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Today we're going to be going over our Menstrual Phase.
Did you know you have strengths (and weaknesses) in each phase of your cycle?
Did you know that there are four phases in your menstrual cycle?
Did you know you can use this knowledge of the phases of your cycle to your advantage?
Enjoy,
Victoria
I’ve seen a number of people talking about intuitive eating, where you listen to your body and eat what you feel like, not forcing meals if you’re not hungry and just eating what you want.
I’ll always be learning and evolving in this area of life, but I have made great progress over the past few years to just listening to my body.
Who would have ever thought it would have been so difficult to just give your body what it needs?
I’ve talked before about some different strengths and weaknesses we have in each phase of our cycle. And that’s the obvious first step, just recognizing the different phases and acknowledging that you have different needs in each.
I feel like I’ve done a good job this past menstrual phase (period) of really slowing down, and going about my days differently.
Normally, I love getting up early and getting going on my day of work pretty soon after.
But last Monday was the start of a new cycle, and for whatever reason, it hit me fairly hard.
I was exhausted, but not sleeping well, which just snowballs as you know. I was feeling zero motivation for work and frustrated for that lack of spark.
I wanted to stay home and be alone but knew I would feel more inspiration if I went out and worked somewhere public.
So, instead of pushing myself to conform to my normal schedule I decided to create a new one for that week.
I let myself sleep in. I took my mornings slowly, making sure I was eating a breakfast, even if it was something small.
The weather was nice so I made sure I was spending time outside, walking to the coffeeshop or library to work, going on walks in the afternoon, getting a bit of physical movement each day. Even if this meant cutting my work day short I knew that getting outside when it was warm, and moving was going to do for me mentally and physically then forcing myself to stay inside and work.
Each morning after I made my way to where I was going to work for a bit, I wrote out a to-do list, and focused on the things I had to actually get done for the day. Then if I got those tasks completed, and didn’t feel like working for the rest of the day I didn’t.
There was one day that I was feeling very reflective, thoughtful and curious. And I used that to focus on some research I needed to do instead of pushing myself to do other projects I wasn’t drawn to. This was a way for me to still be productive, but also to listen to what I needed that day.
I always find that my menstrual phase is a great time to reflect on how things went last month, what goals I want to focus on coming up. And it’s always a great idea to come up with ideas for content, projects or things I want to do.
I know I’m very lucky in that I have control over my work days, but there are ways you can support your needs regardless of your lifestyle.
One thing that always helps me is to cut back on how social I am during my period. Instead, I choose to focus on myself, have a little pamper "me" time, and plan meet-ups for the following week when I’ll be wanting to connect with others.
Sleep is always a big thing for me. And while we can’t all sleep in, we can usually tweak our bedtime a little. Whether this is to squeeze in 30 more minutes or sleep or an hour more. I promise this always has such a positive effect for me. And make sure the quality of sleep you’re getting is adequate. If you’re tossing and turning it doesn’t matter how much time you spend in bed. You’re not going to be well rested.
For me this meant taking a homeopathic sleep aid a few nights, and giving myself to wind down with a little meditative music to fall asleep to. I’m very guilty of technology right up until bed time. But I always notice it’s negative effect more during my period. Give yourself an hour or so before bed to disconnect. Maybe this can be when you get ready for bed, take a bath, read a book, meditate, whatever fits into your schedule.
And whenever I focus on taking care of myself during those few days of my period I ways find that I come out of it with so much energy, motivation and spunk for life and work. So, while I feel that frustration during my period of “why can’t I just focus and be productive?!” I always remind myself to give myself those few days and all of that will return soon enough.
This month that meant that the first of my period was pretty rough and I didn’t get much done, the second day was a bit better, but by the third day I was back at it and super productive. I just have to back off for a few days and the results are so worth it for me.
What are ways in which you listen to your body? How do you nurture yourself? What are some of the things you’ve noticed since you’ve taken more of an intuitive approach?
I’m on a real winter kick right now.
But I had a bit of a revelation when it occurred to me that winter was an awful lot like our menstrual phase.
When I went to look into it I saw I (obviously) wasn’t the only one who’d made this connection.
I’ve seen beautiful illustrations where the seasons have been linked to the phases of our cycle.
Winter = Menstrual
Spring = Follicular
Summer = Ovulatory
Fall = Luteal
So, seeing as the first day of winter is on its way (December 21st) I thought I would sit down and talk about why I think winter is like the menstrual phase.
+ slow down
If you think about summer it seems like someone is always inviting you to a BBQ, picnic, to go for a bike ride, etc. We’re always trying to get outside, enjoy the weather, and go, go, go.
This doesn’t mean we completely stop living in the winter, but it changes does it? It calms down, there’s not that same urgency.
It’s the perfect time to get together with friends and family, sit around and have a glass of something or share a meal. To reconnect and have a good laugh.
+ rest
Bears hibernate in the winter, but humans don’t. And while I’m not promoting a sedentary lifestyle it’s definitely a good time to get your beauty rest.
While I go to bed by 10 p.m. most nights regardless of the season I know plenty of people who have fun-filled nights that last early into the morning.
This doesn’t mean you can’t go out and have a good time but maybe make an effort to get your eight hours during the colder months.
+ reflect
We’re naturally more reflective during our periods, and I think the same is true in the winter. I’ve had some profound mental and emotional journeys within myself curled up on the couch, under some twinkly lights and a mug of something hot or a glass of something red.
Winter is the perfect time to get back into journaling. So, grab yours, dust it off and just sit down with a pen each day.
+ renew
Picture the caterpillar in its cocoon. Think of the feeling of complete refreshment when you come out of a really nourishing menstrual phase.
This is a time I like to focus on self-care. And yes, I pamper the heck out of myself. I’m talking Epsom salt baths, face masks, manicures, pedicures, hydration, eating my plants, all things to nourish myself so I came come out of it as one spectacular butterfly!
I plan on going about this winter just as if it were my menstrual phase, and I’m really excited to see how it differs come spring from years past.
[We’re a week and a half out from the next session of my Chart Your Cycle course which just so happens to start the day before the first day of winter. Learning how to chart was one of the most brilliant things I could do for myself, and I encourage anyone interested in connecting to their body and their cycle in a new way to give it a go!]
Even though I’ve dug into, and learned to love all aspects of my cycle, I am still caught off guard time to time by that week that overlaps the end of one cycle and the start of the next.
It falls on the last few days of the luteal phase and first few days of the menstrual phase (your period).
Today, I wanted to go over what I notice during this week and how I deal with it:
+ I am TIRED, exhausted, to a point that coffee can’t combat.
I go to bed earlier, sleep in just a little longer, and I don’t feel guilty about it. And if there’s a day I need a nap, I take a 30 minute to an hour long nap, and don’t feel guilty about it.
I get outside more, or just go out and run an errand. Getting up from my desk and out of my apartment usually gives me a little boost.
+ My motivation goes straight out the window.
This one is so much harder to accept than feeling tired. I get frustrated when I don’t feel that usual spark for work I normally have.
There is only one way to handle this. Cut down your to-do list to what absolutely must get done that day. And focus on getting that done, give yourself more time and more breaks throughout the day. And if that’s all you accomplish, congratulations, celebrate it!
You can be productive on a different level when your motivation is low. Find that balance, that happy medium.
+ Feeling blah, meh, wanting to curl up in a ball and do nothing.
There’s a time and a place to just let this take over, and I’ll usually allow myself one day to be a human blob. But if you’re going to do it, commit to it, don’t feel an ounce of guilt and really just bask in the glory of doing absolutely nothing.
I also find time for mindless tasks I don’t make time for during the rest of the month. Usually decluttering or deep cleaning, organizing or sorting. Things that are on your to-do list but aren’t top tier essential must do's.
+ Feeling more blue and gloomy than usual.
This is the time to pamper yourself. With food, with bubble baths, music, whatever makes you feel loved by yourself.
It’s also a great time to do some reflection on life. Look at what you’ve been spending your time working on, or doing lately. Are you happy with how you’ve allocated your time? Are there things you wish you would make more time for? What changes can you make going forward to curate your days into what you want them to be?
This phase (or combo of phases) is pretty much the same as the end of fall, headed into winter. Think about when the weather starts to get colder than you're comfortable with, the days get darker, shorter, more gray. You don’t just stop living because it’s not as exciting and fun. You learn to adapt and change your habits during the colder months.
Learn to look at your cycle in a similar light. How can you adapt to make the most out of each phase?
