How your menstrual cycle can help you navigate life after lockdown

As things begin to open up and lockdown restriction ease, we can start to get back to doing the things we’ve missed over winter: enjoying human contact, festivals and concerts, eating out and being able to travel to new places. It means getting back to something that feels like regular life, and there’s never been a more important time than this to root yourself in, or establish, a menstrual cycle awareness practice.

For some, it means excitement. For others anxiety. And really, when you look at how the two manifest, a lot of the symptoms are the same: sweaty palms, adrenaline rushes, racing heartbeats, nausea, giddiness, blacking out and more. How you experience the coming weeks will be one side of the same coin, so here’s a handy guide to navigate the world as Covid restrictions ease (note, your first day of full bleeding — not spotting — is your day 1. Your individual cycle days might vary. If you don’t have a ‘natural’ cycle you can still do this, using the New Moon as your day 1):

If you’re excited about lockdown easing

You’ve been waiting impatiently to get out and do the things, see the people, eat the food and LIVE! If this sounds like you and you’re practically bolting out the door to jump back into life, these tips will help you to lower the risk of cyclical burnout and stressing your body and hormones (and therefore your cycle), while still being able to enjoy full life again:

• Days 1–5: Prioritise rest! It might sound easier said than done, but rest is absolutely key during your bleed. Think of it as refilling your petrol tank. Ask your partner to put the kids to bed, take a bath, sleep in or go to bed early, take a nap, order in a takeaway…even if your sleep-in is five minutes extra, resting helps your body to regenerate and will set you up in good stead for the rest of your cycle by storing up the energy you’ll need for socialising.
• Days 6–12: Prioritise play! As your energy comes back and you step out of your period cave, now is the time to experiment. If you’ve been wishing for studios to open so you can finally try a barre class, do it! Get your girlfriends over for a DIY cocktail night, dye your hair, listen to your favourite cheesy music. Plan future projects, make social dates for this and the following week or so, and have fun. Just don’t burn yourself out. You’re not at the peak of your cycle just yet.
• Days 13–20: Prioritise pleasure! You’re at the peak! How you feel here might depend and reflect on how you spent days 1–5. If you’re feeling rested and not spent, you might have all the energy to do all the things. Be that superwoman, slay your to-do list, post on your social media, see your friends and family and indulge in everything that feels nice. Buy fresh flowers, wear that sexy lingerie, go on a date. Use your energy to push through tricky projects, meetings or conversations. If you’re feeling rough, I got you! Your guidance is coming in the section for those feeling anxious.
• Days 21 +: Prioritise you! It’s time to turn all that attention in towards yourself. You might feel yourself start to close off, channelling your inner badass or being plain snappy. This is the time to review — what have you done this cycle that lit you up? What didn’t? Start to wind down your social commitments to spend time with yourself and do something creative — draw, sing, dance, write, take photos. And then, prepare for your bleed by batch cooking, clearing your emails and other niggling things so you can bleed in peace.

If you’re feeling anxious about lockdown easing

You’ve secretly (or not so secretly) enjoyed having time to yourself, to do the things you want to, and not having to come up with an excuse to turn down social invitations. The idea of things ramping up leaves you feeling under pressure and stressed. If this sounds like you, these tips will help you to keep your self-care as a priority whilst slowly heading back out into the world:

• Days 1–5: Prioritise rest! Take the same advice for those feeling excited. Rest is just the best, in all situations. Use your bleed to set intentions for how you want to spend the next cycle. What’s important for you, and what isn’t? Who would you really like to see, or where would you really like to go? The more you tank up here, the more you’ll be able to sustain yourself for the rest of your cycle.
• Days 6–12: Protect your energy! Make a solid plan for the next few weeks until your next period is due and for these particular few days, don’t take on too much. Think of your energy right now as a baby tomato plant. If it goes outside too early and a cold snap hits, you’ll have no tomatoes left for summer. Hold onto your routines for grounding — sleep and wake at the same time and root yourself in a daily practice.
• Days 13–20: Prioritise pleasure! If you’re feeling great — fab! Implement the guidance given for those feeling excited. If you’re feeling pretty crappy however, then treat yourself as if you were bleeding. Tune out for an hour, afternoon or day, to re-tank your energy. Focus on pleasurable things as an act of self-care — yoni steams, luscious restorative yoga, sex…whatever works! And, make sure you’re not taking on too much. Feelings of being a martyr — the one who always has to cook, clean, pick up wet towels and walk the dog can be very strong here!
• Days 21 +: Prioritise boundaries! As you start to slow down after ovulation, the rose-tinted glasses might come off. Setting some boundaries for others and yourself will help to keep things in check. Who do you need to say no to? How can you make sure you really do get to bed at 10pm? How can you keep that sense of feeling at home in yourself that you’ve cultivated during lockdown going as things open up?

So, there you have it — a few simple ways to keep your centre as lockdown lifts.

Originally published at https://www.nataliekmartin.com on May 26, 2021.