Practicing Self-Care Throughout Your Menstrual Cycle & Syncing Your Activities To Align with Your Energy
We as women are incredibly cyclical and mystical in nature. Have you noticed how you feel different physically, energetically and emotionally at different points throughout the month?
For example, you might feel inspired, energized and optimistic at one point in your cycle while you might feel moody, more self-centered and low energy at another point.
That's because your menstrual cycle has a natural ebb and flow, leaving you feeling more energized and vibrant at certain times and more introspective, emotional and withdrawn at others.
If you are in tune with your body's rhythm or you chart your cycle using the Fertility Awareness Method, you may have observed how your changing hormones contribute to these differences.
This knowledge of your body can help you better tailor your self-care routine to meet your physical and emotional needs at different points in your cycle. More, it leads to hormonal balance and promotes wellbeing.
The FOUR different phases of your menstrual cycle.
Before we jump into self-care ideas that align with the natural flow of your menstrual cylce, you must first know the phases of your menstrual cycle.
Your cycle is broken into four phases:
- Follicular Phase
- Ovulatory Phase
- Luteal Phase
- Menstrual Phase
During each of these phases your hormone levels are different and this affects how you are feeling on a physical, energetic and emotional level.
Since self-care is all about knowing how to best take care of yourself, knowing how each phase of your cycle affects you is invaluable. Use this information to make your self-care routine better!
1. Self-Care During Your Follicular Phase
Your Foliccular Phase lasts about 7 to 10 days. During this time your ovaries prepare to release an egg and your follicles are rapidly growing. Your estrogen levels rise triggering your uterine lining to thicken in preparation for the possibility to host a fertilized egg and ovulation (your next phase).
Overall, you’re likely to have more energy during this phase of your cycle because of your higher estrogen levels. Since you have more energy during this phase you can take a more active approach to your self-care routine during this time of month.
Save the relaxing baths and lounging on the couch for another day and focus on getting out there and doing things while you have this energy. For example, go for an evening walk or run, plan activities with the kids, visit the gym, lift heavier weights, travel, got to an event, visit a friend, have date night with your man, or a night out with your girls.
Your self-care goal during this phase is to engage with this higher energy and be more social and active.
2. Self-Care During Your Ovulatory Phase
Your Ovulation Phase lasts about 3 to 4 days. And, during it, your hormone levels change triggering a follicle (that contains an egg) to burst open and travel through your fallopian tube into the uterus. As in the follicular phase, estrogen levels continue to rise so that your uterine lining continues to thicken.
Overall, you may continue to feel like you have more energy and will be more stable mood-wise. In fact, while you're ovulating you'll likely to feel the most energetic out of any time during the month.
Your self-care will probably feel the easiest in this phase because you have the energy to invest into your self-care routine. What you do during this time of the month looks similar to your Follicular Phase, your previous phase.
Focus on workouting out, spending time with friends and family, and engaging in your favorite leisure activities and hobbies. For example, if you like hiking, skating or swimming, this a great time to hit the trails, parks, skating rink or pool because your energy levels are high. Or, if you love going to networking or sporting events, check out tickets in your area and gather a few friends together to go.
Explore your adventurous side during this time!
3. Self-Care During Your Luteal Phase
During your Luteal Phase, which last approximately 10 to 14 days, the hormone progesterone rises which signals to the body to keep the uterine lining intact. Estrogen levels also continue to rise. If the egg has not been fertilized your progesterone production drops until it halts, triggering the start of your period.
During this phase your energy levels will decline and you may start to experience premenstrual symptoms such as bloating, irritability, and certain cravings.
Since your energy levels are starting to decline, snuggling up on the couch with a good book, taking a relaxing bath or womb steaming begins to sound much more appealing than going out for a brisk walk or going through an intense workout at the gym. Even body work such as massage, acupuncture or yoga sound more inviting during this time.
Try going to the gym for a shorter amount of time and doing a less intense workout. Another great self-care option during this phase is setting up a coffee (or tea) date with a friend. It doesn’t require a lot of effort or energy but you still feel like you are out and about doing things.
4. Self-Care During Your Menstrual Phase
Your Menstrual Phase lasts anywhere from 3 to 7 days and is triggered by a drop in progesterone production (which started during the luteal phase). This triggers your period to start, the shedding of your uterine lining.
For a lot of women, this phase can be tough, especially if you have difficult, heavy or painful periods. Go purchase Period Tea or Period Support to improve your period health and relieve your monthly menstrual cycle symptoms.
Self-care during this phase is all about relaxation, resting and taking it easy. It’s important to make sure you aren’t overwhelming yourself during this lower energy phase. Instead of intense exercises, opt for gentle movements that promote relaxation, restoration and hormonal balance.
Also do not overschedule your calendar so that you can minimize your exposure to stress. If you don’t feel up to your usual activities and commitments, give yourself permission to stay home and rest.
In Summary...
As you can see, knowing what to expect during each phase of your cycle can help you tailor your self-care routine to how you are most likely feeling energetically, emotionally and physically during that time.
Because truth is physiologically and hormonally we are not the same every day of the month. We are fluid.
An important component of self-care is recognizing what you need without judgement.
It’s not “bad” that you aren’t feeling as outgoing or energetic on certain days during the month. It's all a part of your natural biology and physiology.
It's our nature as women.
Instead of fighting it or being hard on yourself about having less energy, work with your body and take it easy. Do not pathologize it either. And then, when you have the energy that supports your active state, do those things.
Using this more personalized woman's body wisdom approach to self-care can help you experience the benefits of self-care no matter where you are in your cycle, without feeling drained, depleted or interfering with your hormones.
Love and health,
Shavonne