Ah, PMS. Around half of the world's population suffer from it, and yet we're still known to discuss it in hushed tones from time to time.

Malin Olofsson has survived anorexia and is now a vegan weight-lifter and a body-positive Instagrammer.

However, like many of us, she suffers very heavily from PMS.

Bloating, mood swings and unbearable cramps are part of her life once a month, but she stayed silent about it because people think it's "weird."

 

——————————————– Some of you have seen this before. Some of you haven't. Some of you experience and go through this yourself once a month. Some of you will be disgusted. Some of you will sigh with relief and think -Omg I'm not alone. Some of you will not read this caption and presume that I'm pregnant. ——————————————– This is the visual signs of PMS for me and many other women. For some it's less extreme, for some it's more. Water retention is a very normal and common symptom of PMS. Some women will hardly notice it and some go through immense discomfort for a couple of days a month. It can start anytime between ovulation and your period. ——————————————– THIS  IS  NORMAL. This is nothing to be ashamed of. Yes – it is very uncomfortable, and yes – it is really difficult to not feel like you must hide it and try to suck your stomach in. I've stopped. I've decided that breathing is more important than what other people may or might think. I've decided that my body's reaction to the hormonal change is not going to be an aspect that I let contribute to my already unstable mental state. Because when I have PMS, I already feel like dying. And I've decided to love my body no matter how I feel about life. ——————————————– Do not blame your body for how you're feeling. It is never your body's fault. It is never anything wrong with how your body looks. Yes – your body might experience discomfort due to hormonal changes – so instead of making it worse through shaming your body, try doing the opposite. Realize that this is when you need extra self-care and self-love. Realize that you don't have to be ashamed and hide. You are perfect and your body is just doing it's job.

A post shared by MALIN  (@malinxolofsson) on Mar 10, 2017 at 9:44am PST

Last weekend, Malin shared a photo of herself on Instagram, along with an explanation on her intense PMS symptoms.

"Some of you have seen this before. Some of you haven’t.

"Some of you experience and go through this yourself once a month. Some of you will be disgusted.

"Some of you will sigh with relief and think – Omg I’m not alone. Some of you will not read this caption and presume that I’m pregnant."

 

A post shared by MALIN  (@malinxolofsson) on Mar 12, 2017 at 10:27am PDT

She then told her followers that these are the things she goes through once a month.

"This is the visual signs of PMS for me and many other women. For some it's less extreme, for some it's more.

"Water retention is a very normal and common symptom of PMS. Some women will hardly notice it and some go through immense discomfort for a couple of days a month.

"It can start anytime between ovulation and your period.

 

A post shared by MALIN  (@malinxolofsson) on Mar 2, 2017 at 11:28am PST

She ended her post by saying that we shouldn't punish or blame our bodies because they put us through these things. It's more important to take care of ourselves than worry about what people think.

"It is never your body's fault. It is never anything wrong with how your body looks. Yes – your body might experience discomfort due to hormonal changes – so instead of making it worse through shaming your body, try doing the opposite. 

"Realise that this is when you need extra self-care and self-love. Realize that you don't have to be ashamed and hide. 

"You are perfect and your body is just doing it's job."

We all need to remember that last line.