Some days you wake up steady. Clear. Maybe even hopeful.

And then, seemingly out of nowhere, the fog rolls in. You feel exhausted, overstimulated, achy, irrationally irritable, or heartbreakingly low. Everything is too much, or not enough.

This is not weakness. It is hormonal reality. And it is time we began talking about it like it matters.

Your Cycle Is More Than Biology

For many women, the menstrual cycle is not just a biological process. It is a mental health timeline. When you begin to notice the patterns, track the shifts, and respond instead of push through, you move from being at war with your body to being in rhythm with it.

Most of us were never taught that PMS exists on a spectrum. Research suggests up to 80 percent of women experience some form of premenstrual change. Around 5 to 8 percent live with PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder), a severe form of PMS that can mimic depression, anxiety, or even rage.

Science Note
PMDD has been linked to an abnormal sensitivity of the brain to normal hormonal changes, particularly the way estrogen and progesterone affect serotonin and GABA — neurotransmitters responsible for mood stability, calm, and sleep.

Hormones and the Brain

Mood shifts mid-cycle are not “all in your head.” They are in your neurochemistry.

• Estrogen rises sharply before ovulation and increases dopamine and serotonin. This often brings more energy, motivation, and confidence.
• Progesterone dominates in the luteal phase, calming for some but anxiety-provoking for others because of its interaction with GABA.
• Sudden drops in both hormones before menstruation are strongly tied to irritability, low mood, and heightened stress sensitivity.

Brain imaging studies show that during the luteal phase, the amygdala — the brain’s threat detector — becomes more reactive. This may explain why stressors feel bigger, criticism cuts deeper, and self-doubt spikes.

The Luteal Lens

The luteal phase, that 10–14 day stretch between ovulation and your period, is often the hardest. Energy dips. Emotions heighten. Self-criticism grows sharper. You may feel like a stranger to yourself.

And yet, most of us are expected to perform as if nothing changes. This disconnection — from cycle, from body, from pace — is part of the overwhelm.

Tracking your cycle is not just for fertility. It is for mental clarity. It helps you say: “Oh, this is that week where I tend to spiral. This is when I need more rest. This is when I should be kinder with myself.”

It is not permission to collapse. It is permission to understand.

Supporting Your Hormonal Rhythm

Small adjustments can make a noticeable difference:

• Nutrition: Magnesium and vitamin B6 support mood stability, while evening primrose oil has shown benefits in easing PMS symptoms.
• Lifestyle: Reducing alcohol and caffeine in the luteal phase can soften irritability and support sleep.
• Movement: Cycle syncing — adjusting workouts to match your phase — is being explored as a way to boost energy and prevent burnout. Lighter movement during the luteal phase (yoga, walking, stretching) can ease stress reactivity.
• Therapeutic tools: Cognitive-behavioural therapy tailored to PMDD has shown promising results in clinical studies, helping women reduce symptom severity.

Science Note
A 2021 study in Translational Psychiatry found that women with PMDD had greater sensitivity in brain circuits regulating mood, even though their hormone levels were not abnormal. This suggests the issue is not the hormones themselves, but the brain’s unique response to them.

Listening to the Intelligence of Your Cycle

You are not the same version of yourself every week. That is not a flaw. That is rhythm. That is intelligence.

Your hormonal cycle is not something to merely tolerate. It is something to listen to, to honour, to adjust for.

Because you are not “too emotional.” You are not “too sensitive.” You are simply cycling. And your body is asking for care, not dismissal.

Reflection Practice: Hormone Journal
For one month, jot down a daily note about your mood, energy, and sleep. Pair it with the day of your cycle. Notice the patterns. By month two, you will likely see the rhythm. With awareness comes compassion — and a new way of planning life in alignment with your biology.