Period Power summary

Hormones like estrogen and progesterone don’t just tell your uterus what to do. They affect your mood and behavior in all kinds of ways, regulating your energy, sleep, libido, and appetite. In fact, hormones don’t just affect menstruators – they rule all humans!

Because your menstrual cycle comprises an ebb and flow of hormones, the mental and physical changes you experience throughout can feel quite drastic. 

The first day of your period is the first day of your menstrual cycle. This is winter, the season of death and rebirth. 

Around the start of your period, your hormones drop to their lowest levels. Along with having to deal with all that blood coming out of your vagina, this can leave you feeling tired, emotional, and anxious. As your body releases natural pain-relieving hormones such as oxytocin and endorphins, you might even find yourself feeling a little high – “menstrual tripping” is a real phenomenon!

The transition from winter to spring is a pleasant one for most of us, as we feel our energies increasing and our mood boosted. 

Your ovaries are now busy selecting and grooming the egg to be fertilized, and your estradiol rises to get you ready for ovulation. Positivity and motivation return, and you’ll feel light, energetic, and playful. 

For many of us, life feels easiest in summer – and the same holds true when it comes to your menstrual cycle. Summer is the time right before, during, and after ovulation. 

Leading up to ovulation, estradiol reaches its peak, triggering luteinising hormone and testosterone. Testosterone is often mischaracterized as a “male” hormone, but it plays an important role in female reproductive health too, boosting your energy and sex drive.

For a lot of us, the high of summer is followed by somewhat of a crash in fall. You suddenly feel sad, cranky, and tired. Your body is now forcing you to slow down and withdraw – either because it already has a baby inside, or because it has to get ready to do it all again. 

Some might be lucky enough to experience an “Indian Summer” after ovulation, as levels of estrogen and progesterone slightly rise again. But in the week before our periods, when hormones fall rapidly, most of us struggle with our mood and energy. At this point, you may experience some or all of the approximately 150 symptoms of PMS, or premenstrual syndrome, which include fun things like headaches, bloating, constipation, teariness, and anxiety. 

Your hormones evolve with you. As you age and change, so will your menstrual cycle. 

When you first get your period, your menstrual cycle can be a bit of a wild ride. On average, you’ll get your first period around age 12 or 13. Even if you already bleed regularly, it can take awhile for you to ovulate – our ovaries need practice to develop a “good” egg. Your body is still getting the hang of things, and your hormones might be a bit unbalanced. Your cycle may be longer or shorter, and your period heavier or lighter, than what is considered “normal” for adults. 

There are many things you can do to regulate your cycle and boost your menstrual health. Most changes will come to you naturally as you track your cycle and become familiar with your particular moods, quirks, and behaviors. 

A lot of menstrual health tips are pretty straightforward. A diet rich in nutrients from vegetables, healthy fats, and proteins will improve digestion and help your hormones stay on track. If you have PCOS, cutting out dairy, gluten, and sugar will be especially important to improving your condition.