Whenever I start working with someone new I always ask if they track their cycles. The percentage of people who say Yes is far higher than those who say No. But once we dig a little deeper it often turns out that all they are actually doing is putting the dates of their period into an app. There is a little bit more to it than that but if I’m honest when I hear this, I get excited. This means I get the chance to educate these people on how to actually track the whole cycle and not just the period. This is the part where the power lies in knowing where in the ENTIRE cycle you are and how you can then leverage the different energy and skills you have at any given phase of the cycle.
With that in mind let me tell you the top 4 mistakes I hear being made when tracking hormone cycles.
1. Relying solely on entering period dates into an app
Apps can be really useful as a way of tracking data. There’s no way I could possibly remember the dates of every single period I have had in my life! There are quite an array of options now and even Apple have introduced functionality in their Health App to do this. Some apps like Flo or Clue can give you some really great information about the different phases of your cycle and what you can expect at any given day. However, I treat app’s with caution. Whilst they are based on algorithms from, I suspect, data points from millions of women, they are exactly that – algorithms.
What I have noticed from my experience if you are solely putting periods dates into an app and nothing more, that whilst it may predict very well when your next period is due, it is unable to know whether you’ve had a particularly stressful month (which will likely impact your next period), or know exactly when you’ve ovulated. Obviously, the more data you are entering into an app, it ‘should’ be able to pull together a much clearer picture of you and enhance the predictability of your period as well as your behaviours. For example, Basal Body Temperature, Cervical Mucus changes and physical symptoms you are experiencing. Having said that I haven’t yet found one single app that I absolutely love and would recommend outright.
My recommendation to you is to use an app for data capture and as a way to refer back. But to conclude this point, if your only form of tracking is by putting period dates into an app, this won’t give you what you need to be able to firstly determine which phase of your cycle you are in, but secondly build a picture of what your patterns look like so that you can put systems in place to optimise the right energy and skills you have within each of the four phases of a single cycle.
2. Reading your Basal Body Temperature (BBT) out of bed and at different times of the day
Basal Body Temperature (BBT) tracking is a great way of knowing what’s going on inside your body. It can tell you when you have ovulated and also tell you when your period is coming. However, your body is sensitive to changes in the surrounding environment and so it is critical for you to take your temperature as soon as you wake up (ideally the same time every single day) but DEFINITELY before you get out of bed. As soon as you get up and out from underneath the warm cosy duvet your body will adjust and this will be reflected in your BBT.
3. Ignoring Cervical Mucus
I know it’s not something many people like to talk about, but it is another great way of your body communicating to you what’s going on inside. Cervical Mucus can be found in the knickers when you wipe or you may notice varying lubrication experiences during sex. As with BBT it is a great way of telling you when you have ovulated. This can also be a way of understanding if there is an imbalance of hormones, so by tracking you’ll be able to go to your GP with great data that can provide them with a clear picture to make a clear assessment.
4. Not using the data to your advantage
Data is key! If you truly want to be living a life where everything feels pretty easy and you are planning things that you ‘coincidentally’ really feel like doing on any given day, then you need to have a really clear understanding of what your own cycle looks like. We are all unique individuals and so although I provide tips on when to do what to optimise each phase of the cycle, these are generic. Until you are able to start understanding all the pieces of your own puzzle and you put them together to form your own picture, you won’t be able to fully appreciate the power of optimising your hormonal cycle.
If you want to chat about how to track your hormonal cycle in the right way and uncover your strategy for achieving the success you’ve been striving for, why not book in a no cost discovery call.
