A Real-Life Look at Living Cyclically
How I use the seasons of my menstrual cycle to plan, rest, and care for myself (especially in the messiness of motherhood)
Currently: feeling tired, flat, and irritable. All I want to do is watch This Is Us, and eat peanut M&M’s and salt & vinegar chips. You know the feeling?
It’s day 25 of my cycle, and yep… I’m deep in what Red School would call inner winter.
Before I learned about menstrual cycle awareness, I would’ve seen a day like this as a bad day. I’d assume I was being lazy, emotional, or too sensitive. But now I know — there’s a reason. It’s not random. It’s hormones.
The Game Changer: Menstrual Cycle Awareness
I discovered menstrual cycle awareness about six years ago. Since then, it’s reshaped the way I approach energy, emotions, motivation, creativity, relationships, and even my business.
It explained so much. Why:
I felt ready to reinvent my whole life one week
Couldn’t decide what to eat the next
Was extra cautious making a right-hand turn out of traffic (seriously)
Or suddenly burst into tears over a Kmart rug
The answer, more often than not, was my hormonal landscape — and how it changes week to week.
🌸 The Four Seasons of the Cycle
The founders of Red School introduced the idea of mapping your menstrual cycle to the four seasons. I come back to this framework often — especially on hard days like today.
❄️ Winter — Inner Retreat (Days ~27–5)
This is the premenstrual and menstrual phase, when hormones are at their lowest. Energy dips. Emotions may rise. It’s the time of the month where hibernation feels right.
You might feel tender, tired, slow, foggy, introverted, sensitive.
Think: retreat, rest, go gently.
🌱 Spring — Emerging Energy (Days 6–11)
As your period ends and estrogen begins to rise, so does your sense of vitality. There’s a slow re-entry into the world. Things begin to feel more possible again.
You might feel hopeful, creative, social, and ready to start fresh.
Think: ideas, curiosity, tentative action.
☀️ Summer — Ovulatory Peak (Days 12–19-ish)
This is typically ovulation time. It’s a hormonal high — energy is strong, moods often lift, and you may find it’s your most outgoing phase.
You might feel magnetic, generous, expressive, and capable.
Think: visibility, collaboration, full expression.
🍂 Autumn — Slowing Down (Days 20–26)
After ovulation, progesterone rises and estrogen begins to fall. This is a transition time — great for reflection and refinement, but you may also feel more sensitive and introverted.
You might feel reflective, discerning, or quick to notice irritants.
Think: organise, complete, release, protect.
🔄 Verbs to Live By: Dream. Do. Give. Take.
Author Lucy Peach (of Period Queen) offers another layer I love — linking each phase with a verb:
Dream (Winter) – rest, reflect, receive
Do (Spring) – build, begin, take aligned action
Give (Summer) – show up, serve, shine outward
Take (Autumn) – pull back, care for self, say no
These words give each season a function — not just a feeling. They remind me that each phase has its own wisdom.
📅 My Real-Life Cycle Planning (With a Toddler in Tow)
I use this knowledge to loosely plan my weeks.
Below is a screenshot of my calendar for the month.
Each week is labeled with one of the four verbs: Dream, Do, Give, Take. It doesn’t mean I live perfectly in sync . Life is full, and parenting a toddler means my energy isn’t always mine to protect. But this simple structure helps me know what I need.
I keep my calendar minimal — just non-negotiables like client calls, day care, work blocks. Then I let the cycle season guide the vibe of the week.
Some examples:
In my Do week (Spring): I tend to crave more movement, feel inspired to plan meals, and often want to catch up with people
In my Take week (Autumn): I ease the pressure — frozen meals, less social stuff, early nights, and more gentle movement like stretching or walking
In my Dream week (Winter): I do the bare minimum. A lot of screen time. Lower expectations. More chocolate and slower mornings if I can.
When I became a Mum I really struggled not being able to give myself what I know I needed some days - long naps and entire days on the couch. But I’ve shifted to looking for pockets of what I need — ten minutes on the couch with a book, a bath after bedtime, or saying no to one more errand. Small things still count.
🖋 How I Track My Cycle
Right now I just use the iPhone Notes app.
Each day I jot down a few words — how I’m feeling, what I’m craving, where my energy’s at. This is called a cycle check-in. It takes less than a minute but gives me so much insight when I look back.
I’ve also used:
The FEMM app
Pen + paper journals
A simple paper planner (I love the undated monthly ones from Kmart)
The goal isn’t perfection. It’s just awareness. Over time, you start to see patterns — and that’s where the power is.
📚 Resources I Recommend
If you're interested in this, here are some wonderful places to explore:
Claire Baker – her courses and journal prompts were my entry point into cycle awareness
Lucy Peach – her book Period Queen is fun, educational and empowering
FEMM app – a free and simple way to track your physical cycle
Monthly paper planners – Kmart sells basic ones in January that are perfect for cycle mapping
🧡 I’d Love to Hear from You
Are you already cycle tracking or planning with your hormones in mind?
If not, what part of this idea feels most interesting — the seasons, the verbs, the calendar structure?
Reply and let me know — or share how you support yourself through your own inner winter. I’m always learning from others who are walking this road too.