Okay just between us… let’s be honest, the constant messaging from social media to be #thatgirl 24/7 can feel a bit overwhelming – especially when you’re not feeling especially dialed in. Well, it turns out our hormones, estrogen and progesterone, may have something to do with your recent slump in motivation.
Research has shown that estrogen and progesterone not only affect our body's reproductive behaviours, but also our brain's reward systems. The reward systems in our brains are responsible for how good we feel about a specific substance, situation, event, or activity. So those feelings of satisfaction you get from starting or working on your goal can literally change depending on where we’re at in our cycle!
With all that said, you’re probably wondering: “When’s the worst time to start?”. Well, it’s never a bad time per se, but science says females have a tendency for a less reactive reward system when progesterone levels are highest in Phase Four. So… maybe not Phase Four. Sounds about right, eh? We know we’re least impressed about pretty much everything the week before our period!
If your effort towards your goals haven’t been giving you the same amount of joy lately, know that you’re not alone in this Phase Four slump. Consider giving yourself a little extra grace this phase or adding an extra incentive to keep your goal on track.
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Science, Feminism and Love.
Dreher, J. C., Schmidt, P. J., Kohn, P et al., (2007). Menstrual cycle phase modulates reward-related neural function in women. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 104(7), 2465–2470.
