Living Well with PMDD

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, whic...

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, ...

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: Spir...

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 heidi@heidibradfordcoaching.com 

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 lea...

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...

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 Away...

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 wom...

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: Norma...

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 experie...

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 p...

Did you know that PMDD is not the only premenstrual disorder? There is another premenstrual disorder referred to as Premenstrual Exacerbation. 

In today's episode I explain the differences between PMDD and PME. I also explain what PME is and why some women think they have PMDD when they likely have PME. Enjoy!

Take Aways
-Overview of the menstrual cycle
-"The rise and fall of hormones, especially...

In today's episode, I share some out-of-the-box ways to think about people that seem "difficult" for us to be around. Simple thought shifts on your part can bring ease in those relationships. They don't need to change. You don't need to change. Try a new approach.

Take Aways
-What if you decide now that you'll like them no matter what?
-When you genuinely look for reasons to like someo...

Do you get floods of ideas when your head hits the pillow? Or maybe an avalanche of worry? So does Heidi. We tend to think the problem is that we aren't sleeping. Or we think the problem is that we're frustrated so we can't sleep. Nope. The problem is believing us getting to sleep is out of our control. In this episode, Heidi offers reasons as to why this happens that she hasn't heard anywhere else. Then she giv...

Happy New Year!! Join Heidi as she reviews the podcast episode titles from 2024 and then share insights.

The 5 insights she focuses on from 2024 include a principle, a process, two strategies, a state of mind, and a recommendation.

Take Aways
-Heidi lists the titles of each episode from 2024 (54 episodes).
-5 insights 
1- The Principle of Thought Agency
2- The R.A.D. Process
3a- The Strategy ...

Review your holiday season (so far) with Heidi. Did it go well? What did you like? What did you not like? Heidi shares one thing that DID happen that she thought might not happen, one gift that came to fruition that has been in the works for 2 years, and the sad news of a friend passing away.

Take Aways
-If you're looking back having not enjoyed your holiday season, don't keep thinking about it. Let it go. <...

Discover the failure before the success that became this podcast. Heidi shares about her first attempt (that was a failure) and then applies the four steps in goal setting and achievement to her creating this podcast.

Take Aways
The Four Steps in Goal Setting and Achievement:
1. A desire for change or a desire for a different result
2. A belief that you can accomplish the result
3. Trying
4. Reaching t...

Join Heidi as she celebrates reaching her goal of ONE YEAR of weekly podcasts about living well with PMDD. She discusses her outlook for 2025. Then Heidi recounts her journey to making this podcast a reality. She shares how her first attempt was a failure and then applies the four steps in goal setting and achievement to her creating this podcast.

Take Aways
-Be proud of yourself for accomplishing goals...especially c...

Let's pick up where we left off.

This episode focuses on helping your loved one with PMDD through verbal acknowledgements, actions, speaking about good things, and spending time together.

Take Aways
-Verbal acknowledgements can help.
-Say, "It's not your fault."
-Say, "I love you as you are."
-Say, "I'm sorry you have to deal with this."
-Reassure...

Today Heidi shares observations she has of herself, her teen daughter, and others that experience PMDD. The focus of today's episode is to offer perspective for the significant other and loved ones of those suffering with PMDD.

It is not easy to understand what is going on in a woman's head when her PMDD symptoms are active, or to know how to help her. Listen in for some help!

Take Aways
-PMDD symp...