I had a wonderful week with clients this week, showing people how to live and work WITH the power of their cycle. One client however described her Persephone phase as a ‘runaway train’. I thought this was such a good description of how this phase can really get away from you.
You know what is happening, you can see it, but the momentum is you are already having your way through your response before you can take a moment to stop.
I can relate to my client and how she is feeling in the phase (remember Persephone is the luteal phase commonly referred to as the pre-menstrual phase, around day 18 to 28). Your oestrogen and progesterone have peaked and are on a rapid decline. These depleting ‘happy’ hormones bring a time of self-doubt, lower energy, and a lack of confidence.
Combine this with something that happens, a work colleague rubs you up the wrong way, a contract falling away or an additional workload you hadn’t expected… and bang, you are well on your way to fury.
And even if you are aware of it, it’s hard to stop the speeding train!
So, what can you do?
There are several actions you can take, including learning about identifying your triggers and responding to your emotions.
SCAN – When you find yourself on that ‘runaway train’ take some time to check in and do a scan. This is when I strongly suggest using your charting. This small action can help you to identify and record what is going on for you at that moment in time. As you do this more often, you may find you can catch yourself BEFORE you are in that feeling of being out of control.
TRIGGER –Now you may see what is triggering you into this response. Now is NOT the time to be harsh on yourself. Take a breath and simply acknowledge what is happening.
EMOTION – Feel the emotion you are experiencing. You don’t need to try and push away or deny it. Allow it to be there for a moment. Recognise the emotion and acknowledge it. No judgement is required, just awareness.
RESPONSE – now is the time to choose how you respond. If you find yourself out of control, take a breath and allow yourself to say, ‘Great, but I now choose this response’ and move on.
The more you practice this, the better you become at first becoming aware and then your ability to move through and change your response. A powerful and positive way to better mental health and well-being.
My recent client and I discussed incorporating this into their life and including some ‘me’ time for creativity and using essential oils for added support.
Your cycle is a performance tool, it gives you guidance on your strengths at different times of the month, allowing you to reach better results in your life. Time to tap into your Empowerment Cycle.