As people, we check in with our feelings, friends, kids, and jobs. So why don’t we check in with our cycles? Doing a 5-minute check-in with your cycle once a day may seem small, but it can make massive shifts. Here are four ways to do a check-in with your cycle to uplevel your menstrual cycle and life.
Ask yourself, “What menstrual phase am I in?”
This question sounds obvious, but it is beneficial. One team member always has a few days around day 17 where she feels squirrely and frustrated at the world. Her old tendency was to suck it up and move on, but now she’ll tune in. Say it’s the week before she gets her period, she knows she needs to be tender with herself and get some sleep. If it’s not, she’ll figure out if she’s hungry, angry, tired, or overwhelmed. If you realize the call is coming from inside the house (your hormones); it can take the edge and blame off any feelings and moods.
Ask yourself, “What is coming up this week and next that I can navigate more wisely knowing where I’m at in my cycle?”
Our days can rush past us if we aren’t paying attention. By knowing where we are in our cycle, we can usually switch around a few days if needed to give ourselves the support we need. If dread is flooding our bodies about the week coming up and we’re on our period, we can see if we can delegate, say no, or move something back a week when we’ll be in the Follicular phase and have more energy.
Tune in to what your body needs to feel supported in THIS MOMENT.
Instead of pushing your body regardless of its stage, tune into what they need. A nap, a snack, a dance break? Maybe a grounding meditation on an app like Insight Timer (there’s a free version that is fantastic and our favorite). Following the nudges of your body can open you up to hearing and listening well in the future. You will also reduce the time you don’t listen and reach your breaking point.
For your fourth tip on doing a cycle check-in, explore how you can utilize the energy of the phase you are in during your day.
Sometimes we take a ‘month ahead’ bird’s eye view at how you can use your cycle, which is fantastic when moving around those big pieces, events, and main themes, but when it’s the day-to-day, it can get a little chaotic. The Agenda App will give you tips to utilize the phase you are in so you can use it for your benefit that day.
What’s that, you say? “The Luteal phase is remarkable for discernment, creative exploration, and vivid dreaming?” Let’s pull out some projects that have felt lifeless and see if we can follow our nudge today. Let’s get out the business plan this week and see if we have new insights. Maybe the items you had on the list for today didn’t all need to happen “right now.” You can use what phase energy you have to get other things done, vs. dragging yourself along and feeling like a shell of yourself.
We hope you enjoyed these tips. Let us know how they work for you or if there is anything you do during your cycle check-in that helps!
How often do you check in for your cycle? Daily? Weekly? Please share this blog on your page and tag us with your answers!