PCOS & Me: Living and Wellness

Managing PCOS often means finding ways to balance hormones, including reducing cortisol—the “stress hormone.” Elevated cortisol can worsen PCOS symptoms like weight gain, sleep issues, and even hormone imbalances. Crafting a calming night-time routine can help lower cortisol levels and promote restful sleep, which can be beneficial for all, not just PCOS sufferers. Below are some steps I try to follow as part of my bedtime routine to lower stress and consistently get a good nights sleep. 1. Wind Down with a Warm, Calming Beverage I love to start my bedtime routine with a comforting, warm cup of decaf tea. Herbal teas like chamomile, spearmint, or lemon balm are great options for helping the body relax. Chamomile and lemon balm, in particular, have mild sedative properties that can naturally reduce cortisol and ease anxiety. I sometimes like to ass a little bit of almond milk, which contains magnesium—a mineral that helps relax muscles and reduce stress. 2. Red-Light Therapy to Soot...

Getting a diagnosis for PCOS was both a relief and a challenge for me. I had been struggling with symptoms of the condition since I was around 15 years old, which is when I started noticing serious weight fluctuations and the first few thick, dark hairs growing under my chin. A few years after this I heard about PCOS from a friend who had just gotten her diagnosis. After hearing her describe her struggles, a lot of what she was saying really resonated with my own experience, so I did some research into it, which only strengthened my suspicions that this could also be what I was dealing with. That same friend was the one who gave me the courage to finally go to my GP near the end of 2022. I had been very nervous and embarrassed about going, as I’d heard some bad stories from people online about doctors minimising and ignoring other women’s experiences. However, I was pleasantly surprised, as my GP was very supportive and understanding, she did not ignore my concerns and wasted no time...

For those who may not know, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a very common hormonal disorder that affects around 1 in 10 women in the UK, although half of these women may not show any symptoms, those that do are often not aware that the symptoms they experience are caused by PCOS, and there is often a lot of stigma surrounding conversations about these symptoms and women’s health in general.   Despite the name, women with PCOS don’t actually have ‘cysts’, rather the ovaries become enlarged and contain fluid-filled sacs (the underdeveloped follicles in which eggs develop). These sacs are often not able to release an egg meaning ovulation does not occur every month, resulting in the most common PCOS symptom – irregular periods (some women can have no periods at all). As this condition prevents ovulation from occurring regularly, many women wanting to have children have issues conceiving as a result.   On top of this, the hormonal imbalance in the body often leads to irregularly ...