Ever wakeup with the best intentions of getting started on your to-do list right away, only to have an even stronger urge to just sit on the couch and scroll through your phone? Well for some of us, this drop in motivation is more common in Phase Four.
How motivated we feel about a task is somewhat ruled by our dopaminergic systems. The dopaminergic system is made up of pathways through our brain and body that regulate our executive thinking, cognition, feelings of reward and pleasure, and voluntary motor movements. A “sweet spot” excites where dopamine levels sit to ensure peak function. If dopamine levels are too low, we can feel depressed, unmotivated, and have poor coordination. Too high, and we can also experience depression, as well as aggression, and hyperfocus. It’s a bit of a balancing act!
Lots of studies focus on the way dopamine levels are affected by estrogens. However, when both estrogen and progesterone hormone levels are high during Phase Four, many individuals experience low levels of motivation. A 2017 study that pointed out that much of the earlier research didn’t consider that progesterone could also play a role in dopamine regulation. Perhaps it’s the interaction of progesterone with estrogens in the second half of our cycle that reduces the impact estrogen has on dopamine. Although researchers seem to have more questions than answers regarding this topic right now, the current theory is that progesterone has a negative effect on dopamine levels in Phases Four.
Do you experience those early cycle productivity highs and pre-menstrual lows? You may find it useful to track your experience with motivation, alertness, and overall good vibes during your cycle.
Science, Feminism, and Love.
Hidalgo-Lopez, E., & Pletzer, B. (2017). Interactive Effects of Dopamine Baseline Levels and Cycle Phase on Executive Functions: The Role of Progesterone. Frontiers in neuroscience, 11, 403.
