Is Your Cycle Trying to Tell You Something? Here’s How to Listen [Without Overhauling Your Life]
Your cycle isn’t a monthly mystery to dread, it’s your body’s way of checking in. What if the answers you’re looking for have been inside you all along?
CLIFF NOTES / SUMMARY
If your cycle feels like a mystery, or worse: a monthly disruption, this blog will help you decode the signals your body is sending.
In this blog, you’ll learn how your cycle can:
Act as a built-in report card for your gut, liver, and hormone health
Reveal early signs of imbalance, from fatigue and cravings to mood swings and acne
Offer clues that help you personalize your wellness rhythm, whether you're cycling or not
You’ll also learn:
Why tracking your symptoms is a powerful first step [not just a trend]
What the DUTCH test can uncover about your hormonal health
How to rethink birth control as a temporary tool, not a long-term solution
For years, I saw my cycle as just… something to get through. A monthly inconvenience I muted with a heating pad, a few ibuprofen, or eventually the pill. It felt like a solution. My symptoms disappeared, and I could get back to my to-do list.
But deep down? I hadn’t solved anything.
I’d just silenced the signals.
What if your symptoms are actually signals?
That monthly mood dip, the breast tenderness, the sugar cravings you chalk up to “just being hormonal”? Those aren’t random. Your cycle is your body’s built-in report card: a reflection of how your hormones, gut, liver, and nervous system are doing.
If you’re experiencing any of the below, your body might be whispering [or yelling] for support:
cyclic mood swings or low energy
irregular periods, intense PMS, or heavy bleeding
sugar cravings that feel impossible to ignore
mid-cycle anxiety or bloat
insomnia, night sweats, or hot flashes
a general feeling of being off, but unsure why
You’re not imagining things and you don’t need to overhaul your entire life to feel better.
Three Tiny Steps to Start Tuning Into Your Cycle
Start tracking symptoms [with curiosity, not judgment]
Busy schedules don’t leave much room for body literacy. But this step takes just 60 seconds a day. Use your notes app or a simple paper tracker to jot down symptoms like sleep, mood, cravings, and energy.
Within a month or two, you’ll start seeing patterns and that’s where real insight begins.
Tiny Shift:
→ Add a reminder to your calendar once a day to check in with how you feel. That’s it.
2. Consider a deeper dive with a DUTCH test
If your symptoms feel murky or hard to pin down, the DUTCH hormone test is like giving your body a microphone. It’s the go-to test I recommend for women who’ve tried everything and still feel “off.”
It gives you:
A full view of your hormone levels
Clues about how you metabolize and clear hormones
A roadmap for targeted, simple interventions
Tiny Shift:
→ Curious about testing? Set a calendar reminder to research the DUTCH test or ask your provider at your next appointment.
3. Rethink your relationship with the pill
No pressure here. But if you’re on birth control and still feel disconnected from your cycle, it’s worth asking:
What were my symptoms before the pill?
Would I know how to support those symptoms differently now?
The pill can be helpful, but it doesn’t “fix” hormonal imbalances; it simply suppresses them. If your body is craving rhythm, there are small, doable ways to support it [even if you stay on the pill].
Tiny Action:
→ Take 5 minutes one afternoon to journal on these questions. Based on your entry, take the next best step that feels right for you.
My Turning Point? A Small Shift in Awareness
When I finally came off the pill, everything I’d suppressed came roaring back. It was a lot, but this time, I had tools. I tracked. I nourished. I supported my body with small rituals that fit into my actual life.
And over time? The overwhelm faded. I felt connected to my body, maybe for the first time. I had clarity. Energy. Trust.
Your 3-Step Cycle Check-In:
track symptoms daily
test, don’t guess - consider a DUTCH test
small shifts add up
Your cycle isn’t a nuisance to silence, it’s a rhythm to honor. Whether you’re navigating PMS, perimenopause, or somewhere in between, your symptoms are meaningful data points, not random annoyances. With a little curiosity and consistency, you can turn them into a roadmap for healing.
Small shifts like tracking your symptoms, asking deeper questions, or rethinking old habits can lead to profound change. This isn’t about doing everything at once. It’s about learning to listen, layer by layer, and responding with care.
You don’t have to figure it out alone. I work with women, one-on-one, to transform wellness complexities into clarity, embedding power into the infrastructure of their daily life.
Let’s restore the rhythm. Together.
Here’s to listening. One day, one small shift, one powerful moment at a time.
Ellie Kempton
