Ovulation & Anxiety: Here’s the Connection
(this blog post contains an affiliate link from which I’ll make a commission should purchase the product)
Ovulation is a very important monthly biomarker for those who menstruate.
However often does not get nearly enough attention!
So firstly, let’s make sure we are all up to speed on the foundations of ovulation.
The Foundations of Ovulation
Ovulation is what happens when an egg is released from an ovary.
This egg may or may not be fertilized by sperm.
If it IS fertilized, the egg may travel to the uterus and implant to develop into a pregnancy.
If it is left unfertilized, the egg disintegrates and the uterine lining is shed during what we know as a “period.” (1)
The 6 days leading up to and including ovulation are typically known as the “fertile window”.
One thing to note is that ovulation is not just important for those who want to get pregnant!
Regular, monthly ovulation is one of the many indicators of a healthy menstrual cycle… which is one of the reasons tracking your ovulation is something I highly recommend!
Why Track Ovulation?
- First and foremost it helps you understand your fertile window so you can plan accordingly – depending if you do or do not wish to conceive!
- It helps you better understand your body and monthly cycle
- It can help you synch with your cycle to choose the best workouts, foods, and even social activities
- It can help you better understand your moods and even anxiety levels throughout the month!!
Knowledge is power – and tracking this critical biomarker can provide you with very important insights about your body to empower you all month long.
Anxiety & Ovulation: The Connection
Ovulation is a time when we see a spike in various hormones including estrogen.
For some – these hormonal surges can lead to higher levels of anxiety – especially if hormone levels aren’t perfectly in synch/ at healthy levels.
I also see a lot of clients who experience increased anxiety post ovulation (in their luteal/ pre-menstrual phase) as both estrogen and progesterone rise and fall.
After we ovulate we see a fall in estrogen – which for some can trigger feelings of anxiety.
Following this fall, we see another surge in estrogen – and this time in progesterone as well. This is another opportunity for anxiety to set in – if the delicate dance between estrogen and progesterone are not in a balanced, healthy ratio.
And then one more time (right before we bleed) is another very common time anxiety might sneak in – when both estrogen and progesterone plummet (2).
Understanding both when we are ovulating, and once we’ve finished our ovulatory window – helps us to better understand the cyclical nature of our anxiety levels.
Knowing when we might be more vulnerable to anxiety helps us to prevent and manage symptoms sooner!
On top of this – working on hormonal balance through nutrition, lifestyle practices, and supplements is a very effective way to help mitigate hormonal induced anxiety throughout the month.
You certainly don’t *need* to feel anxious throughout your cycle – even as your hormones fluctuate!
Another Ovulation/ Anxiety Connection:
Another connection between ovulation and anxiety cannot go unnoticed.
This has to do with the anxiety that can come from either not wanting to get pregnant or wanting to get pregnant.
For those who wish not to get pregnant – knowing once you’ve passed your fertile window for the month can provide a lot of relief. Understanding this about our bodies can help us feel more liberated (and less anxious) when it comes to sexual activity post ovulation and premenstruation.
And likewise is true for those who wish to get pregnant. Instead of worrying all month long about trying to conceive – knowing your fertile window (including your 2 most fertile days during ovulation) can help take the pressure off of trying all the time!
This begs the question – how do we know *IF* we are ovulating?
It’s important to actually test for ovulation because some people can still bleed without ovulating. Meaning a monthly bleed is not enough of a sure indicator to know if you are in fact ovulating.
The cool thing is there are so many ways to track ovulation – from cervical mucous to Basal Body Temperature tracking, and more!
However I find one of the most simple (and effective) ways is to use ovulation test strips.
To do this I love Ovry – a Canadian company who provides affordable and accessible ovulation test strips – with an over 99% accuracy rate. And as a bonus they use 90% less plastic than traditional tests!
I was so excited when I found these because if I’m being completely honest – the other forms of tracking felt like a little too much work – and I wasn’t ecstatic about having my menstrual data tracked by apps!
Ovry’s products are really helping to change the landscape when it comes to menstrual/ reproductive health.
They’re an incredibly cool company with very high regards to their social and environmental awareness – helping to empower women and all who menstruate with easy access to this important information about their bodies!
Check them out here – and be sure to use my code MEG10 for 10% off your order.
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