Are you ready for a fun, simple way to understand your hormones?
Hormones. We’ve probably all complained about them at some point but what do they actually do and how do they affect us week-to-week?
Yes, hormones can be a complex topic but I want to share some fun, simple ways to understand your hormones and really begin to honour yourself and tap into your superpowers as a woman.
O.k, picture this for a moment. Neon shirt, crimped bangs, painfully awkward health class…..
I remember sitting in health class (for me it was circa early 90’s), learning about the food guide, exercise and sex, mostly about the diseases you could get and how not to get pregnant. Oh and the horribly awkward, watch your teacher put a condom on a banana. That was about it! There really was no talk about our cycle, our hormones and what they really mean for us. It’s no wonder we all feel a little lost when it comes to this subject.
And I can’t help but think what a difference it would have made if we were taught to feel empowered by our hormones and cycle vs. burdened.
When I began to explore the topic of hormones and my cycle, I was shocked to realize how disempowered I was in this topic. Don’t get me wrong, I knew the basics - I did have 3 babies but I didn’t know the practical part - the part that showed me more self-compassion, the part that left me feeling empowered in my day to day life. I was finally able to understand why I felt a certain way.
And yes, those little chemical messengers aka hormones can be very complex (especially for us women) but to be able to embrace your hormones and find a more effortless flow in your life, it really doesn’t have to be that complicated. In fact, keep reading, as I have made this super simple and of course I bring in Beyonce to help us.
What if your hormones and your cycle were your superpower?
So I am going to break this down in a fun and easy way. Consider me your sex-ed teacher for a moment, pull up a chair, get your note pad out, because what I am about to share is a game changer (and I will only make it somewhat awkward).
O.k Class - listen up! Time to share my secrets to understanding your hormones in a fun and simple way.
1st - it’s important for us to understand that as women we do not move forward in a straight line, we move around and around this beautiful circle and each day looks and feels a little different. We are not meant to live in a linear world. This is why trying to stay consistent without honouring our cycle is almost impossible. So stop being hard on yourself, we are not meant to feel the same each and every day.
2nd- we need to understand that even if we aren’t wanting or trying to have a baby our hormones might not have gotten the message. A big part of what our key hormones do, is try to get us knocked up (and this will make more sense when you think about each phase and the hormones at play).
Note - I love science but we aren’t going to get too “science-y” here. I just want you to begin to understand what’s going on in your body during each phase of your cycle and why you feel the way you feel.
So with that we are only going to focus on three main hormones. Ladies it goes without saying, that we are complex and there is much more at play here but these three stars will help you begin to understand why you feel a certain way during certain parts of your cycle. Let’s have a look:
1) Estrogen aka your Beyonce hormone
2) Testosterone aka your Rebel hormone
3) Progesterone aka your Chill hormone
Let’s break this down into your 4 hormonal phases so you can begin to understand your hormones better.
*IMPORTANT TO NOTE: This is just a guideline and every woman is going to have her own unique relationship to her cycle
1) Your period (Day 1-7) - when it shows up in all it’s glory, that is considered Day 1 of your cycle. This is when those three hormones hit rock bottom. Yes, during this time your hormones are almost none existent compared to the rest of your cycle, which explains why many of us feel like we want to hide away from the world and we don’t have as much energy as usual.
This phase mimics the season of Winter and is often referred to as that. Very much like winter, we like to hibernate during this time. This is a very inward phase of our cycle and it’s important to honour that.
Groan, I know what you are thinking “this is why I dread it so much”, but there is actually a sort of magic that happens in this phase when we are able to honour it for what it is. This is an amazing time for self-care and self reflection. It is also a powerful time to let go of what isn’t working and set intentions for the next cycle. And listen to this, you actually have more connectivity between your right and left hemisphere, so it can be a really great time to brainstorm, dream and use your intuition.
2) Follicular phase (Day 7-14) - I consider this phase the reawakening, as estrogen slowly begins to re-emerge. This phase begins after your period ends and it’s when your follicles grow until one follicle dominates and releases an egg at ovulation.
As I’ve mentioned this is when estrogen starts to build up over time (think of this as Beyonce in her early Destiny’s Child days, not a full blown star, but getting there).
This phase is also referred to as the Spring phase and it very much mimics that season. It’s like a rebirth after you’ve let go of what you needed to let go of. You will want to get back out into the world and you will begin to feel like you have more energy. Estrogen slowly builds over time and peaks at ovulation. This hormone wants us to get out into the world. This phase is a great time to plan, set goals, make your to-do lists and begin moving into a more outward energy.
3) Ovulation (Day 14-21) - this is when your hormones are ready to party. Right before you ovulate our estrogen and testosterone peak. Yes, Beyonce is out in full swing and your testosterone creates even more energy, motivation and yes, sexual desire. We can also be a little impulsive during this time.
Many women feel best during this phase. It can be referred to as the summer phase, a time to get out into the world and socialize. This is a time where you can communicate best and biologically you are more confident and attractive during this time. Again, remember, you can’t procreate if you don’t get out there and get laid.
Seriously, whether that is your goal or not that is the biological purpose of this phase. So this is the time to get’er done, have fun and don’t forget to fill your cup, not everyone else’s (this can be a bit of a pitfall in this phase).
4) Luteal (Day 21-28) -Get your cup of tea and cozy socks ready, as this phase is often referred to as the fall phase and your energy will begin to go inward again. As soon as you ovulate, estrogen and testosterone take a nose dive. Take off that superwomen cape and get the cozy socks out. This is often the hardest phase for women.
Many of us love our summer phase and it can be a bit of a shock moving into fall (again think about this biologically - two of our favourite hormones take a nose dive - like jump off a cliff into the icy cold water - harsh I know).
This is also when our last star hormone appears, progesterone. This is considered your chill pill, again think about this, progesterone is meant to nurture and protect a potential pregnancy. It wants you home, resting, calm and consuming more calories. This is often when we can “fall off the wagon” re: a diet or lifestyle choice we’ve made that doesn’t necessarily support our hormones 100% in this phase.
Progesterone also forces us to take the rose coloured glasses off and examine things with a lot of clarity. Unfortunately the inner critic also appears in full force. This is a great time to get detailed work done, to evaluate and prepare to move back into your winter phase.
Any questions? If not, class is dismissed!
Now that you have a high level understanding of what is happening hormonally, you can begin to get a sense of how powerful it is to tap into your cycle and honour where you are at. Imagine, instead of being critical on yourself, you soften into what is actually happening in your body, accept it and even honour it. Ladies, it’s a game changer!
If you want to dive into this topic in more detail, where I actually share practical tips and strategies to begin to incorporate this into your day to day life, come join my FREE Webinar - How to Embrace your Cycle and Own your Magic. This will be packed full of value and there is no sales pitch at the end, maybe just some Beyonce tunes (pinky promise). CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.
