note: it also helps with cramps and your mood, so technically you need to go get a massage.

Want to discover the finer side of Africa? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.