Have you heard of "cycle syncing," "biohacking" or "cyclical living?" This concept isn't quite mainstream (yet!), but it's trending upward in popularity. And I bet once you familiarize yourself, you'll want it to stick around.
Cyclical living is my bread and butter. It's a holistic, mindful, natural and intuitive way to optimize how you feel physically and emotionally each cycle. Knowing where you are in your cycle can set you up for success in work, play, nutrition, exercise and relationships. Sounds great, right?
Plus, biohacking can help you ease PMS, boost your energy and feel all-around better every day. Why wouldn't you want to give it a shot? And the coolest part is... only about half the population gets to experience the magical ebb and flow of hormones that makes cycle syncing possible. Use it to your advantage!
What is cycle syncing in a nutshell?
Cycle syncing is a tool for people with periods to align their nutrition, fitness, work and fun to their menstrual cycle. The menstrual cycle is composed of four distinct phases of hormone levels, and each phase lends itself to a way of living that optimizes how you feel and perform.
Okay, I hear you, that still sounds weird and vague. It's a revolutionary framework, so let's start with the basics!
Why does this only work for people with periods?
If you have periods, then you ovulate. Ovulation is the true star of the menstrual cycle (sorry, Period!). Honestly, it should be called the ovulatory cycle.
People with male sex hormones have a 24-hour hormonal cycle that meshes quite nicely with the human circadian rhythm. Each day, hormones follow the same predictable rise and fall.
But people with female sex hormones don't have a simple, 24-hour cycle. Nope, we get the ~24-35ish day cycle! The average menstrual cycle is 28 days. Of course, yours might be longer or shorter than that-- or change over months. Normal! We just use 28 as an average.
So, every ~28 days, the female sex hormones dance a beautiful choreography of rises and falls, all dependent on one another. This is actually an "infradian rhythm." (Add that to your daily vocabulary.) And over those ~28 days, you'll experience the four phases we'll discuss more below.
You CAN use a framework for cyclical living even if you don't ovulate (or if your period is super irregular). In fact, some people find that syncing to a 28-day cycle will encourage their bodies to regulate the menstrual cycle. Even if you don’t menstruate, the cycle syncing framework can promote balance and mindfulness into your lifestyle.
But can cyclical living work in a modern world?
Our society is rush-rush-rush, go-go-go. It's easy to fall into that rhythm-- I mean, our society encourages it! But we know that it's not good for our bodies or minds. Research shows us every day that chronic stress is deadly, and that our modern lifestyle isn't always healthy for us. Cycle syncing is a constant reminder of how to best balance your hormones-- and thus your physical and mental health-- even in our fast-paced world.
Plus, many people are surprised to find that when they begin living cyclically, it comes naturally to them. No offense, but DUH! Your body is wise and likes to tell you what to do. Example: you don’t feel fatigued for no reason. Feeling fatigued is often a reminder to slow the freak down, since your hormones can’t keep up. If you can be proactive and prevent fatigue through cyclical living, you feel way better.
Have you ever noticed that…
Some weeks you LOVE high-intensity exercise and feel super strong and athletic, but then the next week you feel like you can't keep up?
At work, some weeks you're on fire, banging out the whole to-do list, but then the next week, you can't focus on the same tasks?
You snap at your partner a few days a month and just blame it on PMS?
Your food preferences change over the course of a month?
Yeah, these are all clues from your body about your hormone levels. If you learn how to decode the clues, you'll be able to be proactive and reactive to your current cycle phase and be able to feel optimally well.
So what are the four phases?
I find the best way to teach cycle syncing is to compare the four phases to the four seasons of nature. After all, our bodies evolved to be in tune with nature, and seasons represent balance.
Since this post is already a monster, we're just going to briefly touch on the four phases. But check other Hormone Hacker posts and freebies for more about cycle syncing!
1. The Menstrual Phase (AKA Inner Winter)
The first day of your period is the start of this phase. It lasts throughout your bleed, so about 3-7 days. It's an excellent time for reflection and tuning into your intuition. You might also get an emotional release; if you held back feelings during your last cycle, they can bubble up to the surface during your period.
This is a time to ponder your deepest desires and needs— and prioritize self-care! Journal, meditate, rest and reflect. Revisit your values, consider whether there’s anything you need to let go of, and find some solitude in nature. As you shed your uterine lining and prepare for a fresh start, your hormones ask for rest and renewal. Just like winter!
2. The Follicular Phase (AKA Inner Spring)
The time between the end of your period and ovulation (roughly 7-10 days) is the follicular phase. It’s truly a spring-like time: your energy rises, inspiration comes back to life and you want to be more social. Your brain wants to plan and strategize, and your body wants to get moving.
Your hormones are working towards making ovulation happen. They’re industrious and energetic, just like you. You’ll have more focus, creativity and productivity during this phase. Use this time to plan ahead, start new goals or projects and make time for fun and exploration.
3. The Ovulatory Phase (AKA Inner Summer)
Ah, summer! You’re carefree, energetic and loving life. Your body is most fertile at this time, as an egg is waiting to be released or has just been released. This phase lasts about 3-5 days and is the peak of your creativity, productivity, energy and social life. People are more attracted to you, and you know it. It can feel amazing, so you need to be careful to not burn out.
This is your cyclical opportunity to speak up, give presentations, ask for what you want, be social, set an exercise personal record, go on dates, etc. But remind yourself that your phases— just like seasons— are constantly changing. If you can’t do it ALL this cycle, you always have the next cycle.
4. The Luteal Phase (AKA Inner Autumn)
After ovulation and before your next period, you experience the luteal phase (lasting about 10-14 days). You may feel the effects of ovulation towards the beginning of the luteal phase (you know how early autumn can still feel like summer?), but as the days pass, your estrogen dips and your progesterone rises.
You start to want to wrap things up, prepare for winter/menstruation and use a critical eye on projects. You begin to start tuning inward again and slow down physically. If you have hormone imbalances, you might feel some PMS (premenstrual) symptoms. (Another reason to be aware of your cycle: you can prepare accordingly!)
That’s a lot, right? But bear with me. As you become more familiar with cyclical living and your own cycles, it truly becomes second nature. You’ll figure out how to live each aspect of your life in a way that supports your hormones, so that your hormones support you.
You’ve got big dreams. Let your hormones help you achieve them!
How do you notice your inner seasons? How do you respect them?