Our bodies are great. Without thinking, they breathe, speak, think, even sneeze for us just without thinking. Heck, they even release eggs from our ovaries once a month and cause us women lots of pain. I mean, just great!
Despite the fact that periods are a given for females aged between 12-65, there is still so much we don’t know. The hormones, the cravings, the unreliability. To get to know our bodies, and our reproductive system better, period tracking is a great way to start.
When you track your menstrual cycle, you’re in control of your body, your schedule, your well-being. Knowing when that dreaded time of the month comes, allows you to prepare for other aspects of your life. For example, if you have gym class the day after your period is expected, at least you know that maybe you might not have a lot of energy that day.
You can’t talk about periods without mentioning its evil little sister, pre-menstrual cycle week. In the few days leading up to your cycle, hormones, pain-free, and common sense goes out the window.
Tracking your period allows you to see recurring patterns and symptoms. This means you will be able to see how the hormones can affect your mood and your body. It also gives you a reason to think you’re not crazy when you burst out crying after seeing a small dog that just so happens to look like yours (been there, done that)!
Knowing when and how your period will arrive the next time leaves no room for surprises. If you’re prone to irregular periods or sexually active, that element of uncertainty is not a pleasant one.
By tracking your period, it gives a good indication of when your period will come and what phase of the menstrual cycle is currently happening.
There are tons of apps and gadgets available to track your period. Both Tampax and Always have free period trackers on their websites. You insert the details of your last period, such as duration and regular cycle length, and it predicts when the next phase will begin.
Clue and Flo are some of the more detailed ones. Flo provides very detailed and cute infographics, to show you exactly what’s going on *down there*. It also offers lots of helpful advice about sexual health and relationships.
Clue is another really good app to use. It’s not stereotypically girly and pink, which is good. It also has options to track your emotions, general health as well as what symptoms you have that day.
Period tracking can also be very useful for people suffering with menstrual problems, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis.
By tracking their symptoms, women suffering from period disorders may be able to see a pattern in their menstrual cycles. Whether they’re irregular, painful, or just all over the place, period tracking can be really helpful in this situation.
This may seem like a lot of work for just a few days of blood (and tears), but it’s worth it in the long run. It is so important to look after our bodies, especially during the menstrual cycle. And hey, if knowing when your period is coming means you can eat chocolate as a form of self-care, who are we to say no?!