I recently got away for a weekend in Nashville with my husband and niece. When my niece came to stay with us for a few weeks and told us she wanted to take a road trip and see a waterfall, we were thrilled to make sure she had a great experience!
With the pandemic going on, we haven’t been able to travel and I also work from home, so I’ve been craving a change in scenery… I just didn’t realize how badly.
As soon as we completed our 3.5 hour drive, I felt an instant mood lift and energy boost. It was the happiest I’ve felt in MONTHS!
I also noticed that this trip fell during my Luteal Phase, or the phase before my period when many women suffer from PMS. Even though I’ve been able to stop most of my PMS symptoms through cycle synching, I knew right away that this influx of positive energy was my body and mind saying “ahhh, thank you! We’ve been waiting for this!”
During PMS, symptoms like irritability, mood swings, anxiety, and overwhelm can arise-- along with a lot of physical symptoms we all hate like cramps, headaches, and bloating. PMS is optional though, as in, it is completely possible to not experience PMS! Luteal is the phase we’re in, and PMS is a syndrome that occurs when something is out of balance.
Sometimes something is out of balance in the body, such as inflammation, low iron, magnesium, and zinc levels, or estrogen not properly being metabolized-- but something just as common that can’t be fixed with a supplement is that irritability is ultimately caused by ignoring and denying your own needs and desires.
Even though I’ve been staying at home because of the pandemic, my heart and soul still wanted a change in environment and something fun and adventurous to do. We all have different versions of this that happen at many points throughout our lives. Our desires and goals influence our mood and our hormones, and self-denial always leads to stress and emotional imbalance.
During Luteal Phase, irritability is a signal that something inside of you is demanding your attention and it’s up to you to listen and validate those needs. This is a way of self-mothering and nurturing the child inside of you who you’re now responsible for taking care of, learning to set boundaries, and finding the power in your own voice. Two questions you can ask yourself during these moments of overwhelm or irritability are "do I have a desire in my life that's unfulfilled?" and "do I have a boundary in my life that I need to uphold?"
These emotions that we've been taught to push aside, ignore, fix, or hide are actually valuable pieces of data that are trying to signal our intuition.
Whether you have an urge to change something, practice more self-care, spend time alone, get out of town, re-decorate, or clean before your period (like a mini “nesting phase”), it’s your mind’s way of trying to energetically detox and make room for more happiness in your life.
If this resonated with you, let's connect on Instagram! Leave me a comment and let me know how you're making space for more happiness in your life or your favorite ways to practice self-care. PS- The glow I'm sporting is my Beauty by Earth tan! Check out my favorite natural, non-toxic, cruelty free self-tanner here. The company gives me a small commission, which allows me to continue making free content to empower women like you!