January, February, and March were the busiest back-to-back months I've experienced in five years.
A lot of the things on my calendar keeping me busy were good things, exciting things, necessary things, fun things, important things--but they all read as "stress" to my body.
And if I haven't before shared this vital tidbit, let me tell you now:
Stress is the #1 cause of cycle disruptions.
So of course, my cycle experienced significant disruptions over the past couple of months.
I'd love to break it down for you so you can see the parallels between what we experience in our day-to-day lives and how that translates into our menstrual cycle.
This way, when a new symptom arises in your cycle, or a common symptom intensifies, instead of being in the dark you can start to examine what may have led you here.
A tip: When sleuthing your cycle symptoms and their cause, reflect on the past three months, not just the most recent cycle, to find clues.
This is because it takes about three months for the ovarian follicle to mature and release an ova (egg) at ovulation.
So what's happening during the full growth cycle of that follicle and egg is definitely relevant to your cycle symptoms.
Here's a highlight reel of my past three months:
- 3-month intensive business program
- 3-month First Moon Circle facilitation certification program
- Husband out of town for a week = solo parenting
- Two weekend getaways
- I was on live TV
- Two separate weekend business retreats
- Hosted 6 business events, 3 personal events
- Family events like birthdays and houseguests
- A few spikes of personal/family stressors
- Surprise bathroom remodel (in progress)
- Seasickness, food poisoning, paraflu & tonsilitis
- Reiki clients, private yoga clients, guest podcast appearances
- Attended gatherings and events
- 2 photoshoots
- Started playing volleyball weekly
- Plus regular life with all its regular stressors
And here's how that translated in my body and menstrual cycle:
- Trouble falling asleep
- Ovulation pain
- Breast tenderness for my entire luteal phase
- Feeling luteal in my follicular phase (tired, cranky)
- Menstrual cramps
- Menstrual backaches and low back weakness
- Lack of motivation and energy
- Short emotional fuse/irritability
- Bloating
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Acne
- Slightly longer periods
- Shorter cycles (26 days instead of 28)
I could tell that my body was feeling the impact of this quick spike in activity and stressors (again, even positive ones) and was repeatedly reminding me that I needed to take a break, that this pace wasn't sustainable for me long-term.
I am so glad I was able to receive this message from my body, and so glad my body is continually doing her best to care for me, support me, and communicate with me.
Okay, so now what?
Now that some of the major events of the past three months have passed or are winding down, I have been feeling fewer of these, but I anticipate I'll still feel some cycle disruptions in this upcoming cycle, possibly longer.
And that's okay! I know how to support myself, and I know what these symptoms meant.
Here's what I'd love for you to remember:
Next time you're in a busy or stressful season, see if you can support yourself with some buffers before, during, and after.
For example, the best gift I gave to myself before a busy week was preparing meals ahead.
The best support I gave myself during this busy season was nervous system regulation tools and practices.
The best gift I'm giving myself after this busy season is rest, empty days, no expectations for myself.
So even when busyness happens, when we know how to support ourselves through them, we won't be unhorsed by symptoms or in the dark about cycle disruptions.
We won't be left wondering why this is happening, how long it will last, what it means, what to do about it.
When you understand how your life is the relevant context for your body, and your body is the vital context for your life, you have an indispensable map to self-support.
If you are ready to learn to read your own unique map of self-support, let's decode this together.
Book a Spotlight Session with me where we can dive into the context of your body and your current life circumstances and decode your symptoms, so we can craft a unique support plan for you while you navigate the totally normal ups and downs of this thing called life.
No more letting your cycle symptoms spiral. Get clarity, support, and a reliable map for self-support.
Let's decode your symptoms and create your cycle self-care plan.
Here's how it works:
1. Purchase your Spotlight Session here.
2. I'll email you a link to get onto my calendar for your 1-hour deep dive call. We will dive into your cycle symptoms, experiences, and examine contributing factors, then detail a unique self-care map to guide you through supporting yourself and managing your symptoms with ease.
3. We'll also have a 30-minute follow-up call a couple weeks after your Spotlight Session to see how your support map is working for you, make any tweaks, or explore anything else coming up for you.
4. If you decide that a longer coaching container would be beneficial for you, the cost of your Spotlight Session goes toward the coaching package of your choice!
5. Pro tip: I offer a free 30-minute curiosity call for prospective clients, so tack that on and you get two full hours of support in a single Spotlight Session.