Anxiety and hormones: Exploring the connection throughout the menstrual cycle

When a woman comes to me saying that she's experiencing anxiety, one of the first things we look at is identifying when these anxiety spikes are happening.

Understanding what is going on around the time of these spikes is so important.

It may be because of external triggers.

It may be due to trauma and those things, but also it may be due to the hormonal fluctuations during the monthly cycle.

In this blog I want to talk about anxiety, in particular, through the menstrual cycle.

There are 2 main female hormones that can affect anxiety during that cycle.

Estrogen and progesterone.

Estrogen is prominent during the first half of the cycle - the follicular phase.

It is known for its mood, stabilising properties. And so it makes sense, then, that as estrogen levels fluctuate, it can have a real impact on those neurotransmitters like serotonin.

This is linked to mood regulation.

Progesterone is dominant in the second half of the cycle - the luteal phase

Progesterone is known for its calming effect on the brain.

However, if you're already sensitive to the hormonal changes that you're experiencing, it can also contribute to mood swings, and anxiety.

We need to remember that our hormones are designed to do a job.

They are there for a reason, and they need to fluctuate.

That's how we prepare for pregnancy. And that's how we end up having our monthly cycle when pregnancy doesn't occur.

And so the goal isn't to try and stop them working.

We don’t want to try to suppress them or to change them because they have to do what they have to do.

What can we do?

Firstly, it's important that we understand when those changes are likely to occur and also how that shows up for us. Once we understand that, then we can identify coping strategies and techniques to help us to manage those anxiety spikes.

Secondly, we want to create the right environment for the hormones to work at their best.

If you have watched any of my YouTube videos, or read any of my other blogs, you will see that I am so passionate about holistic health.

Holistic health is like pieces of a jigsaw, because if we look after our hormonal health and our gut health and our physical health, that will help our mental health as well.

It is all interconnected.

Connect with me through my social channels to learn more about holistic wellness.

If you are reading this today and thinking that perhaps anxiety spikes may be linked to your cycle, here are some things I suggest for you:

1 - Track your cycle.

Keep a record every day of how you feel, your energy levels, your mood swings.

Are you feeling energetic and dynamic?

Or maybe you just want to curl up with a hot water bottle and a blanket?

Over time you will start to notice a pattern, which will help you to identify where you are in your cycle when these feelings occur.

Journalling is a great way to do this, but, there are also trackers and apps that you can use.

2 - Look at coping strategies and techniques to help to manage these changes.

CBT and mindfulness practices are proven to be really effective with managing anxiety and feelings of overwhelm and stress.

I share lots about coping strategies and techniques all over my social media.

Make sure you follow me so you don’t miss out.

My daughter has never experienced anxiety before, but started notice that it was showing up at certain times.

I bought a tracker for her that she now uses every day. It has really helped her to learn more about what’s going on for her and also, to recognise the changes in behaviour, energy and mood swings that we have talked about.

It’s such a powerful way to connect with our own bodies and, instead of dreading that time of the month, to actually embrace it.

Our bodies are amazing!

We just need to look after them properly and let them do what they are meant to do.

In my private coaching I take a holistic approach to helping women to understand their bodies, to be more aware of themselves along with providing practical and effective coping strategies and techniques

If you are interested to see if my private coaching services would suit you, the first step is to book a call.

This call is free and without any obligation.

Email me at [email protected].

Thanks for reading

Anne

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