Fall is Like Your Luteal Phase

I love the concept that the seasons exist within your menstrual cycle, and I definitely believe there is some truth to this. 

And by exploring this I believe you can gain a better understanding of your cycle. So, in honor of the changing seasons we’re going to talk about how fall is like our luteal phase. 

First off, your luteal phase is the end of your cycle before your period comes and your cycle starts again. Depending on the length of your particular cycle it is roughly the last week of your cycle. 

So, fall is like your luteal phase, but what about the rest of your cycle? 

Well, winter is like your menstrual phase (your period), spring is like your follicular phase and summer is similar to your ovulatory phase. 

And some cycles I feel like my luteal phase is more like what I expect my menstrual phase to be, than what my period is actually like. 

It’s like vacation, often there’s a lot of build up and excitement leading up to vacation that actually lasts longer than the trip itself. And I find that my period is like that. My body and mind prepares for it longer than it actually lasts. 

So, the first similarity between fall and our final phase — we slow down. 

The energy and excitement of summer, and our ovulatory phase, wears off. If you stop to pay attention you will notice this. 

Our physical energy wains, but that isn’t necessarily a negative. Because even though physically we are pushed to slow down, mentally we’re very active and creative during this phase. 

I don’t know about you but I’m already thinking about next year, about potential goals, things I want to do and accomplish. 

And just like that our luteal phase is the perfect time to focus inward, to reflect, think and dig deep within ourselves. 

For anything you’ve been hanging onto, dragging around with you, that’s no longer serving you, this is a great time to let that extra baggage go. 

As your physical energy slows down, you may find yourself more tired than before. This reminds me of the dreary, gray weather we’re currently experiencing here in Iowa, and how this always effects my energy level. 

I feel like it’s mother nature’s way of preparing me for the hibernation of winter and my period. Yes, there are those who are super active during the winter. (We don’t have any mountains to snowboard down here unfortunately. And I’m a bit of a hermit in the winter. I like to be warm, snuggled up and cozy.) 

But I’ve been working on my relationship with winter. Well, I started last year trying to change my attitude towards the season. And learning about hygge really helped me. 

These next parts are necessarily season specific, but I’ve been feeling a draw towards them currently as the season is changing. 

I have this pull towards evolving, stepping outside my comfort zone. Doing things that are obviously going to benefit me, but I’m feeling uncomfortable about doing. 

I’m trying to break down a few walls of comfort in an effort to evolve as a business, a brand and as a person. I’m working towards being uncomfortable, whether thats in a professional way, or pushing myself in my own life. 

Instead of retreating back to where I feel comfortable when I hit that resistance, I’m trying to be ok in that sensation. Because I know that’s where growth happens. 

It’s not fun, but it’s important. 

The luteal phase is also where I find myself wanting more space and time to myself. So, I try to schedule that in. I’ve been working from home more. I find the balance between being social and being by myself depending on where I am in my cycle.

I made sure I had this past Sunday at home to get all the little things done around the house that I wanted to. I just really wanted to make a cup of coffee, put on some music and clean my apartment. 

I find something about ending my week that way very cathartic, and it sends me into the upcoming week feeling fresh, revived and ready to go. 

And just like that I like to plan out some time to do things that I want during my different phases. 

What do you feel yourself drawn towards at the end of your cycle?

My Period is a Morning Person

I’m not here to brag, even though it kind of feels like that. 

I just want to share something positive about my period. So here we go. 

My period is very polite in her arrival, and what I mean by this is I never seem to start my period in the middle of the day or the middle of the night. 

It always starts first thing in the morning when I go to the bathroom.

It’s like it waits for me to wake up, walk to the bathroom and to sit down to do my business, and then she’s like “Oh hello, good we can begin." 

And each time I’m like oh hello, thank you so much for being so patient and freaking polite. 

But just because it starts so easy doesn’t mean I don’t have my difficulties with my period. 

I still get cramps which require me to plug in my heating pad and take hot baths to soothe. 

I still leak and bleed through things, a lot. 

I still get tired, and emotional. 

But my period is a breeze compared to what it used to be. And I have a few things to thank. 

+ Going vegan — I truly believe diet has so much to do with how well your body functions. And I think going vegan played a huge role in lightening up my periods, calming the PMS and all that jazz. 

+ Getting off hormonal birth control and learning about my body — Yup, finally understanding how and why my body does different things made life so much easier. I felt empowered by this knowledge. 

+ Switching to menstrual cups and period underwear — Getting all the irritants that come with disposable products away from my vagina made everyone involved just so much happier. 

So you may be thinking “Screw her and her perfect period” but I’m here to share that even though it’s such a chill period I still have period problems. But also know that it hasn’t always been this easy and that if you have a period you’re not happy with it doesn’t have to be like that. 

I’m not saying what worked for me will work for you, or that there’s a right or wrong way to deal with cycle issues. I just want to encourage you to keep searching for your solution because I truly believe it is out there. 

What is something you’ve done that’s improved your period or cycle? 

Mild Melancholy at the End of My Cycle

I’ve gotten a similar sensation at the end of the past two cycles and I was trying to put my finger on it, to give it a name. 

And the best way to describe it is a mild melancholy, “a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause.” 

I’ve really come to terms with my cycle, my period and have grown to appreciate each of the phases for what they have to offer. 

Instead of getting frustrated or upset about something that happens I’m more curious than anything. 

And I’m pretty sure I feel this way the last day or two of my cycle because all of the plummeting hormone levels as my body prepares for the start of a new cycle. 

I just feel myself slowing down, turning inwards and either wanting to be out in nature or curled up at home.

There’s no cause for feeling “low”, but it’s not necessarily a bad feeling. I just feel reflective and a bit day dreamy. 

I find it’s best to journal, you never know what’s going to bubble to the surface. Or to get out into nature, whether that’s for a walk, run, lounge in the hammock. Being outside is what I find helps best to soothe the sad aspect of it, and nourish the pensive side of this sensation. 

Because regardless of what it is that I’m feeling I figure it’s got to be happening for a reason. The worst thing you can do is ignore a feeling or an emotion. Even if it’s negative or unpleasant, something is making you feel that way. And I find that working through it, digging into whatever it is always is what’s best. 

No matter who you are or what you do in life you’re going to come up against subconscious resistance, “Stay where you know, stay where it’s comfortable and easy.” But the best stuff is just beyond your comfort zone. Isn’t that what they always say. 

I’m guilty of trying to numb myself to things that are uncomfortable: conversations, situations, you name it. But I’ve been working to force myself to recognize these things, to acknowledge them and then ask myself where it's coming from. 

Because when I dig into it I discover new things about myself. Or I’m able to push myself outside my comfort zone where really cool things happen. 

So while some might see this sensation of melancholy as a negative aspect of getting your period, I see it as a positive. I see it as just another way my cycle connects me to things and challenges me to keep reaching for more. 

Have you noticed any interesting nuances of your own cycle that have made you stop and think? 

Stress + Your Cycle

Stress is a real pain in the ass. It has plenty of negative effects and is all around not good. 

Effects on your body:

+ headaches

+ muscle tension/pain

+ chest pain

+ fatigue

+ change in libido

+ upset stomach

+ sleep issues

Effects on your mood:

+ anxiety

+ restlessness

+ lack of motivation/focus

+ feeling overwhelmed

+ irritable

+ sadness/depression

Effects on your behavior:

+ eating too much/not enough

+ outbursts

+ drug/alcohol use

+ social withdrawal

+ exercising less

But how can it mess with your menstrual cycle? 

I can see from that list a whole host of ways it can interfere. 

If you’re in a rut of chronic stress or have recently experienced a very stressful event (think the loss of a job or loved one), your hormones can be suppressed, which can cause your period to be delayed or stop altogether. 

When you’re stressed your body secretes the hormones adrenaline and cortisol, which can suppress estrogen and progesterone production, which we know are necessary for a healthy cycle. 

Your body reacts to stress and being in a state of “fight or flight” by sending signals to your body saying "now is not a good time to get pregnant." 

I’ve seen it before in my own cycle. In a time of stress, my body will delay ovulation until things have calmed down a bit. 

And if you’re trying to conceive, stress could be playing a role in your difficulty getting pregnant. Because if your body is sending around the “not a good time to get pregnant” signal that’s no bueno.

Your PMS symptoms can also be exacerbated by stress. Think acne, irritability, fatigue and so on. Yay.

Being stressed is not another thing to stress about, there are easy things you can do to help de-stress. 

The three main things I found that help reduce stress are diet, exercise and sleep. 

If things aren’t going great we can find ourselves reaching for comfort foods that might not be nourishing our bodies how they need to be. Plan out your meals before you go shopping. What are some nutritious recipes that get you excited about cooking and eating them? Some people find meal prepping before the start of the week makes eating healthier easier. And if you have a busy life being able to grab your lunch quickly from the fridge on your way out the door is going to help a lot. 

Exercise can be the last thing on our minds when we’re stressed. “I don’t have time for that!” But there are plenty of easy ways to fit a little movement into our days. Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator, go for walks even if it’s just 10 minutes. Some people find attending a workout class works better than having to come up with a workout routine on their own. 

And along that same line can we talk about yoga for a second? Not only is it exercise but it does so much more for the mind as well. Plus you can pop on a video from YouTube and do a quick 15-minute routine in your living room. I also like doing a few yoga stretches before bed or even in bed. Just this morning I did about five minutes of stretching to prolong the whole getting out of bed thing. 

And when you find yourself restless at night, unable to sleep but exhausted, it might be worth looking into a natural sleep aid to help get you back on track with sleeping. You can try melatonin or something like Bach Rescue Sleep Liquid Melts (not sponsored, Michael loves them). 

A few other things that can help you de-stress and sleep better: meditation and journaling before bed (as well as those yoga stretches). I can’t begin to talk about how beneficial meditation and journaling has been for me. I can tell a huge difference between when I’m consistently doing both and when I’m not. 

Neither of them have to be fancy. Find a meditation app like Headspace or currently I’ve been enjoying meditating to the music on the Calm app. And just grab an old notebook and write down what you’re feeling, what happened that day and anything that comes to mind. Get it out of your head  and onto paper, and I promise you’ll feel so much better after. 

Some people like to work through things on their own (hello that’s me), but consider opening up to a friend because you’d be surprised how many people are stressed or anxious and it can help to have someone to just talk to about it. 

In the end listen to your body. Pay attention to how you’re feeling, when you need to take a break, step back and breathe. And it’s so important to make self-care a focus. Give yourself ten minutes a day of “me” time and maybe a  bit more time on the weekend to focus on yourself. 

Stress is a pain and you can definitely stress more about being stressed, which can spiral out of control. Just being conscious of it, and willing to take the time work through it goes a long way. 

What are some of your ways you deal with stress? Beyond the things I talked about today I also enjoy running, being out in nature, bubble baths, deep cleaning my apartment and having at home spa dates with myself.