Your menstrual cycle is very likely to be impacting your mental health.
Menstrual Cycle tracking
You may notice dips in your mood, days when you are more anxious and other days when you feel more ‘on it’. If menstrual cycle tracking is new to you, you might want to check out the Red School which has some free resources including this Cycle Tracking Chart. Maisie Hill similarly has a free chart and various podcasts you might find helpful.
Understanding how your physiology impacts your mood can really help with self-compassion.
Books
Here are some books I have enjoyed in terms of getting to know your menstrual cycle.
📌 A note: most of these books are inclusive in that they acknowledge menstruation does not just impact one gender. If you are specifically looking for trans and non-binary inclusive reading, then you may wish to look at those I have marked *
Period Power*Â by Maisie Hill. My go-to book. You may end up wondering why no one told you all this sooner.
Wild Power by Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer This book explores the spiritual connection and emotional drivers behind the menstrual cycle. Thought-provoking and empowering.
In the Flo by Alissa Vitti. More of a 28-day workbook including managing stress levels.
Red Moon Gang*Â by Tara Costello. Gender-neutral book for anyone but a good book for young people who want to learn the honest truth about periods.
The same goes for Natalie Byrne’s Period* which has some awesome illustrations.
Period Power: A Manifesto for the Menstrual Movement* by Nadya Okamoto if you are looking for something a bit more political to awaken the activist within!
I earn a small commission on sales via this webpage. Bookshop.org is a Certified B-Corp organisation. It’s also an online bookshop with a mission to financially support local, independent bookshops. If you would like some more suggestions, feel free to get in touch!Â
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Photo by Julia Zyablova on Unsplash