Menstrual cycle phases and moods: How to navigate them

Have you ever noticed mood swings, cramps, or trouble sleeping just before your period? While no two cycles are the same, it isn’t unusual to feel different in the week leading up to your period. 

Some people are even diagnosed with premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Many of us use PMS as a catch-all term when we talk about how our cycle affects our moods. But how are your moods and cycle actually linked? 

Here’s the lowdown on what your menstrual cycle is, how it can impact your moods, and some helpful tools you can use on days when you’re feeling down.

Key takeaways

• Your menstrual cycle is made up of two phases: your follicular phase and luteal phase.
• Your follicular phase runs from the first day of your period (the start of your cycle) to the day you ovulate (when your ovary releases an egg). After ovulation, the luteal phase begins. The second part of your cycle ends on the day before your new period. 
• While no two cycles are the same, it’s normal to feel heightened emotions or mood swings at different points. These can be attributed to changes in your hormone levels. You might feel happier just before ovulation and lower in the week running up to your period, for example. 
• Tracking changes in the way you feel using an app like Flo can help you spot patterns during your cycle, which you can share with your doctor.

How do you know what phase of the menstrual cycle you’re in?

Before we dig into the phases of your menstrual cycle, it’s good to know what we mean when we use that term. Menstrual cycle is the name of the process your body goes through each month in preparation for a potential pregnancy. A new cycle starts on the first day of a new period and ends the day before your next period. Like anything with bodies, your cycle is unique to you — no two are exactly the same. The average length of a menstrual cycle is considered to be 28 days. However, if yours is between 21 and 35 days, then it’s considered to be normal. 

You might never have thought about your cycle as being split into phases, but it’s pretty easy to figure out. Your cycle can be split into two phases: 

• Your follicular phase: This is the first part of your cycle and starts on the first day of a new period. If you have an average cycle of 28 days, then your follicular phase will cover the first 14 days. 
• Ovulation: While it isn’t classed as its own phase, ovulation is a big event, so it’s good to understand what it is. Ovulation is the point when one of your ovaries releases an egg to potentially be fertilized by a sperm. 
• Your luteal phase: After you’ve ovulated, you enter the second phase of your cycle, called the luteal phase. This part of your cycle runs to the day before your next period. During this time, your body either prepares you for a potential pregnancy or for your next period. 

If you don’t track your cycle, it can be hard to know where you’re at on any given day, especially since no two cycles are the same and the length of your menstrual cycle can change from month to month. 

You can use a cycle-tracking app like Flo to figure out which phase you’re in. All you need to do is log the first and last days of your period. Flo then uses clever technology to predict where you are in your cycle, along with how you might be feeling and any other symptoms to look out for.
You can also track using a pen and a paper calendar. Learn more about tracking your cycle with Flo. 

Hormones play a crucial role in triggering the different phases and processes during your cycle. They can also change the way you feel, both emotionally and physically. Knowing what’s typical for you may help you identify where you are in your cycle. You can better understand the signs of ovulation and premenstrual symptoms using an app like Flo. And you may feel differently at different points in your cycle. So, let’s dig deeper into that. 

Your follicular phase and changes in your moods 

There are a few key hormones at play during your follicular phase, for example, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estrogen.

During the first phase of your cycle, your FSH levels start to rise. FSH plays a really important role in stimulating the small fluid-filled sacs in your ovaries called follicles to develop and nurture an egg for ovulation. Your estrogen levels also rise around this time, which leads to the lining of your uterus thickening.

While estrogen plays a key role in preparing the lining of your uterus for ovulation, it’s also been linked to the production of the mood-boosting hormone, serotonin. Some research suggests higher estrogen levels are generally associated with a positive mood. Therefore, if your estrogen levels are higher just before ovulation, you may feel happier and more energized. 

Your luteal phase and changes in your moods

After ovulation, as you enter your luteal phase, your estrogen levels drop, and your progesterone levels rise. This, in part, helps to prepare the lining of your uterus. If you become pregnant during this cycle, then your fertilized egg may travel down your uterine tube and implant into the lining of the wall of your uterus. Estrogen and progesterone both help your uterine lining develop and thicken in order to help with the possible implantation of a fertilized egg. 

If you didn’t conceive during this cycle, then your body will prepare your uterine lining to break down and leave your body in the form of your period. 

As we already know, high levels of estrogen have been linked to the production of your happy hormone, serotonin. If you have lower levels of estrogen, you may feel more irritable or sad.

Premenstrual symptoms and premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

It likely won’t be a news flash to you that a change in mood can be one of the signs your period is coming. In the days before your period, it’s common to experience premenstrual symptoms. Some people are even diagnosed with PMS. 

Many of us use the term PMS to describe the different physical and emotional symptoms that tend to repeat in line with our cycle, even if we haven’t had an official diagnosis. Some common PMS symptoms that can directly and indirectly impact your mood are:

• Mood swings  
• Feeling upset, anxious, or irritable
• Tiredness
• Bloating
• Headaches
• Changes in appetite and sex drive
• Cramps

“[The week before your period is] probably the most common time when people feel the most obvious mood changes, and that’s usually confined to up to the week before a period starts,” explains Dr. Sara Twogood, obstetrician and gynecologist, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Group, California. “They resolve completely within four days of the menstrual cycle.” 

While many of us will experience some premenstrual symptoms or PMS from time to time, this isn’t something you have to put up with by yourself. “When things are really common, people think they have to accept them, and that’s not the case,” Dr. Twogood adds. “There are a lot of different ways that we can work with our bodies.”

The first call should be to your doctor. They can talk you through different treatment options including medications, along with directing you to support services if you need them. Dr. Twogood says they’ll also give you advice on “simple things that you can do if you’re suffering from certain symptoms that will help optimize them.”

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)

While premenstrual symptoms and PMS are fairly common, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, also known as PMDD, is far rarer. Think of it as a more severe form of PMS. Extreme sadness, anxiety, mood swings, or anger that disrupt your daily life and impact your relationships can all be symptoms of PMDD.

Doctors don’t know the cause of PMDD, but some treatments can help. They might prescribe you medication, stress management techniques like mindfulness, or changes to your lifestyle.

If you think you may have PMDD, then don’t hesitate to get support from a health care provider. You may also find this list of helplines useful.

How to manage the highs and lows of the menstrual cycle

Now that we know all the hormonal changes involved in your cycle, it’s no wonder that it might feel like you’re on an emotional roller coaster. 

Some things you can do to look after yourself are:

• Getting regular exercise: Try to find a gym class that you enjoy or schedule a weekly walk with a friend. 
• Eating a balanced diet: That means filling up your plate with plenty of veggies, protein, and good fats.
• Getting enough sleep each night: We get it; sometimes, this is easier said than done.
• Connect with friends and family: We are social beings and speaking to your loved ones, whether it’s about the fact that you’re not in a good mood or not, can help you to feel better. 

You don’t have to do all of these all of the time, but keeping them in mind and doing them when you can is a big win.  

And remember this advice from Dr. Twogood: “Doing the best you can on a day-to-day basis makes you feel better, but it’s also going to help [highlight] other things that are simply hormonally related and not something that you have control over,” she says. Tracking your cycle for this very reason is a good place to start.