How To Start Cycle Syncing (Even If You’re Busy AF)
I used to think my period was just an annoying monthly visitor I had to “push through.” Spoiler: that mindset wrecked me. After quitting birth control at 28, my body completely rebelled—hormonal acne, zero energy, constipation unless I mainlined coffee. Fun times. What actually pulled me out of the hole? Cycle syncing. Not the Pinterest-perfect version, but the messy, trial-and-error kind that finally made my body feel like mine again.
What cycle syncing actually is (without the BS)
Cycle syncing is basically living, eating, and moving with your hormones instead of pretending they don’t exist. Your menstrual cycle has four phases—menstrual, follicular, ovulation, and luteal—and your energy, mood, and even digestion change with each one.
Once I stopped forcing myself to do CrossFit during my bleed and quit beating myself up for feeling lazy in luteal, things started to click. It wasn’t that I was broken—it was that I was living like a man with a 24-hour hormone cycle. Newsflash: women run on a ~28-day one.
The four phases of your cycle, explained simply
Menstrual phase: when you just want the oversized hoodie
Lasts about 5–7 days
Hormones hit rock bottom → low energy, cramps, “don’t talk to me” vibes
What helps: warm, cooked foods (soups, curries, congee), long walks instead of HIIT, my Flow tea (ginger, fennel, mandarin peel) to calm cramps
Pro tip: stop gaslighting yourself into thinking you’re lazy for resting. You’re bleeding.
Follicular phase: your “I feel like myself again” season
Lasts 7–10 days
Estrogen rises → hello mood boost, creativity, and energy
What helps: lighter meals (fish, lentils, leafy greens), strength training, scheduling deep work projects
My go-to: Renew tea to rebuild blood and clear out the leftover heaviness from my period
Ovulation: the hot girl glow (with a side of breakouts if you’re me)
Lasts 3–5 days
Hormones peak → you feel social, magnetic, a little unstoppable
What helps: cooling foods (cucumber, daikon, spinach), keeping workouts fun but not over the top, Calm tea with florals to soothe heat and inflammation
My reality: I can feel great and also break out like a teenager—because hormones are a trip
Luteal phase: the long haul (and where sh*t used to hit the fan)
Lasts 10–14 days
Progesterone rises → more grounded, but also hungrier and moodier
What helps: grounding foods (beef, chickpeas, bananas), prioritizing 8–9 hours of sleep, journaling, gentler workouts
My breakthrough: eating more instead of shaming myself for “overeating.” Turns out my body was literally burning more calories. Wild.
The real benefits I noticed (aka why I keep doing this)
PMS symptoms? Basically gone. No more week-long rage spiral.
Cramps? What cramps.
Digestion? Way more regular (shout-out to fiber and tea).
Energy + mood? Not perfect, but stable enough that I don’t feel like a different human every other week.
Mental shift: finally realizing nothing was “wrong” with me—I was just riding hormone waves no one ever taught me about.
How to start cycle syncing without overcomplicating it
Track your cycle with an app (I like Lively, but even your notes app or Apple Health app works)
Notice how your energy, mood, and hunger shift—just jot it down, no spreadsheets needed
Make tiny swaps: warm meals during your period, cooling foods at ovulation, more sleep in luteal
Give yourself grace. This isn’t about being perfect, it’s about not gaslighting your body anymore
The bottom line
Cycle syncing isn’t about eating the exact right food on day 17 or scheduling sex only during ovulation. It’s about finally listening to your body instead of shaming it. Once I stopped brute-forcing my way through every phase like a corporate robot, my cramps disappeared, my digestion improved, and I finally felt normal again.
Save this post, send it to your bestie who thinks PMS is “just part of being a woman,” and start paying attention to the signals your body’s been giving you all along.