Living with Cycles

As we feel the changes of spring and transition into a new season, we wanted to reflect on cycles and how understanding and living more in sync with our cycles might be helpful.

Puberty and menstrual cycles in RSHE

The cycle we hear about most often in RSHE is the menstrual cycle. This is often taught in quite a linear way and mainly focused on the period phase. But the menstrual cycle is not all about blood, and it is important to talk about the whole process. We should be learning about the physical changes (e.g. cervical fluid or digestion), emotional changes (e.g. how social one might feel) and changes in energy levels (e.g. needing more or less sleep).

When we provide expansive education around the whole cycle we can more easily understand how to adapt to these shifts and empower young people to get to know their own ‘normal’. This helps them notice when things are off, and how to get support.

The government guidance recommends teaching about menstruation to all pupils as part of Health Education at Primary level, ideally before periods begin. It is a good example of how teaching about something before a young person experiences it, can help them feel more prepared and empowered.

Cycles are all around us

We can see cycles everywhere. From the analogue clock winding through each hour, to the 24-hour day, to the week, to the moon orbiting the earth, and even through the season changes as the earth travels around the sun. When thinking about PSHE we can look through the lens of the life cycle, from birth, changes in puberty, (peri)/menopause, death and grief. These often map onto each other, and have different affects on us. You can choose to think about which cycles feel most relevant to you.

For example, this April - as the buds are blooming, the days are getting longer, and the sun is out more - you might notice an increase in energy. You might be feeling more resilient and up for trying new things. If we compare this to the life cycle, this is also like child and teen years - a time to be playful and social. We see a similar vibe in this part on the menstrual cycle - as the follicular phase peaks towards ovulation, we might notice feeling more motivated and creative and as you move towards summer, potentially more flirty too!

Working towards balance

Balance is an essential part of living with cycles. What comes up, must come down, and each part of the cycle has something to offer, if we can understand and embrace it.

For example, when we experience the seasonal turn from summer to autumn/winter, we might notice a dip in our mood. This can happen in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle too: a time where progesterone kicks in. This is the pro-gestation that would support pregnancy if it was to occur by making the lining of the womb a nourishing place to live. But, the short story is, if there is no fertilisation this isn’t needed and so it isn’t produced then the cycle begins again (starting with bleeding out that old womb lining).

Progesterone has other side effects: a larger appetite, feeling more cautious, needing more sleep (very November vibes). These side effects are intended to make sure we slow down and rest in case we’re pregnant. Just like this part of the seasonal cycle, if we try and operate at the same social and productive pace as summer time, we might find ourselves a bit burnt out, tired or grumpy. During this time, if we practice saying ‘no’ a bit more this can create space for more nourishment and down time - allowing opportunities for deep rest, self care and reflection.

These examples and diagrams are really just a basic intro. In reality, cycles are a lot more complex and vary greatly across people and within people! There are lots of factors that can impact the flow of a cycle such as stress, diet, travelling, exercise, sex and so much more, which is why it is important to know our own ‘normal’ so that we can reflect on any changes.

FSH = Follicle-Stimulating Hormone, LH = Luteinising Hormone

Benefits of understanding our cycle

The more we understand the changes that are normal for us, and all the cool scientific reasons for why they occur (bodies are amazing, and usually just trying to help us keep balance!), the more we can learn to adapt to the changes, which overall can create more stability. We can try this in simple ways. For example, when planning exercise around a menstrual cycle, we might go on a run or a high energy dance class in the second week of our cycle and then shift to doing some gentle yoga when we are pre-menstrual. Rather than critiquing ourselves for not being able to do something consistently, we can practice recognising where we are at, leaning into what each phase has to offer and trusting that the cycle will come back around.

Living within a euro-patriarchal capitalist culture (phrase borrowed from Mina Salami’s brilliant guide to Black Feminism ‘Sensuous Knowledge’) makes it hard to think and act in this more cyclical way. The current capitalist system values growth. It requires us to push ourselves, and expects us to work at the same level all the time (whether that be through all the lessons in the school day, or 9-5, 5 days a week, or more!). It can feel hard to challenge these norms. There will be a lot of ‘unlearning’ to do - so be kind to yourself as you try.

For all people - those who menstruate and those who don’t - tracking your cycle can be a great way to develop self-knowledge and self-acceptance. For those who don’t menstruate, you might want to track the cycle of your 7-day week to find out when you are most creative, when you should schedule in rest and when is a good time to meet with friends. Which cycles do you notice having the most affect on you? What are you interested in tracking? Here are some ideas on how you might get started, and would work well for someone tracking through the month / moon cycle / menstrual cycle…

Reflect for yourself...

Draw a wheel like the one pictured here.

Credit @IndigaComsica zine from San Cristobal Mexico

In the inner most section, you’ll count the days. In the second layer, you’ll record your feelings. For this, you can create a colour code (e.g. sensitive, happy, reflective, joyful, focussed, low) or even draw a little emoji. In the third layer, you can write a note of any observations / anything else you are particular keen to track. This might be your self esteem, your libido, how worried or self critical you felt. Or it could could be physical things e.g. cravings / breast tenderness / tiredness. Try to note these down with curiosity rather than judgement, just to get a sense of if any of these change over the month. After a few cycles of this, you might be able to notice patterns.

Over time, you might also be able to add another layer to this - observing what your needs are when feeling this way - e.g. you might need changes in alone time, exercise, social time, sleep, sex/masturbation, food, adventure, your calendar. These might not always be possible to get, but if we can practice noticing our feelings and needs, we can start to make small changes and requests to help us meet them.

If you liked this exercise and want to learn more, then join…

Our upcoming workshop

We’ll be hosting a What I Wish I’d Known Workshop all about living with cycles on June 1st at Peckham Levels. We’ll be exploring the different phases of the menstrual cycle, internal and external cycles that we can connect with and caring for our ever changing bodies. We’ll be meeting as a small group to discuss, create, journal and move.