Women go through cycles, just as men do, but our cycles couldn’t be more different. Men cycle on a 24 hour clock. Their hormones dip and rise in a cyclical pattern daily. You may notice this as you watch your husband, brother, son, or father. Their testosterone levels are higher in the morning and lower at night. Every day, they repeat this cycle.
However, we as women experience a whole different type of cycle. Most of us can follow it with our menstrual cycle. Typically, we have a four-week cycle that repeats itself over and over.
During week one, our estrogen levels drop. This leaves us in a quiet mood in which we would rather stay at home and sleep, rather than go out and party and socialize.
In week two, our estrogen and testosterone rise to a point where we are happy, energetic, patient, confident, and feel ready to take on a new adventure and brave the world. You also have a sharper memory, faster reactions, you are more talkative, and you feel less pain due to the higher estrogen levels. During this week, you tend to eat less and feel great.
Week three brings a different set of circumstances. You actually have two separate reactions this week. In the beginning of the week, you may feel the effects of “pre-PMS.” During this time, your estrogen drops and you definitely feels the effects. You are irritable, tired, and sad or depressed. Thankfully, that dip is only temporary, and estrogen goes up again toward the end of this week. During this time, progesterone starts going up as well. You may be groggy, slower in reaction time, hungrier than normal, and have what most people call “brain fog.” You typically have a lower labido, but crave closeness to your partner.
In week four, both estrogen and progesterone plummet, leaving us sad, irritable, anxious, depressed, and more cautious. You are more cynical during this time, so you want facts and tried and true methods versus opinions.This is also when we tend to crave high-carb foods and sugars because levels of serotonin drop due to the fall in estrogen, and our body uses the carbs instead. Libido also goes up during this week, but not necessarily due to hormone levels. Our nerves are more sensitive during this time, meaning, we crave the sensation “down there.” Certain health issues also tend to get worse during this time such as asthma, eczema, IBS, depression, anxiety, headaches, etc.
So, because of this cycle, women actually tend to have a yearly cycle as well. Evolution has made us for a certain purpose, and, usually, women do better at certain things at certain times of the year. Why? We like to call this the Four Season Menstrual Cycle.
Our first season is Winter, our New Moon time. This is the first week, the week of menstruation or menopause. We are observant, connected to our spirit, excellent problem solvers, caring teachers, and are much better at quiet reflection.
Second, we have Spring, our Waxing Moon time. We are in the follicular phase during this time. This means that we are closer to our “sacred self.” We crave new beginnings. We are creative, playful, and have higher energy. We are powerful and seek new experiences.
Summer is our third season, our Full Moon, the “ovulation” period. This is our youth and motherhood time of our cycle. During this special season, we crave togetherness with our sisters and our tribe. We feel sexy and attractive and are attracted to others. We feel magical and want to share our message and hear the messages of others.
In our last cycle, we are in the Fall, the Waning Moon cycle; our luteal phase. We are in full motherhood now. We are “Fearless Females,” full of power. We are wise (yet still playful) leaders and teachers. We feel complete.
As women, we need to understand the biological cycles that rule our lives. By trying to fit into “a man’s world,” are are losing what makes us great. We are not men, we were never meant to be. We are biologically different, and that is what makes us strong, powerful, empathetic, caring, loving, emotional, patient, kind, sweet, attractive. We need to stand and embrace ourselves for what we truly are: wise women, all within different places in our lives, but flowing along the same cycles. We are one.