Simplifying Life Through Harmony with Your Natural Cycle
Beyond the inconvenience of period pain, mood swings, and irritability, a menstrual cycle holds more significance. Through the cycle strategy, you gain insight into understanding your body and cooperating with its natural rhythms.
You know it: a few days before your period you always feel tired, weak and basically have very little energy and again and again, when your period starts, you have the flash of inspiration: “Oh, that’s why!” It's not uncommon to be surprised or questioned as to why you felt so different the day before, and everything has one answer: the menstrual cycle. So it's funny that we so often don't pay attention to it and it's seen as more of an annoying souvenir from the uterus. Precisely because it determines our everyday life so much, we should pay conscious attention to it and live in harmony with it instead of ignoring it.
Hormone controlled
Basically, we humans are all hormonal and the menstrual cycle is no exception. During the first half of the menstrual cycle, estrogen levels rise as well as testosterone levels, causing our energy to be directed primarily outwards. However, after ovulation, progesterone levels increase, which in turn directs our energy inward and grounds us. All of this determines the ups and downs that menstruating people experience within a cycle.
Understanding the body
In principle, the cycle strategy is about working with the body rather than against it and to do this you have to understand your own body well. The individual phases must be recorded and consciously perceived, because only then can you plan around the cycle. The best way to find out is to track your cycle; apps, tables or simply writing something in your notebook can help.
Why cycle strategy?
The cycle says a lot about our health, with irregularities or absence of cycles, the body tells us that something is wrong. And even if it is regular, living in harmony with the cycle can avoid a lot of stress and inconvenience.
In addition to understanding your own body, the focus is on better self-care. It's about actively paying attention to what your body is trying to tell you, for example what your energy level is, and reacting accordingly. It's also about recognizing situations in which you simply don't feel good and letting go of tasks without feeling guilty . It can also increase productivity because you can schedule your tasks so that they can always be completed in the appropriate phase. And last but not least: It also strengthens the connection to your own femininity. The connection to one's own body and femininity is often put in the background, but it is important to develop a feeling of pride and acceptance for one's own menstruating body. Menstruating is a beautiful thing that you can be proud of.
Only as far as possible
Of course, it is very unrealistic to align everything according to your cycle: work, private life, and other events usually follow different paths. But that doesn't mean that you adjust your entire everyday life accordingly, but rather that you are aware of how you feel and respond to it and adjust the things that you can control. Even small steps can make a big difference.
The different phases
The winter
The cycle restarts on the first day of bleeding. Winter is, just as the season describes it, gloomy, quiet and slow. Now it's time to relax, which is often not possible otherwise because of period pain. Your own well-being comes first, so it is very important to take time for yourself. It doesn't matter whether it's the whole day or just 20 minutes of rest - but it should be chosen consciously. You can design this completely individually, maybe a series marathon on the couch, a walk or a bubble bath.
Otherwise, you should at best plan routine tasks in winter - something that doesn't take a lot of energy and stick to what you're familiar with instead of trying new things. Paperwork and tasks that you can do alone are good options. And still: You can only do what you can - feelings of guilt because you can't do everything or putting pressure on yourself and your body only make you more stressed. It's okay not to be able to do everything all the time, especially during your period. You should also take it easy on sports and do gentle yoga or walks.
In addition, winter, along with autumn, is the phase in which the energy is directed inwards. So it's a good time to reflect and think about what's really important to you. Letting go of things that have been bothering you for a long time is important because it is not just a physical cleansing process.
The spring
Just as spring is about blooming plants, sunshine and more exercise, it is about the cycle. Estrogen levels rise and you feel more motivated, energetic and open, self-confidence increases and self-esteem becomes stronger. The energy is directed outward, so it makes sense to socialise more with people here. The desire to strengthen oneself more in social life is increasing, so it's good to plan meetings with friends and the like. You also have more physical energy: you can now go all out in terms of sport and let out your excess energy with strength training, for example.
In general, spring is characterised by the desire to do and try something new. It is often the time when it is good to start new projects, although you should be careful not to overdo it, because this time will also pass at some point. This phase also allows you to work on new routines and set new goals. The most productive time is yet to come: Now the focus is on ideas, curiosity and planning.
The summer
Summer is the time when you have the most energy. Estrogen production reaches its peak and testosterone also increases, everything that was in the starting blocks in spring is now taken to the extreme. You're bursting with energy and even feel invincible.
So it's the time for parties and activities with lots of friends, you're just in the mood for fun. It is the opportunity for a vacation or short trip or a visit to a club. In addition, new and unknown situations do not overwhelm you as quickly as usual - now is the time for risks and a general "yes" to the world and all its adventures. You can also get rid of all that energy through sport: intensive strength training and demanding workouts are best suited here.
Otherwise, you can also use the social energy in other ways: Here you can have meetings, job interviews, meetings with the in-laws, give speeches, etc. start: especially when activities are strenuous, they have their best place here. This is also where you are most productive when it comes to projects, it is easy to concentrate and working with others is particularly useful in this phase. Now you can really be productive and pursue all your obligations, especially if you've been putting them off for ages. Of course, all of this doesn't mean that you should overpack your schedule, because as soon as estrogen levels level off again, all of these tasks can become overwhelming again. So it's important not to overdo it.
Biologically speaking, reproduction is the most important thing around ovulation, and libido is higher than ever in summer. In everyday life, this means that flirting or a new time together with your partner are now more in the foreground. How about a special date night?
The autumn
At some point the sunny and bright days come to an end: a few days after ovulation, autumn comes. Estrogen levels drop and progesterone levels begin to rise.
After the exciting summer, you can slowly calm down again and focus your attention inwards. How are you actually? In such moments it can happen that the inner critic becomes louder and self-doubt takes over, so you can't be too hard on yourself. Distraction in the form of your favorite series or time with loved ones can be a great help. At the same time, PMS is an issue that is accompanied by fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating, mood swings and many other symptoms. Therefore, getting enough sleep and exercise is now essential.
Now is also a good opportunity to do work that can be done alone. Because: The distraction that dominates the summer is gone and you can concentrate better on one thing again.
