Exploring the role of emotional wellbeing in menstrual health: Associations between psychological distress in adolescence and menstrual symptoms across life (age 16, 30 and 42). 

In my research project, I explored the association between psychological distress during adolescence and the menstrual symptoms experienced by women throughout their lives.

Many girls and women find that menstruation disrupts their daily lives. Menstrual symptoms often involve physical pain, especially abdominal discomfort, which can impact emotional well-being and heighten both physical and emotional pain sensitivity. This can make it challenging for women to fully engage in daily activities, academics, work, and social life. Such disruptions not only reduce individual quality of life but may also have broader social implications if a significant portion of the population is unable to function at its full potential.

While the importance of menstrual health is evident, not much research has investigated the role of emotional well-being in shaping menstrual experiences. It is not clear how and to what extent one influences the other in literature; and in the real-world, it is still a challenge that many girls and women feel they need to navigate on their own, as it is yet to be truly acknowledged and validated by society. 

Having experienced my own challenges and discomforts from menstruation, I really empathise with this subject and recognise the importance of research in this area. Hence, I carried out an epidemiology study to learn more about this association, and it culminated in my first published research paper with my supervisor, Dr Jo Blodgett! My hope is that it will help to bring more attention to women’s health in academia and inspire broader conversations and greater recognition for women’s menstrual experiences. It is in the interest of all to support one another to be present at our full potential.

I am interested in understanding how my mind and my body work, and how I can optimise my health, so that I feel my best emotionally and physically. It feels good to feel good, and I’ve always been curious about how to hack this state through the choices I make everyday. 

In this pursuit, stress has been one of my main obstacles. As my ambition grew through my teenage years and I set myself big goals, and life in general felt like it was growing in intensity, so did my stress levels. And I found it really difficult to know how to control it. More often than not, it felt like stress was controlling me. And, as a slight control freak, it really did not make me feel good. Both emotionally, and physically. 

Although I was unaware of the cause at first, my menstrual health had become affected by the stress levels that my body was experiencing on a regular basis. While I had a good understanding of how to care for my physical health, it was not so clear to me how to manage my emotional wellbeing in a stress-inducing lifestyle. I ended up losing my menstrual cycle for two years, and honestly speaking, sixteen year old self was relieved to have a vacation from periods. But, as a year passed, and then two years passed, I became unsettled by the idea that maybe it wasn’t me taking a break on menstruation, but my menstrual cycle taking a break from me – my body giving me a sign that I was not providing it the environment it needs to function properly. 

While there is immense value in striving after big goals that excite us, and stress itself can act as beneficial motivator, it is important to check that our bodies are with us along the way. If they aren’t, soon enough, we won’t be either. 

My personal experiences with menstruation taught me the importance of prioritising both my physical as well as my emotional wellbeing – and the extent to which our emotional states can affect our physical health. Since my supervisor is in the area of Women’s Health, I took it as an opportunity to investigate how stress at a young age influences the menstrual experiences that girls and women have in both the short and long run. It was empowering for me personally to better understand how my psychological state might influence my menstrual health, and by contributing to research in women’s health, potentially help other females to understand and better take care of their bodies too. 

One challenge I have encountered in my research and leadership journeys so far is learning when and how to advocate for my ideas, particularly in spaces where opinions and styles of communication may differ. My research and leadership projects provided me the opportunity to collaborate with diverse teams, where I have been able to practice intentional listening and gradually grown more comfortable and confidently in sharing my voice and perspectives with others. Through my Laidlaw experience, I have learned that disagreements are only intimidating when I take them personally; if I don’t, I can approach them with curiosity and experience them as learning opportunities. I have also come to see that respectfully sharing a different opinion is not an act of resistance. It can actually serve as a meaningful gift – to foster deeper connections and inspire innovation within the team. In fact, withholding an idea might be more selfish than sharing it, as it denies others the chance to consider and benefit from it. 

To me, being a Laidlaw Scholar is about being curious– curious about who we can be, what we can give, and what we can learn from our experiences and the people we meet. This curiosity motivates us to understand our communities better, it keeps us growing, and drives us to identify opportunities to channel our learnings and developed skills to make a positive difference. 

Reflecting on my journey and the inspiring Laidlaw peers I have met, I believe that being a Laidlaw Scholar is also about honesty and self-acceptance. The more openly we acknowledge our strengths and gaps, the more we can grow, connect and serve. Embracing our full selves opens us to see opportunities, and seize them. And, authenticity breeds authenticity. When we genuinely accept and share who we are, we give others permission to do the same. It allows us to build stronger, more impactful teams where we complement and amplify each other’s strengths to compound the impact we create :)

Two leaders who particularly inspire me are Sara Blakely and Jesse Itzler. Throughout their lives, they have been unafraid (or willing to sit with fear and take action anyways) to experiment, to fail, to follow their hearts and carve their own paths. Even if it is different to what they know and have seen from everyone else around them, and if they have to walk them alone. I admire their authenticity, passion, and integrity to their intuition, as well as the playful energy that they bring to both their work and their personal lives. Instead of ‘out-growing their childhoodness’, they have grown into their adultness with their youthful spirits, and this really inspires me. It reminds me that success can be fun, and that there is no real ‘right’ path, ‘timing’ or way to experience life. 

Alongside Sara and Jesse, and many other role models I admire, I am inspired by strangers who offer unexpected kindness without needing to. It really warms my heart, reminds me that kindness is not meant to be earned, and to pay more attention to the little things. It is the little gestures, the little actions everyday, that often mean the most. ​

I have yet to figure out the specifics, but my goal for the future is to create a lifestyle that fulfills me, spending time with people that uplift me and pursuing a career that is both personally exciting and meaningful – it encourages me to keep growing and create outcomes that bring value to the lives of others. I am interested in getting involved in the field of neurotechnology where I hope to contribute to projects that advance our understanding of the brain, help to innovate treatments that improve the lives of people living with neurological conditions, and bring the science to the public – through tech and empathy. I enjoy documentary style video-making and would love to explore opportunities to channel it to engage more people with neuroscience and the value that neurotechnology can bring to our lives. 

Playing football with my team as the sun set.