I first started paying proper attention to my period health when… when I stopped taking synthetic hormones. I was on them to help with my period but they didn’t really ease the pain. When I came off them, I realised what a mess my cycle and periods were. I started to track them and was blown away by the amount of information that gave me. It took ages for anyone to listen to me about the problems I was experiencing, though.
My day usually begins with… going for a walk with my two dogs, Indie and Retro. We have a good stomp about in the forest, then we’ll get home, have breakfast, I’ll make myself a brew and check my diary before checking in with my clients. I work closely with them and really enjoy supporting them.
On the first day of my period, I always… take it really easy. The ads might have you believe that you should be running marathons and jumping out of planes, but you’ll find me in comfy clothes and my slippers. I take advantage of really resting, going to bed early and essentially hibernating from the world.
If I’m feeling run down, I… rest – although sometimes I try to fight against that and end up wondering why everything is feeling difficult. There is so much guilt and shame about resting up. If you rest now, you’ll get charged back up. If you keep pushing and pushing, you’ll eventually face-plant. We all need down time and there’s no shame in that.
My non-negotiable self-care habits include… getting outside into nature every day, come rain or shine, taking my supplements to support my health, moving my body and journaling. I also chart my cycle every night using pen and paper.
