Embracing Womanhood: A Guide to Situating Yourself Within the 4 Phases of Your Cycle
Article Published for The Creative Woman Diaries Collection, Written by Charlotte Jade Askew
Photo by Uby Yanes
Welcome to The Creative Woman Diaries.
Last year, I found out there are approximately six days in the female cycle where one can fall pregnant.
I’m twenty-eight years old, and honestly, my initial reaction was shock and then the utmost offense. I don’t know from whom I necessarily perceived the insult, but I nevertheless felt a kind of “injustice”. Twenty-eight seems rather late to be learning that fairly pivotal piece of information, and what’s more, I was enlightened by social media.
After coming across the aforementioned reel, I decided to deep dive into the research. Aside from the obvious ramifications regarding my fertility, learning this delectable truth stretched out and laid bare the cavernous gap that was my understanding of the inner workings of my own body.
Photo by Rachel McDermott
A fundamental transformation in the way I experience and understand myself.
Here’s what I remember learning during health class in high school:
a) I could (and most likely would) get pregnant at any moment.
b) I would bleed for a week every month.
Aside from being exceedingly basic, neither of these pieces of information has ultimately proved very true.
We might be here forever if we go down the rabbit hole of examining why women are not adequately educated about their bodies, and I think in this instance at least, the more helpful questions are: What now? Where did this information take me? (Because it goes a lot deeper than my cycle of fertility. )
What I’ve since discovered has fundamentally transformed the way I experience and understand myself, how I manage my mindset, and how I show up as a business owner. At the core, the root of that, is the learning that women can, and in fact would deeply benefit from, developing their mindset and day-to-day activities in a way that aligns with their monthly cycle.
Photo by Nico
The truth about my experience during the 4th phase of my cycle.
Before diving headfirst into personal growth, I experienced a form of self-torture at the hands of my own mind. The noise and chatter that went on in there — the self-deprecation, the deep, keening emotional pain that drove my thoughts and the way I spoke to myself was, as a rule, excruciating but magnified tenfold the week or so before my period each month. I knew about the existence of PMS, but I had the stereotypical and reductionist understanding of it as the tendency for women to become ‘snappy’ whilst experiencing their period, and that wasn’t my story. I didn’t become short-tempered or irritable. In fact, after the first day or so of my period, I was usually pretty productive and somewhat energized. It was the week before my period was due that I had feelings too big to get my gums around. I experienced a dip in my emotions so low, sometimes it was as if nothing in the world might be worth gazing at. This cloud would creep across the sun and then come down, snaking its arms around me as if to pull me from the world entirely.
Photo by Mathilde Langevin
What I discovered forever changed the way I conceptualize progress.
I would start to reassess my entire life from this perspective. Thoughts of ‘why’ and ‘what if.’ Every insecurity amplified. I would become lethargic and irrevocably sad, my motivation would drop so low it felt as if it were somehow below existence, and I would rake through every aspect of my life with this lens. It was as if for those few days everything in my life was suddenly wrong, but nothing had outwardly changed.
The scary part is, I would make decisions from that place. I would have unhealthy, unaligned conversations with my partner and family, as well as start considering or implementing changes at work.
It was the time I would most often hold my life up against others, and comparison, the thief of joy, would send me deeper into the emotional fug. I would decide I wasn’t where I was supposed to be in life, that I should be more successful, should have more, be more, do more, look different.
Then, 1-2 days after my period, I would go back to feeling okay again. The changes I was planning would no longer seem as necessary. My motivation would return, along with my proactive, generally optimistic attitude and my willingness to see possibilities where I just previously had been looking at obstacles.
On some level I knew this was a part of my cycle, I just had no idea that it was possible to change it or situate my relationships and career supportively around it. When I started to dig, what I discovered empowered me not only to take control of the fluctuations in my mood and mindset but forever changed the way I conceptualize progress and plan my calendar.
Photo by Ihssan Rami Azouagh
Developing an awareness of self inside each phase
The first thing I started to do was to track my cycle, and I don’t mean just marking in my diary the week my period came. I downloaded an app (there are a multitude on the market: Stardust, Clue, Natural Cycles to name a few) and I began actively tracking the length of my cycle and developed an awareness of myself in the different phases. If I was going to change throughout the month, I wanted to get clear on what was normal for me and my body. I wanted first and foremost to understand the nitty gritty of my patterns because, as with everything related to mindset (and most things in life), awareness is the first step.
At the same time, I started to actively educate myself about what I might reasonably be able to expect during the four phases. (There are references at the end of this article for podcast episodes I recommend listening to as a helpful first touchpoint with these topics. I encourage you to investigate each of the guests if you want to dive further.)
Below is my take on the four phases — outlines to serve as a general (and notedly basic) guide to mood, energy, and motivation across the cycle. The beginnings, I hope, of your journey into this delicious piece of self-knowing.
Photo by Uby Yanes
Phase 1 - Power Phase (Menstruation).
A woman’s cycle begins on the first day of her flow, which marks the beginning of her period and commonly lasts between 3-7 days. During this phase of the menstrual cycle, our body’s production of estrogen begins to increase. As estrogen is quite a cortisol-forgiving hormone (and cortisol is a hormone which contributes to our experience of stress), our ability to mitigate the effects of stress starts to amplify as the phase progresses.
Typically, we may feel inclined to rest or lean into lighter actively during the initial days of menstruation (or even throughout the entire phase). It’s also natural to experience an upward shift in energy as the days progress.
The affect on our mindset, as well as our personal and professional life during this time, is that our body can handle more cortisol-inducing activities as the phase proceeds. Once our energetic capacity increases, this shifts into the time of the month when we can start scheduling in the big meetings, run the marathon, and dive into our latest project.
While renowned holistic health expert Dr. Mindy Pelz refers to our period as our “power phase”, it is important to understand that each individual’s experience of menstruation holds unique insights and, pardon the expression, a distinctive flow. With that in mind, we can frame our experience of power in this phase as being just as unique as we are.
After about day 2 or 3 of my period, I begin scheduling in more challenging activities. I ramp up my exercise intensity and plan the bulk of my more demanding aspects of my professional role.
Photo by Jasmin Chew
Phase 2 - Creative Phase (Follicular).
In this phase (roughly days 7-10), we typically receive an influx of creative energy. Often, we naturally feel inclined to plan and create, and we may even experience ourselves as more analytical.
We can still feel reflective in Phase 2, but in a different way than what we may experience during our period. In general, our brain is functioning with clarity. So, when it comes to our mindset and how we plan our month, this is a great time for goal mapping, intention setting, and planning any kind of project. It’s also a time when our instincts are heightened, a great time to clearly listen to our gut, asking ourselves any reflexive questions we’ve been pondering the answer to.
I continue most of my activities from the end of my first phase here, and make the most of the burst of creativity by doubling down on any projects I’m working on. (For content creators, this can be the perfect time to bulk create!)
Photo by Kateryna Hliznitsova
Phase 3 - Manifestation Phase (Ovulatory).
Phase three is known to last for approximately 3-4 days. It’s the timespan during which evolutionarily we’d be trying to attract a mate, which with our energy naturally geared toward attraction, makes it the perfect time for manifestation.
Estrogen, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone all rise toward their peak approximately 2 days before ovulation. During the ovulatory phase, we also receive a hefty dose of testosterone.
It is very common to feel connected during this time. Often, our confidence can skyrocket whilst the initial (but slight) increase in progesterone helps to keep us calm and clear-headed (Bartlett, 2023). Whilst most people experience this delectable surge of energy, others can feel a momentary sense of depletion.
I have found this phase to be a great time to make some courageous moves and take action that requires a little more assurance and conviction. We’re usually highly motivated and our libido is up, and we have the energy to double down and grind out the work (Bartlett, 2023).
Healthy boundaries are vital in this phase. Having so much energy and motivation, we run the risk of overcommitting, staying at the office all day, working late into the night, overexerting ourselves in high-intensity exercise, and generally overextending simply because we have the available energy to do so. The danger here is in the impact that this has on the latter half of our cycle, the fourth phase.
We need to be wise about how we use our energy during this time, also inputting with gusto into the activities that fill and fuel us e.g., engaging in play, managing our screen time, nourishing our bodies etc. Just because we can work all day, doesn’t necessarily mean we should (Lood, 2023).
Photo by Mathilde Langevin
Casey Jacque Ad Break: One of our favourite authors on this topic is Alisa Vitti. Her most recent book, In the FLO, presents a biohacking program for women, teaching them her approach to using their natural cycle to optimize their time, diet, fitness, work, relationships, and more : Linked Here
Phase 4 - Nurture Phase (Luteal).
The final phase is the longest, and essentially the second half of the cycle, typically lasting for 10-14 days. Initially, we might experience some of the leftover energy from the Manifestation Phase here, however, this is where we need to get really clear on our boundaries and begin to conserve our energy (Lood, 2023). Where in the previous phase we could up the ante in our work and social lives, this is the phase for slowing down. Our hormone peak has passed, and we’re now experiencing a rapid drop.
Our body is craving comfort in all its forms: stability, familiarity, consistency, rest, and nourishment. Increasing our self-care here is absolutely key.
Managing stress is also essential. If we’ve been running on all cylinders during our Manifestation Phase and don’t slow down here, we run the risk of burning out entirely. This means experiencing feelings of mental fatigue, wanting to give up on our goals, and becoming discouraged in our efforts, energy, and desires. We end up blaming ourselves and thinking that something is wrong with us, when really, the feelings are often directing us to turn towards a greater degree of nourishment. A severe sense of depletion during this phase can also, potentially, be a result of how we have navigated the other phases of our cycle.
This is precisely where my struggle used to lie. The idea of “consistency” perpetuated by hustle culture had me believing if I wasn’t working to the bone every day of the month (and year) I was lazy, I didn’t want my goals bad enough, and I would never succeed. Little did I know my body is biologically programmed (and in fact needs and desires) to slow down in this phase of my cycle.
By pushing through and constantly hustling, I was inadvertently sending my body into these giant pendulum swings when it came to my mood.
Stabilizing our blood sugar during this time is important for hormone production, as well as mitigating mood fluctuations. Many studies have shown that, for some people, energy expenditure increases during this phase. Translation: We may have to adjust our energy intake to include a slight increase in food, as well eating at more frequent intervals.
I used to crave sugary foods the week before my period, and I have since found out that, in some instances, these these cravings are associated with a deficient in a particular nutrient. I have enjoyed taking a cue from Dr. Mindy Pelz, as she recommends eating smart carbs (e.g., sweet), as well as adequate protein and magnesium-rich foods (hello good quality chocolate!) to support progesterone production during this phase.
Photo by No Revisions
Shifting my relationship with intermittent fasting.
I used to be a chronic intermittent faster, which I still believe has a place as a tool for health (see Bartlett, 2023), however, when I say chronic, I mean I was doing it every, single day, and the luteal phase is a time when going without food for extended periods can actually be detrimental to our hormonal health. Fasting increases stress on the body (cue extra cortisol) and cortisol is very touchy during this phase of the cycle. When the body produces extra cortisol, it becomes a top priority in terms of what the body is focused on, which can significantly impact our menstrual cycle. As such, managing this type of stress is one of the most helpful things a woman can do when it comes to regulating her cycle (Bartlett, 2023). For many women, this may mean that she chooses to limit high-intensity exercise during this phase — switching it out for more low-impact strength-based training, long walks, and yoga, with sessions being shorter, particularly less than 30 minutes or less. (There is research that suggests exercise sessions lasting longer than 30 minutes at a time begin to increase cortisol production (Lood, 2023).)
Photo by Mathilde Langevin
Giving myself the space I need to make the big decisions.
Towards the end of the final phase, the week before our period, our energy and motivation can dip significantly, and it’s important to plan for this in terms of our calendar. Knowing and expecting that we may feel more sluggish, tired, and in need of comfort and nurturance, means that we have the opportunity to provide our bodies with those things. This can mean scaling back on social activities during this time, implementing healthy boundaries (saying no!), and delving into our self-care. (It’s a opportune time to love ourselves a little extra!)
Personally, I choose to pause making any big decisions or having difficult conversations during this phase of my cycle, as well as scale back the face-to-face work that I do. I’ve planned the month so that the tasks requiring my creativity are already out of the way, and I do my best to avoid any overtime or extra work. I also compassionately talk myself through any comparison or urge to assess myself (or my life), knowing that if that reflection is helpful, I can make space for it during the other phases of my cycle, when my body has the biological tools to process it in a healthy way.
Photo by Jon Tyson
The exquisite truth: our bodies are speaking.
The exquisite truth is that our bodies are talking to us!
The cravings, the shift in emotional processing capacity, and the energy flux across the month are all a part of our body's attempt to regulate our cycle and produce the necessary elements for its healthy functioning.
There is an inherent wisdom within us, a knowingness we were born with. The body knows what it needs and how to function if we choose to pay attention and support it. Contrary to what societal messaging tries to impress on us, it is not in our best interest to be going, going, going without rest. The first half of our cycle holds space for potency, power, and creation, and the second half makes room for the recovery that enables the return of that power in the next month.
What we do in this cycle sets us up for the next. Knowing this, and knowing that women are hormonally different every single day, we have a significant case for capsulating progress (in terms of what we achieve in the various aspects and facets of our lives) over an entire month rather than each individual day. Men experience their hormonal cycle on a daily basis and much of what society tells us is rooted in that life experience. As females, we were not designed to hustle all month long!
We can — and in many ways, benefit from! — planning our lives and expectations around our monthly cycle and the ebbs and flows that come with it.
Photo by Jessica Favaro
An absolute superpower.
Knowing which phase of my cycle I’m in and how to support myself mentally and physically through it, has been an absolute superpower. It has given me a deep level of understanding that has developed into an intuitive sense of knowing that was always there but fell prey to society's expectations.
I know now where my body is at, what it needs, and why I might be experiencing certain moods and energy fluctuations.
As women, understanding our cycle empowers us to offer kindness to ourselves when we need it, and not take as truth thoughts and feelings that may only be the result of a hormonal release, nutrient deficiency, or mismanaged energy. This knowledge prevents us from trying to interpret our feelings instead of intuitively listening to them. Think about it — are you and your partner really drifting apart or are you just experiencing the natural inclination to turn inward during the latter half of the fourth phase?
The implications are vast. I’m certain that empowering yourself with an understanding of your cycle will change the way you show up for your profession, your family, and yourself. When we situate our lives within this inner wisdom, we are able to embrace the experience of womanhood in all its glory.
To learn more from one of our FAVOURITE authors on this topic, Alisa Vitti, we’ve included a link down below. Her most recent book, In the FLO, presents a biohacking program for women, teaching them her approach to using their natural cycle to optimize their time, diet, fitness, work, relationships, and more : Unlock Your Hormonal Advantage and Revolutionize Your Life
To read fresh articles by the Casey Jacque team (released each week) visit www.caseyjacque.com.
Article Written by Charlotte Jade Askew, In-House Writer at Casey Jacque
Charlotte is a Writer, Play Therapist, and Energetic Psychology Coach living in rural Texas. Born and raised on the rugged West Australian Coastline, she is a holistic practitioner, working with the conscious and subconscious mind to cocreate transformative, mindbody healing. Her affinity for being out-of-doors rather than in, means it’s likely that when she’s not with clients or writing, you’ll find her with her horses or barefoot, sipping organic coffee.
Let’s Connect! Instagram: @inner_chatter
Read More: About the Writer
References Used:
Lood, C., & Molstad, A. (Host). (2023, September 12). YCSWU x Menstrual Mogul (No. 250) [Audio podcast episode]. In You Can Sip With Us. https://sipsquadpod.com/podcast
Bartlett, S. (Host). (2023, June 15). The Miracle Doctor: Everyone should start fasting right now! (New Science) Dr. Mindy Pelz (No. 256) [Audio podcast episode]. In Diary of a CEO https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/e256-the-miracle-doctor-everyone-should-start-fasting/id1291423644?i=1000617097208
