Cycle Awareness
Many women never track their menstrual cycles until they’re trying to get pregnant. In this case, it is solely for the purpose of identifying ovulation, in the hopes of timing intercourse and achieving conception.
It is a crying shame that we teach women that their cycles are only good for having babies (or worse, only a problem to be experienced once a month, when you’re not pregnant).
Knowing the day and phase of your menstrual cycle at any given time can be your superpower. The ebb and flow of hormones throughout the month is directly linked to your mood, motivation, and mojo.
I schedule my entire life - family outings, social dates, business moves - around the phases of my cycle. When I try to push myself at the wrong time of the month, I end up overwhelmed, exhausted and resentful. Conversely, harnessing the energy of rising estrogen in my follicular phase is my secret weapon (in my home and my business).
Let’s dive in.
MYTH: Cycle Tracking is Only for “Younger” Women.
Despite what you may have been told, being mindful of one’s menstrual cycle is not just for twenty-something women who are trying to get pregnant. Cycle tracking or cycle awareness is an empowering tool for all cycling women – whether you’re 28 and trying to conceive or 42 and transitioning into perimenopause. Recognizing what cycle phase you're in and the patterns that coincide with that phase can help you unlock knowledge about your health.
This knowledge can help you understand why you feel the way you feel.
That mysterious spike in anxiety, dip in energy or increased hunger no longer has to be a mystery.
The Menstrual Cycle as a Fifth Vital Sign
When you visit the doctor, they are likely to check your vital signs. What’s your pulse and respiration rate? Do you have a normal body temperature? How is your blood pressure doing? Your provider regularly monitors these vital signs because they provide clues for how your body is functioning.
When one of these signs is off, it can indicate health concerns that need addressing.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians have both proposed reframing assessment of the menstrual cycle as the 5th vital sign - to be considered when evaluating a female’s total health picture.
Our monthly cycle is integral to our well-being as women.
Irregular changes in your menstrual cycle can be a sign of hormonal imbalance, thyroid dysfunction, blood sugar irregularities, inflammation and stress.
Tracking changes in your cycle can clue you in to what lifestyle factors may be negatively affecting you, such as physical stress (think overexercising), mental stress and poor nutrition.
It is vital that we take the time to listen to our bodies when they are telling us something is off.
Menstrual Cycle 101
When the menstrual cycle is mentioned, we often think of our monthly period. However, there are more important things happening each month than menstruation. Each phase of our cycle matters, but especially ovulation.
The Cycle Phases as Seasons
The menstrual cycle has four distinct stages: menstruation, the follicular phase, ovulation and the luteal phase. We can break down the four phases of our cycle just as we break down the four seasons of the year - winter, spring, summer and autumn.
Just as we find our energy levels, interests and mood changing over the course of an entire year, we can see a similar pattern over the course of a single month. Women are cyclical beings, and if we harness that knowledge, instead of falling victim to it - we can thrive.
Days 1-5 (in a 28 day cycle)
Plummeting progesterone levels bring on the shedding of your uterine lining. In fact, your estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest during this phase which is likely to leave you with lower energy levels than usual. Go easy on yourself and give your body the rest it needs - it’s okay to go into hibernation mode for a bit. Now is the best time to cuddle up with a good book.
Menstruation is also a pro-inflammatory state. Inflammatory chemicals play a role in breaking down the uterine lining and stimulating bleeding. Some women experience an increase in other discomforts during this phase such as headaches, joint pain and acne.
Leading up to day 14 (in a 28 day cycle)
Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) is now being produced by your pituitary gland as your body gets an egg ready for ovulation. While your progesterone levels are still low, your estrogen levels are on the rise (and so are your energy levels!). Take advantage of your newfound vitality by getting creative or tackling that goal you’ve been shying away from.
This is a great time to push yourself physically. Inflammation is at its lowest.
Around day 14 (in a 28 day cycle)
One of your ovaries has released an egg, estrogen has climbed to its highest level and your fertility has peaked (as has your energy). Now’s the time to dive into invigorating activities. Try that new pilates class or take a weekend getaway!
Day 15-28 (in a 28 day cycle)
At the start of your luteal phase your estrogen and progesterone are rising to both peak around day 21 (in a 28 day cycle). After day 21, both hormones are on the decline. This often coincides with a significant drop in energy and those dreaded PMS symptoms such as fatigue, headaches and bloating. You are also more likely to experience mood changes such as tension and anxiety.
To stabilize and downward trend in hormone it’s imperative that you keep stress low during this phase. Use this as an opportunity to reflect inwards. Focus on activities that bring you peace and comfort, such as meditation or yoga.
The seasons analogy can help you prepare for each cycle phase just as you adapt for the seasons of the year. If you know when to challenge yourself, when to get creative or when to move inwards for some much needed recuperation, you can thrive during your cycle instead of simply surviving during it.
I recommend starting your cycle awareness journey with cycle tracking.
Most women do not have a 28 day cycle, and most women do not ovulate on day 14. To know your cycle - you need to know you data.
Data = Power
The more you can learn about your own cycle each month, the deeper the connection you can create with yourself.
How to Track Your Cycle
Start by logging the first day of your period (the first day of bleeding). We love tracking apps such as Natural Cycles or Flo, but there’s also nothing wrong with the old-school paper method (free downloadable cycle tracker below).
The more information the better, so don’t fear the details! Log your period length (how long you are actually bleeding), as well as the amount and color. Don’t forget to track any symptoms you may be experiencing. As you begin to see patterns over time, you will be amazed by how many symptoms are actually linked to your cycle.
Hone in on your appetite, digestion, energy levels, and mood.
Continue to track these symptoms throughout your entire cycle - you will start to notice how your body changes throughout each phase of your cycle.
Feeling extra motivated to pick up the pace during your workout? Sounds like you might be in your follicular phase. Hitting the snooze button and feeling a bit ornery? Hello luteal phase!
While we can guess where we are in our cycle based on previous months, the only way to truly confirm this is through your basal body temperature. Your body temperature slightly rises following ovulation, due to increasing progesterone levels. It will continue to rise before taking a big dip, signaling your approaching period (or stay high if you’re pregnant).
To track your basal body temperature you will need a high-precision thermometer to 1/100th of a degree. Be sure to measure your temperature first thing in the morning before getting out of bed. The slightest thing can throw off your numbers, so take your temperature before any activity and aim for the same time each morning.
This powerful tool not only confirms when you ovulated, but can also offer key insight into your overall health. For example, a lower than-normal body temp can indicate adrenal dysfunction or thyroid disease.
If you don’t want to worry about remembering to measure your temperature each morning, there are continuous monitor options available. We personally love the Oura Ring, which automatically measures your temperature while you sleep (as well as other trackers such as heart rate variability and sleep quality). As an added bonus, it syncs automatically with the Natural Cycles app. A total game changer!
Bottom line: the more data you can gather about you and your health, the better.
Cycle Awareness Over Age 35: Perimenopause
Perimenopause is a natural transitional phase for women. Unfortunately, it can bring declining energy levels, mood fluctuations, sleep disruptions and weight gain.
This is because the perimenopausal shift ushers in even greater hormonal fluctuations than we are used to. This leaves us particularly vulnerable to hormonal imbalance, inflammation, unbalanced adrenals and stress.
This means that acknowledging your cycle variations is more important now than ever! How are you supposed to support your body during hormonal deviations, if you don’t actually know when your hormones are falling and rising?
We cannot simply rely on the calendar method (tracking our average cycle lengths), especially during perimenopause. Your menstrual cycle becomes increasingly unpredictable, with irregular cycles and heavier or lighter than usual periods being a hallmark of this phase of life. By paying attention to how your cycle patterns change overtime, you can fine-tune your daily life to meet the needs of your ever-changing body and mind. This might mean nurturing your body with high-quality sleep, regular movement, and nourishing foods or caring for yourself and taking it easy when you need it.
As long as you are still cycling, it is never too late to discover the internal roadmap of your energy levels, metabolism, and mood variations. This means understanding your cycle physiology (what is happening to your body) and your cycle psychology (what is happening to your mind). If you have been ignoring this extensive communication system, start listening! You won’t regret it.
Cycle Awareness References:
Taking Charge of Your Fertility