We spend a lot of our time complaining about periods (guilty as charged!), so for a change we decided to take a look at the reasons we like them. And it wasn’t that hard to come up with a few. Seems once you start thinking positive, periods aren’t all bad news after all.

1. You’re (probably) fertile

Fertility issues come in many sneaky guises but if you’re having periods, that’s the first hurdle overcome. Having a regular menstrual cycle means you’re ovulating, and your body is shedding the lining of your uterus that built up in anticipation of pregnancy. This will be reassuring one day.

2. You’re not pregnant

OK, so this isn’t exactly good news if you’re trying to get pregnant. But for those who aren’t, it’s your body’s way of sending a little message to keep on having fun, because babies are not joining the party for now. Despite what you might read, it is impossible to have periods if you are pregnant. Any spotting or bleeding that may occur is down to other factors.

3. You have a reason to eat chocolate

Note we said ‘reason’ and not ‘excuse’ here? That’s because dark chocolate, yes, it must be dark, not only satisfies that sweet tooth, it's also high in potassium which helps your muscles to function, ideal for when those cramps come a callin’.

4. You have an excuse to cancel stuff

It’s raining, it’s cold, Or it’s hot and bright. Whichever, you didn’t really want to traipse into town and sit in some crowded bar/restaurant where you can barely hear what people are saying. So don’t! Tell them you have a dose of the monthly mopes, and settle down for an LNI (lovely night in).

5. You get to wear comfy clothes

See above. Get those bamboo trackies on and relax. This is the perfect opportunity for some self-love, so light your best candles, open the ice cream tub and catch up on that TV series everyone’s been talking about.

6. You get to release the tears

Feel like having a good cry? Go right ahead. Crying, especially for a good amount of time, releases endorphins and the feel-good chemical oxytocin. These can help ease physical and emotional pain and give you a renewed sense of calm and well-being.

7. Eu (you) phoria

See what we did there? Period pain is one of life’s suckier things, and it’s hard to come up with a reason to be happy about it. But what about that moment when you realise the waves of pain have stopped? When the pain killers have finally kicked in and you can go… to… sleep… It’s pretty awesome.

8. You feel like part of a sisterhood

And here’s the big one. All women (not forgetting our trans friends, too) between about 12 and about 52 menstruate. That’s more than three billion around the world, and right now one in four of us are experiencing a very similar thing. That’s kinda powerful. On a more local scale: you and your bestie empathising with each other and sharing a packet of tampons? Also gold.