Phases of Menstrual Cycle and How It Affects Your Mood

The menstrual cycle refers to the process that your body goes through each month to prepare for a prospective pregnancy. A fresh cycle begins on the first day of a new period and concludes the day before the following period, involving four phases to this process.

Hormones have an impact on our emotions and behavior during our monthly cycle. Some days you sparkle with exuberant happiness, everything is going your way, and you feel prepared to face the most difficult challenges. Other times, your clothes are scratchy, your partner is getting on your nerves, and you alternate between sadness and rage at the slightest provocation. To those without ovaries, this may seem exaggerated, but for the rest of us, it’s simply another month. 

Hormones and mood have a direct cause and effect relationship. It all boils down to hormones and how they fluctuate after your period starts. Let’s take a closer look at hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle and how they impact your mood.

Understanding the Menstrual Cycle

Your menstrual cycle is governed by two key sex hormones: estrogen and progesterone. The levels of these hormones fluctuate during your menstrual cycle, with oestrogen levels growing in the first half and peaking at ovulation, and progesterone levels increasing in the second half and peaking right before your period starts.

• The first phase of your menstrual cycle is known as the follicular phase because it is when the follicle that houses the egg or ovum grows.
• The second phase is called the luteal phase. The egg is discharged, and the follicle develops into a corpus luteum, which generates both progesterone and estrogen. 

The fluctuation of these hormone levels will eventually affect how you feel both physically and emotionally. The balance of these two hormones may also affect your mood:

Changes in Mood During the 4 Stages of Menstrual Cycle

Because everyone is unique and hormonal changes impact everyone differently, it is not surprising that some women feel better at the start of their menstrual cycle while others require a little longer to feel substantially better.

Some women see an immediate difference at the start of their periods, while others must wait a few days for estrogen’s mood-enhancing effects to kick in. However, some women just report feeling “not so great” throughout their menstrual cycle. It is crucial to understand that not everyone gets PMS, and not everyone has the same symptoms.

Hormone Levels During The 4 Phases of Menstrual Cycle

If you feel great during or right after your menstrual cycle, you are not alone. This is due to hormonal changes that occur during the menstrual cycle. When hormonal levels rise during the follicular phase, it can improve your mood.

In contrast, alterations in the levels of progesterone and oestrogen might have the opposite impact. Let’s take a closer look at hormone changes all through this time and their impact on your mood

The Four Stages of Menstrual Cycle & The Role of Hormones in it

The 4 phases of menstrual cycle include: 

1. The Follicular Phase (A Mood Enhancer)

During this period, your mood is lighter and you have more energy. It normally lasts about two weeks before ovulation.

Day 1 of this phase corresponds to the first day of your menstruation. As a result, although estrogen levels are low at the start of your period, they do not last long. Estrogen levels rise as the follicular period develops. Estrogen (together with follicle-stimulating hormone or FSH) is required to successfully grow the follicle containing the egg and thicken the uterine lining in preparation for successful implantation of a fertilized egg. 

It may take a few days, but common PMS symptoms (such as irritability and poor mood) begin to subside once your period begins. By the end of your periods, you will undoubtedly feel happier and more social.

One possible explanation for this is that estrogen is linked to serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates your mood. As estrogen levels rise, serotonin synthesis increases, which can lead to emotions of happiness and contentment.

Progesterone levels stay relatively steady and modest during this period until they begin to rise in the luteal phase, which occurs after ovulation. 

These hormonal fluctuations during a period will eventually have an effect on your mental health.

Also Read: Irregular Periods: Causes & Treatments

2. The Ovulatory Phase (Middle of Your Menstrual Cycle)

Ovulation occurs when the ovary releases an egg in the middle of your menstrual cycle. Ovulation occurs when estrogen levels rise suddenly and significantly, combined with an increase in luteinizing hormone (or LH). This is the exact period in your cycle when your body prepares for the chance of pregnancy.

Some women may experience low moods as their estrogen levels fall from their pre-ovulation peak, but because they rise again a few days later, this feeling is usually fleeting.  

3. Luteal Phase (Feeling of Calm)

After ovulation, the corpus luteum (the transitory endocrine component that remains in the ovary) generates progesterone. The luteal phase lasts for the remainder of the cycle until your next period.

Progesterone levels rise during the first half of the luteal phase as the body prepares for a possible pregnancy. You may feel more relaxed and sleep better because as progesterone levels rise, calming chemicals in the brain are triggered.

Also Check: How to Get Pregnant?

4. Menstruation (Sadness and Low Mood)

When you approach menstruation, your sense of calm may shift. Menstruation, or a period, occurs when uterine blood and tissue pass through the vagina. If there is no HCG or Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (a pregnancy hormone) present to prevent the corpus luteum from making progesterone, it will eventually deteriorate. This eventually causes a decrease in estrogen and progesterone, which is entirely normal if pregnancy does not occur. Serotonin levels may also fall as estrogen levels decline.

Serotonin has been successfully connected to both poor mood and depressive symptoms. The mentioned changes can be successfully described as moderate variations in motivation, mood, and energy, which are entirely normal.

Also Read: Bulky Uterus: Causes & Treatments

What Stage of the Menstrual Cycle Are You Currently In?

There are various ways to determine which phase of your menstrual cycle you are in, including:

– Tracking Your Cycle

Keep a cycle calendar, noting when your period begins and ends, the flow, and any symptoms. You can also use an app to monitor your cycle.

– Observe your menstrual flow

The duration and characteristics of your bleeding might help you identify the menstrual cycle.

– Measure your cycle length

Count the days between the first day of one period and the first day of the next.

– Monitoring ovulation

Look for changes in cervical mucus, which gets clearer and stretchier around ovulation. You can also use an ovulation predictor kit to determine hormone levels in your urine.

– Tracking your basal body temperature

Take your temperature shortly after waking up to check whether there is a modest rise after ovulation.

– Watching for vaginal discharge

During ovulation, your discharge is moist and slippery, much like egg whites. During the luteal phase, it becomes thick, dry, and paste-like. 

Your Most Fertile Phase to Start Trying for Pregnancy

For someone who is planning to get pregnant, the luteal phase, which occurs while the body prepares for pregnancy, can be a useful sign of fertility. If you believe you have a long or short luteal phase or do not ovulate, consult your doctor. They can diagnose any medical issues impacting your ovulatory cycle and recommend treatment.

If you’re under 35 and have been trying to conceive for at least a year without success, schedule an appointment with your primary care physician or a reproductive specialist. You could be dealing with a treatable fertility issue. If you are 35 or older, call your doctor after 6 months of trying.

Also Check: 7 Busting Myths About trying to Conceive

FAQs on Phases on Menstrual Cycle