Our oldest daughter is 13 going on 21…like they do, and like most kids these days she’s super into TikTok. With that all being said she sent me this TikTok about cycles and biological rhythms that males and females use in their lives and I watched it and found it interesting. So lets have a chat about it shall we?
What the TikTok’r was explaining was that males work off of the circadian rhythm. Which is a natural internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and repeats roughly every 24 hours. Where as the infradian rhythm that woman use, that happens weekly, monthy and/or seasonally. With the infradian rhythm it affects a woman’s metabolism, mood, energy levels, sex drive, immune system, emotions and much much more. Right? Right.
The TikTok’r goes on to say how our daily lives revolve only around the male version of this rhythm. Get up, get ready, go to work, do the things, get off work, go home, do more things…somewhere in there eat a meal, do some dishes, take care of others, clean up, wind down and then go to bed. This whole rhythm functions around how a male body functions and doesn’t take into account how a woman’s body functions. I think that’s a fair view point. Upon watching this TikTok’r our oldest got wicked ticked. She’s a feminist and ya know what? I don’t blame her… I feel that too.
So lets talk about rhythms. We, as females, navigate thru the highs and lows of hormones having to adjust to this circadian rhythm. It becomes important to adjust and balance ourselves thru what we eat, how we exercise, and how we sleep, etc… depending on where we are in our infradian cycle.
There’s a really great article on Seema.com that goes thru how a female may cycle thru this in more detail. You can see it here: https://www.seema.com/the-infradian-rhythm-a-holistic-way-to-optimize-womens-health/amp/
For me…My energy is balanced, or as balanced as it’s going to get at the moment. I work off of both rhythms, but it took me a while to find that balance. Females in the throws of menopause take all the rhythms and throw them out of the damn window! Anyone who has or is currently experiencing menopause can understand that the rhythms go straight down the crapper. After almost 6 years my rhythms are what I make of them and mine are currently flowing down the river of life and I’m constantly surprised by what kicks up energetically during the day. Nothing has been normal in years, and I’m finally okay with that. Taking the good with the bad, circadian and infradian…it all comes out in the wash for me.
But, if you are like our oldest and you are still well within the infradian cycle then dealing solely on the circadian can be a real pain in the dupa! I won’t lie. It sucks. So here are some thoughts on the matter.
- The only persons cycles you can worry about are your own. Every single human being is going to be different so understand that going in.
- Get a notebook…I use the cheap ones at the Dollar Store down the way and start tracking your moods thru an infradian cycle first. Day 1-5 Levels of estrogen & progesterone are low. Day 6-14 estrogen & progesterone are on the rise. Days 15-17 your estrogen is supposed to be peaking and your testosterone & progesterone are also rising. Days 18-28 Progesterone is at it’s highest. *see the link above for more information* That link is awesome; truly great information.
- Understand that IF you don’t follow an “egg timer” 28 day cycle that you aren’t a broken human. This is what the notebook is for so that you can be in the know about your personal elevations and where they are and how they fluctuate and when.
- If you don’t like the notebook option, there are PLENTY of Apps out there that track the same thing. Doesn’t matter how you track your rhythms only that you do; if you feel called to do so to begin with.
- Knowledge IS power. The more you know about how your body works and how it functions the better. Consider this a form of self-care and self maintenance if you want to. Hell, I’ll be over here clapping for you because you are taking ownership of your rhythms and your energy! So if you do this, let me tell you that, “I know you don’t NEED me to be proud of you, but I am proud of you!”
- IF you are a person who is going thru a hormone change from Male to Female or Female to Male then this is a perfect time to get to know BOTH rhythms intimately. The doctors should be able to shed more light on both of these types and their benefits regarding how they will affect you going forward.
- Being aware of how your body and your energy levels function or should be functioning on any given day is not only a gift to you, but to the people around you as well.
- I use my moon calendar to track how I’m feeling using the phases of the moon and I also use four hour cycles to track when and how I’m feeling during the day. Just ’cause I’m all menopausal doesn’t mean that I don’t practice myself. It’s imperative to my mental health to know what my own rhythms look like. Surprises and shake ups be damned I’m still going to show up as my best self when I can for those I love.
- If you aren’t feeling the “rhythm” thing, that is okay too. Don’t feel pressured to do it. You do you, the world will adjust. I can promise you that.
In our house no topic is taboo or off the table. I want our children to feel comfortable sharing all kinds of things with me and my husband. In all honesty, our kids are my wisest teachers. Tiny Buddha’s all on their own and in their own right; because of them I am a better human.
The world outside is changing rapidly. If we don’t stop and look around we might miss some super vital things. Knowing how we operate in the world at large gives us a better handle on how we present ourselves out there. Know yourself first, and the rest will fall into place.
Everyday Sisters 