Motherhood does not come with a manual, any kind of guide, or an action plan. But guess what? Being a woman does! As we have learned from the Unlock Your Cycle series, our monthly cycles come with incredible power, prediction, and understanding of ourselves every week of our lives. So while motherhood brings with it no map, womanhood does, and we can sync our cycle directly to our motherhood.
When we spend our days organising playdates, volunteering at the school, and gripping the wheel of the seven-seater mum taxi, we can find ourselves on the treadmill of motherhood and running, pulling, and pushing against our natural rhythm. Well, cycle syncing tells us we don't have to parent out of line or against our menstrual cycle. Instead, we can sync every parental duty with our cycle and be a more confident and empowered mother. This means we allow ourselves to work with our predicted hormones and energy levels and be happier and less stressed or overwhelmed.
Next week's blog will look at the specific elements of the phases of our cycle and how to actively sync our cycle to every aspect of our lives, including how we parent, our nutrition and exercise, and even how we have sex.
Today though, let's get an understanding of why cycle syncing can support us in motherhood.
It Can Adjust Our Expectations
Having kids does not always align with how we want our days to pan out. When we're in the luteal phase, we may instinctively yearn for the comfort and relaxation of protecting and nurturing our bodies and minds. But as we know, this does not always happen. Syncing our cycle allows us to adjust our expectations and figure out what would be best for us in every stage of our cycle while balancing family life.
So while our energy levels may shift against the normal routine of parental life, we can become more intentional with how we parent and take care of ourselves. We can plan playdates or family outings when we know our energy levels are rising and give ourselves permission to say no and build boundaries. We can adjust our expectations of what we can and can't achieve during certain weeks and recognise that something on the horizon may not be as we expect. It's not that it will be bad or good but rather different, which gives us the opportunity to lean into the available energies.
By simply being aware of our expectations as we cycle sync, we give ourselves the biggest gift of not being caught up in tension, anxiousness, or conflicting energies. This awareness allows us to adapt, adjust, and flow with the consistent rollercoaster of motherhood.
It Can Lower Stress
Listening to our bodies will leave us better rested, in less pain, calmer in our relationships, more energetic and creative and undoubtedly less stressed. Whether we work or not, as parents, we all live off a certain level of manageable chaos. Our schedules are tight, often inflexible, and very demanding. There is a keen structure to our days with pickups and drop-offs and a lot we can't control. It can feel as though everything is working against us.
Yet, when we cycle sync, we better understand our capabilities when a high-energy outing with the kids is on the cards or whether a simple scoop of ice cream at the pier is all you can manage.
Following our cycle allows us to see when we can tackle those home improvement jobs and when we can handle a birthday party in the sitting room with fifteen kids. When we prepare ourselves and schedule certain events in line with our cycle, we minimise stress which ultimately means a happier mum and a happier family. In this way, we can set ourselves realistic goals without overburdening ourselves by asking too much of ourselves.
No longer are we encouraged to push beyond what we can do but rather accept our natural fluctuations and know ourselves better.
Connect With Our Kids
Scheduling playdates around our cycle is somewhat of a life-changing experience, especially if you're like me and have asked the kids' friends over on days when in reality, I couldn't manage it. However, now that we can follow our cycle and lean into the particular phases, we can connect better with our kids and their friends.
Not only is it an added benefit to scheduling playdates, but cycle syncing gives us the benefit of truly enjoying time spent as a family. If running around the garden with a nerf gun sounds draining for you, it is probably that you're in the third week of your cycle or leaning into the fourth. High energy activities are best suited to the beginning of your cycle. Instead, pouring the lego out and getting creative may be where your energy levels are at.
Regardless of what you do, listening to your body and understanding what it needs at that time allows you to be open and available to your kids without feeling irritable or frustrated because of how your hormones are impacting you.
Encourages Self-Care
Cycle syncing ensures we don't overschedule. It asks us to be more mindful and conscious of our needs. It encourages us to lean into activities that won't drain or stress us. The first two weeks of our cycle are about being busy, getting things done, and booking those appointments. But that switch can be quickly flicked, and we need a quiet week full of pauses and internal reflection.
When we listen to these fluctuations and actively align ourselves with them, we are encouraged to practise self-care, refill our cup, and lean into this part of our cycle.
Motherhood does not come with a manual, any kind of guide, or an action plan. But guess what? Being a woman does! As we have learned from the Unlock Your Cycle series, our monthly cycles come with incredible power, prediction, and understanding of ourselves every week of our lives. So while motherhood brings with it no map, womanhood does, and we can sync our cycle directly to our motherhood.