Becoming in Tune With My Body

For a long time, I thought listening to my body meant pushing through things. If I felt tired, anxious, or overwhelmed, I assumed I just needed more discipline or a better routine.

Eventually, I realized that mindset was doing the opposite of what I wanted. I wasn’t listening to my body. I was ignoring it and trying to keep the same pace every single day, even when my body clearly wasn’t asking for that.

What finally made me slow down was noticing that the days I struggled most didn’t feel random. The anxiety spikes, the overstimulation, the days where everything felt harder than it should have followed a pattern.

That’s when I started paying attention to my cycle.

Noticing the Patterns

Once I started tracking how I felt throughout the month, things became pretty clear.

On the surface, this all sounds obvious. Of course energy goes up and down. Of course some weeks feel harder than others. I had heard that before.

But there’s a big difference between knowing that and actually taking care of yourself around it.

There were weeks where I felt strong, motivated, and mentally clear. And there were weeks where everything felt louder, heavier, and more overwhelming, even though nothing major had changed. Once I started adjusting how I treated my body during those harder weeks, the experience of them completely shifted.

Instead of judging those lower-energy weeks, I got curious. I stopped asking, “What’s wrong with me?” and started asking, “Where am I in my cycle, and what does my body need right now?”

How My Follicular Phase Feels

During my follicular phase, I have more energy and feel noticeably less anxious. My workouts feel easier, my motivation is higher, and I can handle more stimulation without feeling overwhelmed.

This is when I plan harder workouts and fuller days. I lift heavier, move more, and sometimes even work out twice in a day because my body actually feels capable of it. I don’t force this energy, but when it’s there, I use it.

Leaning into this phase has helped me stop expecting the same output during weeks when my body just isn’t built for it.

How I Adjust During My Luteal Phase

My luteal phase feels very different, and this used to be the phase I fought the most.

This is when overstimulation hits harder. Loud gyms feel like too much, crowds drain me quickly, and my anxiety feels closer to the surface. For a long time, I told myself this was just something I had to push through.

But once I started actually taking care of myself during this phase, everything changed.

Now, during my luteal phase, I choose Pilates classes and slower movement. I avoid overly stimulating environments when I can, plan fewer social things, and give myself more quiet time. I also build in self-care days leading up to my period so I’m not running on empty.

The phase itself didn’t change. The way I supported myself did.

Letting Go of Guilt Around Rest

One of the hardest parts of this process has been changing how I talk to myself.

I used to feel guilty for slowing down or needing extra rest. Now, I remind myself that this is just part of my cycle, not a personal failure. Rest doesn’t mean I’m falling behind.

Giving myself grace during these phases has helped me stay more consistent overall. I burn out less and my anxiety feels much more manageable.

Trusting Myself and Trusting God

Becoming more in tune with my body also meant learning to trust myself.

I stopped second-guessing every feeling and started believing that my body was communicating with me, not working against me. Trusting God played a big role in this too. It helped me let go of the need to control every sensation or fix everything immediately.

Instead of panicking when something feels off, I try to trust that my body knows what it needs and that slowing down has a purpose.

Working With My Body Instead of Fighting It

I don’t see my cycle as a problem anymore. I see it as information I can actually use.

Some weeks I have the energy for harder workouts, busier days, and more stimulation. Other weeks I need quieter movement, fewer plans, and more rest. Instead of fighting those differences, I plan around them.

Listening to my body hasn’t made me less disciplined or less motivated. It’s helped me stay consistent, manage my anxiety better, and be kinder to myself.

Learning to work with my cycle instead of against it is what finally helped me feel in tune with my body.