How to deal with period pain at work
Originally written for Daye. Updated by femme with current NHS guidance on period pain.
Picture the scene: you’re sitting at your desk and your period cramps are excruciating. It feels like somebody’s using their fingernails to slowly, methodically scrape away chunks of your uterus. All you can do is curl up in silent protest and wait for the pain to gradually subside.
Except you can’t, because you’re at work. You still have emails to answer, people to speak to and a job to do while your body is asking for something completely different.
Period symptoms can affect work in more ways than one
Period pain can come with cramps, back pain, headaches, nausea, bowel changes, fatigue and changes in mood or concentration. The experience is not one-size-fits-all. Some people have little or no pain; for others, symptoms can make ordinary work difficult or impossible.
That is why presenteeism matters as well as absence. Turning up does not necessarily mean somebody is well enough to work normally.
Practical ways to manage period pain at work
Use heat
A heat pad, hot water bottle or heat patch can help with cramps. Follow product instructions and protect your skin from burns.
Use appropriate pain relief
NHS guidance includes painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen for period pain. Check that they are suitable for you and follow the label or advice from a pharmacist or clinician.
Keep gently moving if it helps
Walking, stretching, yoga or other gentle movement can ease period pain for some people. If movement makes severe pain worse, do not force it.
Make the day easier
If possible, keep period products, pain relief and a heat option at work. Access to a toilet, a more comfortable seat, short breaks or working from home can make a difficult day more manageable.
Talking to your employer
Speaking to an employer about period pain can feel uncomfortable, particularly when menstrual symptoms are still treated as something private or trivial. You do not have to share every medical detail to explain that a recurring health symptom is affecting work.
A useful starting point can be: “You may have noticed that I find work more difficult at certain times. I experience significant period pain, and these adjustments help me manage it.”
Depending on your job and circumstances, helpful adjustments might include easier access to breaks, temporary home working, flexible start times, a nearby toilet or the ability to use heat discreetly.
Severe period pain should not just be endured
The NHS advises speaking to a GP if period pain is severe, getting worse, stopping you doing usual activities, or if painkillers have not helped. Conditions such as endometriosis, adenomyosis or fibroids can cause painful periods and may need investigation and treatment.
Seek medical advice too if periods become heavier or irregular, you have pain during sex, bleeding between periods, or other new pelvic symptoms.
Workplace support is part of the picture
Managing period pain should not rest entirely on the person who is in pain. A workplace culture where somebody can say they need a heat pad, a short break or a health appointment without embarrassment can make a genuine difference.
The bottom line
Heat, suitable pain relief, gentle movement and practical workplace adjustments can help. But if your period pain regularly makes work difficult, the answer is not simply to become better at hiding it. Severe or worsening pain deserves proper medical assessment.
Further support
NHS: Period pain
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