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Finally, one morning, you wake up and your period has started and your whole week begins to make sense?

This used to be me. I normally attributed these experiences to the ebbs and flows of life, only I was really mean to myself about it. When I was in pain, I always thought: “Jeez, which part of my body is broken this time?” When I was overly emotional, I would always try to intellectualize myself out of whatever big feeling I was feeling in an effort to dismiss it as no big deal. When I felt alone or unsure of my relationships, I felt myself ostracize myself away in fear of being rejected.

These were all unhealthy habits of mine and they seemed to show up around the same time for me: the week before and during my menstrual cycle. When I began to notice this correlation, I wondered if tracking my period would allow me to preemptively practice self-care, self-compassion, and ask for help when I needed it. Tracking my period became crucial in learning how to take care of myself.

Here’s What Changed When I Tracked My Period for Six Months

How I Manage My Chronic Pain and Periods

Having a chronic illness and being a person who menstruates means that when it’s time for my period, it helps to be prepared. When estrogen levels are low and other hormones are fluctuating, people who have periods may notice their pain or inflammation increases. The week before my period (also known as the luteal phase) is when I notice it the most. PMS symptoms are often stigmatized and are seen as something that we should just work through when, instead, this is a time for gentleness. I began to notice when my luteal phase is near, I can implement different self-care tactics that help me take care of my pain flares.

This care looks like finding places in my schedule to include more rest. Instead of high-intensity workouts or movement, I can do yoga or schedule myself a massage. I take note of what I’m eating and try to add in anti-inflammatory foods to help with some of the pain. Being aware of this phase is key in making sure we’re listening to our bodies when it’s telling us to slow down and create more room for rest.

How I React To A Mental Health Dip During Menstruation

During the luteal phase, I almost always feel a dip in my mental and emotional health. When I didn’t track my period, my inner critic was at its worst. When I began tracking these phases, I was able to shift some of my inner dialogue to include affirmations that allowed me a lot more grace than I was originally giving myself.

If you notice that your mental health takes a significant dip before your period, it could be important to track your symptoms because you could be experiencing Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), which is a severe form of PMS that includes physical and behavioral symptoms that usually resolve with the onset of menstruation. Nevertheless, being aware of your symptoms may help you find a diagnosis if you feel you're experiencing something extreme or, at the very least, can help you plan for symptom management.

I Make Sure That I Prioritize Good Sleep

During the luteal and menstrual phases, It’s important to prioritize sleep. I personally tend to get the worst sleep of the month when I’m around my period, so I know these are the weeks I should be trying to go to bed early, take melatonin if I need to, and not schedule anything too early in the morning if I can help it. 

My worst cramps also tend to come later at night, and can be so bad sometimes that I’m waking up in the middle of the night. This means I keep the heating pad close, the ibuprofen on my nightstand, and have a relaxing book I can read until the pain subsides enough that I can fall asleep. Making sure I get enough sleep is critical during this time, and being aware of this means I can be more proactive in the steps I take toward taking care of my mental health.

I Stay Connected With Friends

One of the hardest parts about my period is the fact that I tend to isolate myself away. Whether that be because of the pain I’m experiencing or the difficult mental health issues that come up, I tend to think my friendships are falling apart. Or, I don’t ask for help when I need it.

Tracking my period has allowed me to be more proactive in asking my friends and close ones for help. When I know my luteal phase or menstrual phase is coming, I’ll often send a text to someone in my support system saying, “Hey, I’ve been tracking my period and I think I’m about to start experiencing some PMS symptoms. Do you think you could send me a text in a couple of days to check in and see how I’m doing?”

This keeps me in connection, gives my friends direct action items to care for me, and reminds me that there are people who are there if I need it. 

Additionally, because I’m more tired or in pain, I often do not want to leave my house or do anything super intensive when it comes to hanging out. If my friends want to do something, I have learned through being more aware of my cycle not to plan anything that is particularly intense during my period. This allows me to make plans that are more relaxed, such as hanging by the pool, co-working, or going on a gentle walk on a low-level trail. 

Tracking our periods is not the end-all-be-all of self-care or period care, but it has definitely helped me be more aware of what is going on in my body, how I can take care of it, and how I can ask others for help in times of pain or stress.

Tracking has allowed me to plan my days, weeks, and months in ways that leave me less stressed and exhausted and have helped me practice my boundary setting, and allowed me to be kinder to myself overall.

Period Tracking Tools to Check Out

• Orchyd: A free, gender-neutral, and inclusive period app where you can track your daily symptoms, when your period starts, and can chat with doctors virtually about period-related concerns,

• Flo: A period app that will send you reminders about when your period is projected to start, when you are ovulating, and courses that can help you learn more about your cycle.

• P.volve: A cycle-syncing workout series helping find the workouts that fit your body.