What No One Tells Women About Hormones, Energy, and Mood
Why you feel like two different people — and what to do about it
🙅♀️ First, Let’s Bust the Myth: You’re Not Crazy or Broken.
If you’ve ever said:
“I feel like I lose my spark every month.”
“The week before my period is hell — I’m not myself.”
“I just want to feel stable, not like I’m riding an emotional rollercoaster…”
You’re not alone. And you’re not crazy.
You’re likely in your luteal phase — the 7–10 days before your period when your hormones shift dramatically. And those shifts? They don’t just affect your uterus. They affect your brain.
🧬 What’s Really Going On: Hormones + Brain Chemistry
After ovulation, your body’s two main sex hormones — estrogen and progesterone — begin to drop.
Estrogen helps regulate serotonin, the brain chemical responsible for mood, motivation, and feeling emotionally steady.
When estrogen drops, serotonin drops too.
This creates:
More anxiety
Less emotional tolerance
Sleep issues
Increased cravings and impulsivity
Meanwhile, progesterone rises, which can make some women feel calm — but in others, it can lead to fatigue, irritability, and weepiness.
🔬 Research shows that the luteal phase is associated with reduced cognitive performance, increased emotional reactivity, and lower serotonin activity.
— Rapkin & Mikacich, 2013, Journal of Affective Disorders
🔁 Why You Feel Like a Different Person
Many women feel energized, social, and focused during their follicular and ovulatory phases (week 1–2 of the cycle) — when estrogen is higher and dopamine is flowing.
But in the second half? You may feel:
Overwhelmed by small tasks
Less motivated
More reactive in relationships
Like you need more sleep, space, or comfort
And guess what?
That’s NORMAL.
🔄 It’s Not About Fixing You — It’s About Working With Your Cycle
Here’s what no one tells us growing up:
Your hormonal shifts are not a weakness. They’re a blueprint.
Trying to push through your luteal phase like you’re in your high-estrogen window is like expecting summer energy in the middle of winter.
Instead of fighting it, try this:
🔄 Mini Guide: Supporting Your Luteal Phase
💧 1. Increase Magnesium + B Vitamins
These help buffer mood swings, support nervous system calm, and reduce cramps.
Try: Magnesium glycinate, grass-fed liver capsules, or dark leafy greens.
🧂 2. Support your adrenals
If you’re already stressed, the luteal phase can tip you over the edge. Add in sea salt, bone broth, adaptogens (like Ashwagandha or Schisandra), and more rest.
🧘♀️ 3. Shift your workouts
Intense HIIT or cardio can feel like punishment right now. Instead, try walking, yoga, or strength training with more recovery between sets.
🧠 4. Track your cycle + symptoms
Awareness is power. Noticing your mood drops, cravings, or fatigue helps you prepare — instead of panic.
Want a tool to help? Try the MyFlo or Hormone Horoscope app.
🌿 And if you want natural support…
Herbs like Vitex, Shatavari, Damiana, Rhodiola, and Albizia have all been studied for their ability to support hormone balance, mood, and energy throughout the cycle.
This is exactly why I created LunarGrace — for those of us who want to meet our hormones with grace, not resistance.
✨ Bottom Line
If you feel like a different person before your period — more tired, more sensitive, more reactive — you’re not failing.
You’re following a deeply intelligent, biological rhythm.
The key isn’t to “fix” it — it’s to learn how to work with it.
Cycle-aware living = self-trust, nervous system calm, and hormonal harmony.
And you deserve nothing less.
📚 SOURCES:
Rapkin, A. J., & Mikacich, J. A. (2013). Premenstrual dysphoric disorder and the brain. Journal of Affective Disorders, 148(2–3), 147–153.
Sundström Poromaa, I., & Gingnell, M. (2014). Menstrual cycle influence on cognitive function and emotion processing. Hormones and Behavior, 66(2), 257–266.
Prior, J. C. (2016). Ovulatory disturbances and progesterone insufficiency: prevalent, silent, and missed. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 101(4), 1331–1342.
Learn about about how LunarGrace can help.
