Self Care for PCOS: Small Changes that Make a Big Impact
A PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) diagnosis can feel overwhelming. When I was diagnosed 23 years ago, I felt both frustrated and relieved. I finally had an explanation for so many embarrassing and confusing problems in my life. Resources were scarce, and the internet was still young. But with a little research and holistic deduction about how the body works, I found that I knew more than my doctors at the time when it came to supporting myself beyond the birth control pill.
Thankfully, we know so much more about the syndrome now and much of what helps is at least partially within your control. There are steady, supportive practices you can do that truly make a real difference in how you feel.
Below are six approaches rooted in Chinese Medicine, hormonal health, and functional wellness. You don’t need to do them all at once. Start where you are. Let things build over time and soon you will be living a PCOS-supportive lifestyle.
1. Reduce Endocrine Disruptors
People with PCOS tend to be more sensitive to hormone-disrupting chemicals found in everyday products. These are especially common in anything scented or made of soft plastic. Reducing your exposure can support hormonal balance over time.
One of the most impactful changes you can make is swapping out products that touch your skin or enter your body, like laundry detergent, shampoo, lotion, air fresheners and plastic cookware for cleaner alternatives.
A helpful tool: the free EWG Healthy Living app lets you scan products and see how they rate for safety. It’s an easy way to start making informed choices, one product at a time.
2. Eat in a Way That Supports Digestion and Blood Sugar
In Chinese Medicine, PCOS often involves patterns like dampness and phlegm, along with Spleen and Kidney imbalances. Nutritional support focuses on strengthening digestion and reducing stagnation.
Supportive practices:
Eat warm, cooked meals with plenty of vegetables and high-quality protein.
Avoid cold and raw foods like smoothies, raw salads, and iced drinks. These can weaken digestion over time.
Favor low-glycemic carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, legumes, and whole grains like millet or brown rice.
Minimize processed sugar and refined flours, which spike insulin and contribute to symptoms.
3. Support Gentle Detoxification
Your liver plays a major role in processing and eliminating hormones. Supporting it can ease inflammation and help bring your cycle into balance.
Simple ways to do that: add bitter greens to your meals (like dandelion or arugula), sip on herbal teas like spearmint or nettle, or try a castor oil pack once or twice a week. (I have a DIY handout and can do your first pack at your next treatment if you’re curious.)
4. Move with Kindness
Exercise is important for PCOS, but it shouldn’t be extreme. In fact, overdoing it can backfire by increasing stress hormones. Consistent exercise supports circulation, dramatically reduces insulin resistance, shifts testosterone levels, and helps regulate stress without draining your reserves.
Movement like walking, dancing, yoga, Pilates, and moderate strength training is what I would recommend.
5. Prioritize Rest and Nervous System Support
PCOS and stress are deeply connected. Sleep deprivation and chronic stress can throw off insulin and cortisol levels, both of which can worsen symptoms.
Focus deep sleep by winding down before bed, limiting screen time, and carving out space for calm. Acupuncture, journaling, meditation, and prioritizing your peace in life and relationships can help your system live more often in rest and digest (sometimes called rest and reproduce). This is the side of the nervous system you need for your PCOS body.
6. Cycle and Symptom Tracking
Whether you use a journal or a period tracking app, it’s useful to keep an eye on your cycle and symptoms. Noticing changes over time helps you understand your body and share clearer info with your care team.
If you and I are working together this information is incredibly useful for me to see where we need to balance you. In Chinese medicine, the menstrual cycle is considered another vital sign, like your pulse rate or blood pressure, and gives us almost all the information we need to diagnose your unique patterns of imbalance.
Personally as someone with PCOS, the tracker gave me a global look at my symptoms and cycle length over time. It helped encourage my lifestyle changes as well as strengthened my commitment to using Chinese medicine to regulate my cycle. I could see where stress (my wedding!), nutrition, and exercise were a factor. My tracking app gave me metrics that felt like wins.
You don’t have to do everything all at once. Start with what feels doable. PCOS often brings fatigue, brain fog, and low motivation. This is part of the picture of “dampness” in Chinese Medicine. It doesn’t mean you’re failing. It just means things might take time to shift, and that’s okay.
If you’re feeling stuck or unsure where to begin, I’m here to help you find the next right step. You deserve care, support, and ease.
One of the best things I have found for my PCOS is community. If you would like to meet a friends with PCOS, let me know. I am happy to make introductions with permission between my clients. Your experience is not unique and connecting with someone who understands can help put things into perspective.