The past year has been a roller coaster of emotions for Heidi. This episode is a recap of the year from an emotional/mental health perspective. Heidi shares what was working, what stopped working, and how she is approaching her mental and emotional health challenges now.

Take Aways

• Heidi took new medicine that resulted in restless legs.
• That experience SCARED HER and led her to realize she was keeping medicine as a fall back, which was hindering her from doing all she could otherwise to handle her challenges.
• Tune into yourself. Heidi has always preferred things naturally... she'll move forward with this as a foundation.
• Heidi is not going to use prescription medicine for emotional struggles.
• She will continue to meet with a homeopathic doctor and research natural ways to handle her mental health challenges.
• Heidi will continue to research and experiment with things to find more ways to help herself.
• She is also going to START WITH JESUS. To humble herself and be open to God's grace and His ideas for her healing.

Visit Heidi Bradford Coaching to find out how to work with Heidi.

Download your "5 Ways To Feeling Better with PMDD" here.

5 Keys to Living Well with PMDD

• Educate yourself
• Get support
• Try things
• Track your symptoms (and period)
• Accept grace

Heidi's 5 Part Method for Getting Rid of PMDD

1. Mindset
2. Supplements
3. Tracking
4. Defaults
5. Personal development: Set and Achieve Goals

Resources

• Semaine PMS and Period Support Supplements

Music

• Music- Island Breeze by Surf House Productions | https://surf-house-productions.bandcamp.com
• Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com

Heidi discusses ways that being aware of your actions, words, and behavior can bring a feeling of freedom. She also shares how accepting your situation brings peace.

Take Aways

• As far as Heidi is concerned, there is not ONE "cure" for every woman that has PMDD.
• Having PMDD offers an amazing opportunity for personal awareness, personal growth, and trust in yourself.
• Awareness is noticing the words going through your mind,  noticing the words coming out of your mouth, and noticing the actions that you take at different times. 
• Awareness can lead to a feeling of freedom.
• Acceptance can be a letting go feeling or a feeling of embracing a limitation or hardship.
•  Sometimes we are afraid to accept what is going on because we believe if we "accept it" we won't take action to change it. That's a myth. 
• Acceptance  can lead you to truly, truly believe that it's not your fault, that you are feeling the way you are, and help you become open to getting help.
• Acceptance can lead to a feeling of peace.
•  The main benefit of awareness is that you can take steps to feel a little bit better by making small changes and by setting goals and using small steps to achieve them.

Visit Heidi Bradford Coaching to find out how to work with Heidi.

Download your "5 Ways To Feeling Better with PMDD" here.

5 Keys to Living Well with PMDD

• Educate yourself
• Get support
• Try things
• Track your symptoms (and period)
• Accept grace

Heidi's 5 Part Method for Getting Rid of PMDD

1. Mindset
2. Supplements
3. Tracking
4. Defaults
5. Personal development: Set and Achieve Goals

Resources

• Semaine PMS and Period Support Supplements

Music

• Music- Island Breeze by Surf House Productions | https://surf-house-productions.bandcamp.com
• Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com

Heidi covers the last part (part 5) of Getting Rid of PMDD: Personal Development. Personal development (a.k.a. personal enrichment) is important because it is YOU voting for YOU. It is an outward manifestation that your desires, your opinions, and your interests matter. By investing time in doing things that you enjoy, you remind yourself that there are things you still like--even when you feel depressed.

Take Aways

• 4 Areas: Spiritual, Intellectual, Physical, and Social
• Spiritual examples: praying, music, keeping a gratitude journal, studying scripture, attending church, meditation
• Intellectual examples: take a sewing class, choose a book to read on a specific topic (money, health, career), listen to a podcast, research a topic of interest to you
• Physical examples: join a group exercise class, decide to learn to do a push-up, choose a nutrition goal 
• Social: say "yes" to going out with friends, spend undivided attention time with loved ones, join a Bible study group
• No rules to personal development!
• It's okay to start a book, leave it, come back to it, leave it.
• Warning: If you're tempted to beat yourself up because you stopped a goal, STOP. REDIRECT.
• Volunteering in your church or in your community can be fulfilling.

Visit Heidi Bradford Coaching to find out how to work with Heidi.

Download your "5 Ways To Feeling Better with PMDD" here.

5 Keys to Living Well with PMDD

• Educate yourself
• Get support
• Try things
• Track your symptoms (and period)
• Accept grace

Heidi's 5 Part Method for Getting Rid of PMDD

1. Mindset
2. Supplements
3. Tracking
4. Defaults
5. Personal development: Set and Achieve Goals

Resources

• Semaine PMS and Period Support Supplements

Music

• Music- Island Breeze by Surf House Productions | https://surf-house-productions.bandcamp.com
• Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com

Today we discuss what defaults are, why they're important, how to properly use them, and examples that work well for Heidi. Listen to the podcast for examples. 🙂

Heidi always love to connect with listeners. Send her an email anytime at [email protected] 

Take Aways

-A default in this context is:  is a pre-selected option that you choose to do if there is not an alternative that you want more. 

-Creating defaults leads to more freedom. 

-Having defaults saves time and energy. It saves your decision making power for other decisions.

-Defaults keep hopelessness at bay. They reduce confusion, distraction, and uncertainty.

-Defaults free our mind up to consider other things.

-Choose one default in each of these areas: food, housekeeping, quiet time, exercise, sleep, friendships and/or relationships, and self care.

🚩 You are using defaults incorrectly if you feel irritated because you weren't able to do your default. You are likely treating it like a routine. 

-A default can't be interrupted because it is simply a pre-selected option. If there is an alternative that you want more, DO IT. 

Visit Heidi Bradford Coaching to find out how to work with Heidi.

Download your "5 Ways To Feeling Better with PMDD" here.

5 Keys to Living Well with PMDD

• Educate yourself
• Get support
• Try things
• Track your symptoms (and period)
• Accept grace

Heidi's 5 Part Method for Getting Rid of PMDD

1. Mindset
2. Supplements
3. Tracking
4. Defaults
5. Personal development: Set and Achieve Goals

Resources

• Semaine PMS and Period Support Supplements

Music

• Music- Island Breeze by Surf House Productions | https://surf-house-productions.bandcamp.com
• Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com

Join Heidi to discover a basic way of tracking signs and symptoms you experience and an advanced way of tracking signs and symptoms. Record on paper, in a planner, on your phone, and/or using an app. 

Remember to record physical and emotional signs and symptoms. They are interconnected and influence one another.

Take Aways

• Why you should track your signs and symptoms
• Basic tracking includes: recording the date you begin your period, how many days you bleed, your mood, and any discord you experience in relationships.
• Advanced tracking includes: recording the basics listed above + basal body temperature, level of sexual desire, the level of sensitivity you experience about others' comments and actions, and more detailed mood recording.
• Use time blocks when recording mood
• You need to know your body!
• When you know your body, you can put logic with emotion and emotion with logic.
• Tracking gives you more power and control of your reaction to things.
• Tracking gives a more concrete idea of what IS happening rather than what we THINK IS happening. 
• Tracking is not accurate if done more than a day later. 
• Logic can help when we are overly emotional.
• Emotion can help when we are overly logical. 

Visit Heidi Bradford Coaching to find out how to work with Heidi.

Download your "5 Ways To Feeling Better with PMDD" here.

5 Keys to Living Well with PMDD

• Educate yourself
• Get support
• Try things
• Track your symptoms (and period)
• Accept grace

Heidi's 5 Part Method for Getting Rid of PMDD

1. Mindset
2. Supplements
3. Tracking
4. Defaults
5. Personal development: Set and Achieve Goals

Resources

• Semaine PMS and Period Support Supplements

Music

• Music- Island Breeze by Surf House Productions | https://surf-house-productions.bandcamp.com
• Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com

Are you stuck not knowing what supplements to try to get rid of your pmdd symptoms? This is a great episode for you! Heidi shares the supplements, vitamins, and medicines she has tried over the past 3 years to get rid of her symptoms. Each woman's body is unique so trial and error is key for success, but listening to what has helped other women is great for a starting point and each time you want to try something new.

Take Aways

• Don't fall for "There's no price too high for good health." trap! 
• Consider these before trying a new supplement: monetary price, emotional cost, physical cost (risks/benefits), and time & effort cost.
• Semaine Health's PMS and Period Support capsules have always and continue to relieve Heidi's cramps and improve her mood. 
• Fluoxetine (an SSRI prescription drug) helped alleviate mood issues for Heidi in the past but has not been helping recently.
• Ollie brand children's probiotic and multivitamin gummies have helped Heidi's stomach feel better.
• Zyrtec and Pepcid AC together have helped Heidi and other women. See this Newsweek Article for more about this.
• Sudafed has helped Heidi's mood be stable. (pseudoephedrine)
• Heidi also worked with a wellness clinic for 6 months last year and took 14 supplements they recommended based on blood work along with chiropractic multiple times a week to improve overall wellness.
• NEVER GIVE UP! 🙂

Visit Heidi Bradford Coaching to find out how to work with Heidi.

Download your "5 Ways To Feeling Better with PMDD" here.

5 Keys to Living Well with PMDD

• Educate yourself
• Get support
• Try things
• Track your symptoms (and period)
• Accept grace

Heidi's 5 Part Method for Getting Rid of PMDD

1. Mindset
2. Supplements
3. Tracking
4. Defaults
5. Personal development: Set and Achieve Goals

Resources

• Semaine PMS and Period Support Supplements

Music

• Music- Island Breeze by Surf House Productions | https://surf-house-productions.bandcamp.com
• Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com

This and the following four episodes are a series of podcasts explaining Heidi's five part method to get rid of PMDD. This episode is about Part 1: Mindset.

Heidi's 5 Part Method for Getting Rid of PMDD

1. Mindset
2. Supplements
3. Tracking
4. Defaults
5. Personal Development

Take Aways

• This method is to be used continually.
• When you find mindsets that help you, incorporate them more into your life.
• Common worries/thoughts that a woman with PMS or PMDD are... We're going to get into a fight. I'm going to be irritated. I wish I didn't get so irritated. I wish we wouldn't fight. It shouldn't be this way. I shouldn't be this way. He shouldn't be this way.
• Those thoughts lead to anger, irritation, fear, and possibly hopelessness. 
• From there you don't take proactive actions. It's a "wait and watch it happen" game.
• Another mindset: This is how I am. Deal with it.
• That approach leads to a feeling of indifference and stubbornness.
• The result of actions taken from this attitude is ragged relationships.
• The thought that works best for Heidi during PMDD time: I need more help and support.
• Humility and confidence come from this attitude.
• You take actions that are proactive from this place.
• Actions that you can be proud of (like showing restraint in conversation) follow this.
• The result is that you are able to handle PMDD and eventually get rid of PMDD.

Visit Heidi Bradford Coaching to find out how to work with Heidi.

Download your "5 Ways To Feeling Better with PMDD" here.

5 Keys to Living Well with PMDD

• Educate yourself
• Get support
• Try things
• Track your symptoms (and period)
• Accept grace

Heidi's 5 Part Method for Getting Rid of PMDD

1. Mindset
2. Supplements
3. Tracking
4. Defaults
5. Personal development: Set and Achieve Goals

Resources

• Semaine PMS and Period Support Supplements

Music

• Music- Island Breeze by Surf House Productions | https://surf-house-productions.bandcamp.com
• Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com

In the previous episode, Heidi shared why handling loss has been on her mind and ways to handle loss.

Today she discusses losses that are common for women that experience PMDD and ways that can help you feel better.

Take Aways

Losses women experience when PMDD symptoms are active:

• Relationship with yourself: You experience the loss of your “usual” relationship with yourself (during days 15-28). 
• Relationship with your husband: Normal solutions for conflict resolution don’t work. You lose the ability and judgement to resolve conflict in the ways that work when your symptoms are not active. 
• Appreciate the days when you feel like yourself. (For me days 1-14.)
• The foundation of your relationship with your significant other is going to be lost in some ways. 
• It's okay to be sad about the losses you experience. 
• You may literally lose a boyfriend or husband through a break up due to actions you take when your symptoms are active. 
• Dealing with the loss of no longer have that person in your life. 
• It's okay to mourn the loss of that relationship, whether it is temporary or permanent. 
• Relationship with your children: Losing the ability to communicate as well. Loss of connection because you are so focused inward or are overbearing.
• Time. Recognizing you are giving/losing time to help your PMDD that you would rather spend on other things.
• You spend time researching, going to appointments, sleeping, journaling, taking time off of work to increase your overall quality of life. 
• Health. A loss of what is your “normal” health. Loss of control pertaining to your body shape, physical abilities, weight fluctuations, stress, and uncertainty  during days 16-28 of your cycle.
• Remind yourself: I will get my “normal” health back. What I do still affects the outcome of my overall body, mind, and spirit.
• Money. Some PMDD remedies and ways that help PMDD are not covered by insurance so you have to pay out of pocket.
• Recognizing that you are giving up money as a trade for *hopefully a better life. 
• It's okay to mourn the loss of money that you could be spending for vacations, new shoes, to do outings with your kids, etc. 

-How to feel better: 

• Identify to yourself the loss that you are experiencing right now. 
• Is it a physical/tangible loss or an emotional loss?

Visit Heidi Bradford Coaching to find out how to work with Heidi.

Download your "5 Ways To Feeling Better with PMDD" here.

5 Keys to Living Well with PMDD

• Educate yourself
• Get support
• Try things
• Track your symptoms (and period)
• Accept grace

Heidi's 5 Part Method for Getting Rid of PMDD

1. Mindset
2. Supplements
3. Tracking
4. Defaults
5. Personal development: Set and Achieve Goals

Resources

• Semaine PMS and Period Support Supplements

Music

• Music- Island Breeze by Surf House Productions | https://surf-house-productions.bandcamp.com
• Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com

Loss is a part of life. It's not a very fun part, but it seems to be necessary during our time on this earth. 

Over the past six months, Heidi has experienced loss in the form of loved ones passing from this life and loved ones of her friends passing from this life. 

Take Aways

• You will likely experience loss that will affect you in these areas: relationships, time, health, and money. 
• Women with premenstrual disorders experience loss in unique ways (Addressed more in Part 2)
• Are you trapping yourself because of how you “think” you should be/act/think concerning a loss?
• Reflecting on losses can bring peace, cleansing, and understanding to our soul.
• Rebecca’s experience: becoming a young widow with a two year old
• Rebecca’s consideration: I acted how I thought I was supposed to act. Maybe I didn’t need to suffer so much.
• There’s no one RIGHT way to handle loss.
• Available options for experiencing loss
• The ripple effect of feeling loss
• Be open to receiving whatever comes
• Be willing to question if this way of grieving is helping me? Is it good for me?

Visit Heidi Bradford Coaching to find out how to work with Heidi.

Download your "5 Ways To Feeling Better with PMDD" here.

5 Keys to Living Well with PMDD

• Educate yourself
• Get support
• Try things
• Track your symptoms (and period)
• Accept grace

Heidi's 5 Part Method for Getting Rid of PMDD

1. Mindset
2. Supplements
3. Tracking
4. Defaults
5. Personal development: Set and Achieve Goals

Resources

• Semaine PMS and Period Support Supplements

Music

• Music- Island Breeze by Surf House Productions | https://surf-house-productions.bandcamp.com
• Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com

Premenstrual disorders (like PMDD or PME) can be tricky to recognize. There isn't one significant symptom that is a tell-tale sign that you have a premenstrual disorder. In this episode, Heidi describes obstacles to recognizing you have a premenstrual disorder. 

Take Aways: 11 Obstacles

1.  Premenstrual disorder manifests as a mental health challenge
2. When you present your issues and problems to a doctor nothing stands out as a premenstrual disorder.
3. Hormone levels come back normal (because they are!)
4. There is not one test or indicator that you have PMDD or PME. 
5. Not every woman has the same indicators.
6. There is no “one size fits all” treatment.
7. Sometimes you feel great.
8. It’s hard to recognize the patterns in your own behavior that match up with PMDD or PME.
9. The symptoms of the disorder cloud your judgement.
10. Premenstrual disorders can be affected by levels of stress and responsibility making the signs and symptoms vary.
11. Your premenstrual cycle can get thrown off.

Visit Heidi Bradford Coaching to find out how to work with Heidi.

Download your "5 Ways To Feeling Better with PMDD" here.

5 Keys to Living Well with PMDD

• Educate yourself
• Get support
• Try things
• Track your symptoms (and period)
• Accept grace

Heidi's 5 Part Method for Getting Rid of PMDD

1. Mindset
2. Supplements
3. Tracking
4. Defaults
5. Personal development: Set and Achieve Goals

Resources

• Semaine PMS and Period Support Supplements

Music

• Music- Island Breeze by Surf House Productions | https://surf-house-productions.bandcamp.com
• Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com