Since most women are always stressed, we assume that stress is something we just have to live with. Well, stress might be super common, but it’s definitely not something we should accept as the status quo. That’s because along with other negative health effects, stress can interfere with a woman’s cycle.

Anything and everything can stress us out. From friends, family, work, finances and our own emotional battles, we get stressed out. But whenever we feel stressed, the stress hormone, cortisol, goes up, and can interfere with other important hormones.

And since a woman’s hormones are constantly fluctuating throughout her menstrual cycle, an interruption in her hormonal balance can throw off her cycle, too.

Late ovulation

If a woman experiences stress leading up to ovulation, she may ovulate late. That’s because hormones send messages to the ovaries to release an egg into the uterus. Too much stress will prevent these hormones from acting, leading to delayed ovulation.

Missing ovulation

Just as stress delays ovulation, it can cancel it out altogether. Even with a missed ovulation, a woman can still have a period. So, it might seem like your cycle is normal. However, if you’re trying to get pregnant, and are having trouble doing so, it might be that stress is preventing ovulation.

Extended cycle

Normally, as menstruation approaches, women are only too eager for the period to finally arrive. That’s because leading up to your period, emotions can run high and we just feel pretty low. But if you’ve been under a lot of stress, your cycle may go on for what seems like forever. So, now you’re stressed out and experience what seems like endless PMS.

You may or may not have noticed these cycle changes. But if you’re under chronic stress, then there’s a good chance your cycle is being impacted. Are there ways to reduce stress to ensure your cycle is healthy and normal?