What is true about the emotional treadmill derived from the menstrual cycle?
Experiencing mood swings in the days just before your period is something very common and talked about among women. Although, above all, men comment on it 😅.
If you're feeling moody, sad, irritable, or just more sensitive before your period, you're definitely not imagining it. There is a lot of truth in this and, as always, body chemistry and physiology have the answers.
Nine out of ten women say they experience some or all of the symptoms of PMS: mood swings and irritability are the most common.
How do hormones affect each moment of the menstrual cycle?
What is not so common is to talk about how the dance of hormones really affects each moment of a woman's menstrual cycle, that is, each week of a woman's life. These hormonal changes can affect both a woman's emotions and outlook on life. and knowing them can be a great tool.
Welcome to the emotional ferris wheel!
In this sense, we will analyze each phase of the menstrual cycle and the impact that different hormones have on a woman's mood.
Are there scientific bases for the effect of the menstrual cycle on mood?
Science has not yet completely clarified the original causes of these mood swings, but there is no doubt that it has to do with the interaction between sex hormones and certain chemicals that function as neurotransmitters in the brain and that induce a final behavior in women.
Spirituality does reach places where science does not reach.
Mood and emotional changes during a woman's cycle
A woman's menstrual cycle can not only be conceived as a merely physiological phenomenon, but as a powerful creative force that also affects women on a psychological and spiritual level.
In this post we will combine what science says and what the evidence of feminine rhythms has left as a more spiritual legacy of the process.
Emotions during menstruation
This phase begins on the first day of spotting and usually lasts between three days and one week. Menstruation occurs when an egg has not been fertilized, causing estrogen and progesterone levels to drop sharply.
This triggers the shedding and disintegration of the endometrium. Research shows that it is quite common to feel a slightly depressed or experiencing mood swings during the first few days of your period until enough sex hormones are produced again at the beginning of the next cycle.
During this phase, especially if accompanied by dull, long-lasting pain, it may increase discouragement in women and promote an introspective and collected attitude.
Holistic view of emotions in the menstrual phase
This stage is considered a moment of “death” and introspection, where one cycle closes and another begins. It is in this phase where the woman can contact her dark, cold and receptive part, which is often denied or not recognized.
A more spiritual vision invites women to let themselves “die” and be reborn each month, to imagine this physiological process as an opportunity to free themselves, being able to leave the old behind and welcome the new. It is also recommended not to understand this stage as something negative but as something unique to women.
It is very appropriate to rest sufficiently during this phase: sleep, dream and meditate... However, by not being able to do so due to the social demands of our society, women tend to suffer from increased fatigue, irritation and frustration.
Emotions in the follicular phase
Technically, this phase also begins on the first day of bleeding, although during menstruation the hormone production is still very low and fails to generate such substantial changes at the brain level.
After the first few days of spotting, the hypothalamus (a region of the brain) stimulates the pituitary gland (also located in the brain) to release the hormone (estrogen) that stimulates the follicles within the ovary for maturation.
This leads to an increase in estrogen production and the inner lining of the uterus, the endometrium, begins to thicken.
It is likely that, once the first days of your period are over, your spirits will begin to rise and you will find enough energy to undertake things. This is because estrogen generates a signal in the brain similar to that generated by other hormones such as leptin (which informs about the energy state of the body).
Both leptin and the rise in estrogen give a signal that the brain picks up and that “convinces” it that the reserves are full and, therefore, it can order actions and motivation to do things.
If there were not this signal of 'enough energy', the brain could inhibit in women any thought that involved movement or expenditure of energy.
In a 28-day cycle, this phase typically lasts about two weeks. In addition to feeling that Energy levels increase, women experience some mental clarity, mental acuity and enhanced memory capacity.
The pain tolerance It may also be higher in this period.
The follicular phase from an emotional level
From the spiritual point of view, it is the phase of “rebirth” after death. At this time, the woman's body begins to prepare to gestate a new egg. It is a dynamic and radiant stage, in which the woman prioritizes herself as a woman over her reproductive functions.
You will likely feel more confident in yourself and have the need to socialize. Concentration and ambition become stronger, so it is at this stage of the cycle where you can focus more on your work or personal projects.
Sexuality at this stage is usually fresh and playful.
Some women get stuck in this stage and try (unnaturally) to live linearly (i.e. constantly) under this energy. This results in a hypersociable, hyper-working woman, disconnected from her most maternal and empathetic side, and also from her dark side, from which she constantly flees.
Mood in the ovulation phase
It is the shortest phase of the cycle. Ovulation only lasts between 16 and 32 hours and is when the woman is most fertile. Nature could not fail here.
This phase is short enough that it also 'caught' the woman reluctantly or with little energy. We would not have survived until now as a species!
That is, everything in the body “conspires” to make this phase the most fulfilling phase for women. They reign positive emotions, libido increases and feelings are on the surface. Everything feels more intense and positive.
This state of expansion has been related to the sudden increase in luteinizing hormone that is required to trigger ovulation.
Ovulation and emotions according to the most spiritual visions
The most spiritual reading of the menstrual cycle talks about how this phase is characterized by self-denial and caring for others, themes related to motherhood.
Interest in oneself fades and women tend to show more need to assume responsibilities and “feed” projects and ideas that already exist.
A woman's sexuality at this stage usually manifests itself as an experience of deep love and the desire to share. If you pay attention, you may also notice that at this stage people seek your help and support more.
A woman who gets stuck in this phase of her cycle will have a lot of trouble saying no, and will easily fall into the trap of becoming a “human doormat” so as not to lose the love of her loved ones.
The luteal phase and women's emotions
This phase lasts another 14 or 15 days, in complete cycles of about 28-30 days. And, although estrogen levels are also increasing during this phase, they will never reach the levels of the follicular phase.
There is a strong drop during ovulation and there will be another a couple of days before the period, which is when the symptoms become more acute.
As the days go by in this phase, the woman may begin to feel little slow and distracted, as well as irritable, sad, moody and even angry with the world. This is the phase in which the symptoms of the dreaded disease begin to appear. Premenstrual syndrome or PMS.
For most women, PMS symptoms begin four to 10 days before menstruation begins.
The explanation for the development of the characteristic symptoms of this Syndrome, especially those related to mood, is believed to have to do with a decrease in the final levels of serotonin, the happiness hormone.
Although the mechanism that causes it is not clear, estrogens are considered serotonin agonists and if levels are not optimal they could trigger these symptoms.
In this sense, there are some things we could do to boost serotonin levels in the system, such as having a healthy intestine and eating well, sleeping correctly and enough, and moving.
At this stage, the egg has already been released and has not been fertilized. A need then begins in women to delve deeper into the innermost side of their being.
Spiritual insight into the luteal phase
This is a stage of great creativity, where the energy that a woman accumulates each month can be used to make art, explore other types of creative expression or, if applicable, to create a new life in her womb.
Your ability to concentrate and your tolerance for the mundane tends to decrease, but your intuition and ability to dream grow.
Spiritually it is said that in this phase there is an unconscious resistance of the woman to the fact of not having been fertilized that manifests itself in alterations such as swelling, pain, irritability, overflowing emotionality, etc. A new bleeding is coming, a loss, a lost opportunity...
And, once here... Start over!
References:
- Eriksson, O. et al. Mood changes correlate to changes in brain serotonin precursor trapping in women with premenstrual dysphoria. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging. Volume 146, Issue 2, March 31, 2006, Pages 107-116
- Gonda, X. et al. Patterns of mood changes throughout the reproductive cycle in healthy women without premenstrual dysphoric disorders. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry. Volume 32, Issue 8, 12 December 2008, Pages 1782-1788
- Reinhold G. Laessle et al. Mood changes and physical complaints during the normal menstrual cycle in healthy young women. Psychoneuroendocrinology. Volume 15, Issue 2, 1990, Pages 131-138
- Gray, M. Red moon: the gifts of the menstrual cycle. Gaia Publishing 2003
You will be interested in:
Here I leave you three products related to the menstrual cycle that you will surely find interesting.
- Suplemento: FertyVital
- Infusión: YogiTea Mujer Equilibrio
- Libro: Alimentación y salud femenina: Cuida tus hormonas comiendo rico
- And here are three blog articles to learn about your cycle and improve your hormonal and general health.
