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One of the toughest phases for women is the luteal phase. Our body is becoming less resilient to stress, and if we haven't taken care of ourselves at other parts of the month, our body will let us know.
Your luteal phase is the 10-14 day period after you ovulate, and before you have your period (yup, includes a potential PMS week).Â
If you balance your hormones right, you can take full advantage of the magic of this phase.Â
Your brain gets super focused in this phase, so tackling your to-do list has never been easier! If you were a social butterfly during ovulation, you'll feel really good finishing up projects.
For the first week, you are still feelin' fly, coming down from all your ovulation high energy. The second week is when over 90% of women deal with some form of PMS. We're talking the bloat, the acne, migraines, fatigue, and shall we say moodiness? You know.. where you bite your partner's head of just because he happened to walk in the room? 😳
Thankfully, you can avoid all this.Â
Moodiness can certainly come from hormone imbalances, but it's also because you haven't said yes enough to yourself, all month long. Your body starts to become less resistant to stress in the later part of your luteal phase, so the energy and patience you had the week before, basically goes out the window. Your sex hormones are starting to lower, and with the drop of estrogen, your patience can drop with it.
Your attention to detail on your home and office also starts to intensify.Â
I use to get really anxious when I'd come home from work and see the house was "dirty", even though I had cleaned that morning AND that weekend. I had this obsession with cleanliness only during my luteal phase. Sure, I love a clean home, but this one phase was damaging my relationship (my poor guy!)
Just like pregnant women get that nesting need, us ladies go through this every single month! Our brains start calculating what is working in our lives and what isn't. And it all starts to show up in your luteal phase so that you'll clear out what is not serving you.
Think about this - your period is an opportunity for renewal.
Something we'll chat about next week, is how your body is cleaning out the old to welcome the new (you do this by releasing old blood so new blood can flow in). You're quite literally, releasing what is not serving you. Your body is asking you to clean house so you can welcome new and amazing things!
So in your luteal phase, if you don't cut the relationships that no longer serve you, say no to the projects that don't bring you joy, clean your space, and actually communicate your needs to everyone around you (not just your partner. Your friends, family, and coworkers need to know too!) then you're going to continue feeling less than, anxious, overwhelmed, and extremely irritable.Â
It also sets you up for a really cranky period.
Ahhhh, the power of your cycle!!!
Let your moodiness be a lesson to you. Say yes to yourself more.
Don't ever be afraid of being selfish.
Your body will thank you for it.
If you haven't become a member of the Balanced Bombshells Lifestyle Plan, you need to do it now! You'll gain instant access to the Cycle Sync Guide, which will help you alleviate your symptoms.
Take care of yourself in this phase, and it'll help sooooo much as you shift into each phase going forward.
What's the luteal phase best for?
This is the best time for:
letting go of relationships and projects that no longer serve you.
scheduling large chunks of time to tackle your to-do list and finish big projects.
cleaning!!!! Take full advantage of that nesting phase and deep clean your space! Declutter your office, clear out closets, and get rid of anything in your home you no longer need. I do a monthly deep clean and it feels unbelievable! A clean space = a calm & happy mind 😋
taking more time for you! (solo hike anyone?!)
sippin' on the Bloat Blast juice mix from my Recipe Guide. I drink one of these each day in my luteal phase, and it helps flush my tissues so I don't hold on to water retention and can avoid that dreaded bloat! My clients think of this like a magic juice 🙌💖
sweat it out! Whether it's cardio, hot yoga, going to the sauna, or an Epsom salt bath, detox through sweat. Your body will feel so rejuvenated as you flow into your menstrual phase!
Watch this video for more insight into your luteal phase.
What changes are you going to make during your luteal phase? Share them here 👇