Feel Like Listening Instead?
Something to listen to while you make tea, fold laundry, or pause for a moment.
With March being Women’s History Month, I’m taking this time to explore learnings, reflections, and experiences I’ve encountered as a woman. We were in the Living Room last week, sitting with the pieces I continue to carry from the women who shaped me.
Today we’ll be in the Sunroom, going back to basics: the menstrual cycle phases.
According to Cleveland Clinic, the menstrual cycle is a sequence of events that occurs as the body prepares for the possibility of pregnancy each month. Typical cycles last between 21–35 days, with the average around 28 days.
After 30 years, I stopped thinking of my menstrual cycle as a sign of weakness. Instead, I decided to learn the rhythm of my body and realized that I’m not inconsistent, I’m seasonal.
Winter: The Reset
Phase: Menstrual
Length: Begins Day 1 (the day your period starts) and typically lasts between 3–7 days
Purpose: Your period
What My Winter Looks Like: My body is going through a reset so I tend to feel lower energy, more tired, and drawn to rest and quiet.
I have had a pretty consistent workout schedule since 2020. Before learning more about the phases of the cycle, I would push myself to perform at the same energy level for each workout because I didn’t want to miss out on a day or mess up the schedule.
Now I listen to my body by skipping workouts on Day 1, since that’s usually my most intense day. If I’m feeling antsy to move my body, I’ll do some yoga or go for a walk. Then I slowly ease back into working out starting Day 2 with some pilates and make sure I drink lots of water.
Spring: Waking Up
Phase: Follicular
Length: ~13 days (overlaps with the menstrual phase); if my cycle is 28 days, this occurs from Days 1–13
Purpose: Thicken the lining of the uterus to prepare for pregnancy and form a mature egg (typically occurs around Days 10–14)
What My Spring Looks Like: My body is beginning to wake up so I’m feeling more energy, curious, and motivated.
During my follicular phase I tend to get a lot done and begin focusing on my strength training. This is when I feel the most productive and have the desire to check things off my to-do lists.
I used to think these motivational spikes or times I would get into my flow state were random. Now I can see it as an effect of me listening to my body.
Summer: Connected
Phase: Ovulation
Length: 1 day; if my cycle is 28 days, this would occur around Day 14
Purpose: Egg is released
What My Summer Looks Like: Although ovulation is technically only one day, I do feel the effects over a couple of days, commonly known as the “fertile window.” My body is at its highest energy level and I feel quite confident, social, and energetic.
I lean introverted but this is when the extroverted side of me comes out to play. During ovulation I continue to ride the wave of the follicular phase and am feeling my best in all regards. I’m more likely to say yes to social gatherings and also very creatively charged, the world is my oyster.
Fall: Winding Down
Phase: Luteal
Length: ~13 days, if my cycle is 28 days, this would occur from Day 15–28
Purpose: The egg is released from the ovary and begins traveling through the fallopian tube toward the uterus and can follow two paths:
The egg becomes fertilized by sperm and attaches to the uterine wall (known as implantation) resulting in pregnancy or,
if not pregnant, estrogen and progesterone levels begin to decrease causing the thick lining of the uterus to shed, resulting in your period and the cycle begins again
What My Fall Looks Like: Now my body is ready to wind down. I begin feeling more reflective but also more easily overwhelmed and find myself looking for structure.
As a highly sensitive person, the luteal phase can be quite emotionally charged for me. I don’t tend to keep things in anyway, so if I haven’t processed certain emotions during the month, this is when they tend to rush out. I’ve gotten better at navigating this stage but it’s definitely one of the toughest for me (and feels the longest).
What Does It All Mean?
The concept of “cycle syncing” is not a perfect formula for what to eat, how to work out, or how to plan my life. But it helped me become more mindful, understanding that my body follows patterns. This doesn’t mean I have a strict schedule, more like a rhythm to follow.
I hope that sharing how I view my cycle, and the patterns specific to me encourages you to reflect on the patterns your own body is sharing. Everyone has a different experience and it all comes down to learning about your body and what it’s telling you, one day at a time.
What patterns has your body been trying to show you?