Aligning with my Cycle: Lessons from my Inner Spring

It’s funny how the more you learn about (or in my case, become obsessed by) a subject, the less you talk about the beginning and the basics of it. As lovely new people join the Aligned Community who are just learning about menstrual cycle awareness, I realise how much I have to tell them, and yet how little I have written down anywhere!

I’ve had a whole blog series planned out for a while explaining how I have aligned so many different aspects of my life - from motherhood, and learning to drive, to content planning and running a crowdfunding campaign - with my cycle, but at the foundation of all of it is a very simple awareness of what my body is telling me through the different phases.

So let’s get back to basics, shall we?

I wrote an introduction to the inner seasons of the menstrual cycle, and how to track your cycle in my Menstrual Cycle Awareness 101 post, but here I’ll be sharing with you what my own inner seasons mean for me and the steps I’ve taken to improve them.

Yours may be completely different still, and that is why tracking is so important. Our body is constantly sending us signals, and it’s up to us to listen and trust in what they’re telling us.

Lessons from my Inner Spring

Inner Spring symbolises our follicular phase, which is the week (or more) following our bleed. Much like the spring of nature, it’s seen as a time of rising energy, of playfulness, and creativity. Our hormones are rising and we’re emerging from our period cave!

For me, Inner Spring can definitely be all of these things, but only if I have rested enough during my bleed. When I’m rested, it is a really lovely phase for me. I feel creative, confident and capable. My mind can be a bit scatty, but if there is something I forget or make a mistake on I can recover much more quickly (my inner critic stays quiet).

If I’ve been unwell during my winter, been kept awake by my kids, or otherwise just not been able to take the break my body has craved as it bleeds, then Inner Spring can actually be a tricky time.

My brain gets busy with new ideas and the desire to create or start new projects, but my body can still feel exhausted leading me to feel frustrated or anxious about all the things I should be doing. I also find it incredibly hard to focus on any one project, and can end up flitting between tasks leaving everything incomplete.

At this point I have two choices: push through, or take a step back. I bet you can guess which is the wiser option!

If I push through then all I’m doing is raking all of that anxiety and exhaustion along with me into my Inner Summer where rising hormones will compound everything.

If I step back I can assess what it is that I actually need to be doing (no more “shoulds”, please) so I can reschedule where possible and free up time for some belated rest.

With bills to pay and kids to feed/entertain I know that it’s not possible to just drop everything, but there is almost always something that can shift.

Safeguarding my Spring

More sleep. Always more sleep. Ideally throughout the whole cycle of course, but most importantly during my winter. I’ve spent most of the last five years sleep deprived (sometimes severely, impacting my mental health) so this will always be my number one priority when it comes to wellbeing.

If I need space but there really is nothing that can be dropped from my workload or caring responsibilities, then I go for a screen-free early night. Sleep is always the answer (I just wish it was always within my control!).

Less sugar. When my anxiety is rising and my sleep is being disrupted I, like most people, reach for the sugar. I have zero willpower. ZERO. If there is a (gluten free) biscuit in the house, I will eat it. If there are ten, I will eat ten. I once bit into a block of royal icing like it was an apple such was my desperation for a sugar fix. This just fuels my anxiety and makes it even harder for me to focus, and of course leads to a crash later in the day.

No caffeine first thing. I start my day with water or a herbal tea (or recently, a honey and lemon to battle my cold!) instead of having a coffee hit my empty stomach. I still have a coffee most days (yep, just the one), but it’s a treat I look forward to savouring later in the morning, after the school run, and after I’ve had a proper breakfast.

Saying no. As my energy and enthusiasm rises and days gather between me and my bleed, I feel like I have less of an excuse to say no to things. “But this is my spring! I should be feeling good! I can totally take that on/go to that event/squeeze another client in!”

The reality is if I don’t have the energy, pushing through because I should be up to it is only going to drain me more. Dropping the guilt and saying no where I can safeguards my energy.

Safeguarding Your Spring

How does your Spring feel for you? Is it a positive phase or something you’re still working on?

If you have been tracking and have noticed that your spring can be a difficult phase, take a step back and reflect on your winter.

Did you rest while you were bleeding?

Did you eat nourishing foods?

Was there external stress (lol, is there ever not external stress these days?) that impacted you?

When is your next period due? Can you take a look at your calendar and put some boundaries in place?

If you have a lot booked in can you cancel or shift something? If not, how else can you support yourself during this time?

If you could benefit from ongoing support and conversation around your cycle, come and join us in the Aligned Community. We are collaboratively building a space that is safe and welcoming for all, sharing our stories, and celebrating each other.

Read more about it here.