Okay - women - we all know we have a monthly cycle, right? Well we also know there is about a week that our emotions are a bit on the edgy maybe out of control side of things, right? I have noticed over the years my thought patterns during this time of the month tend to be more negative and less hopeful. But I have also noticed that the week after is usually the most upbeat and most positive time of the month for me. It's a great time for me to look at the upcoming month and plan, plan my workouts, my overall housekeeping schedule, menus, grocery lists. Its also a great time to tackle a big job...be it cleaning my car inside and out, deep cleaning a room in the house. Get the idea? The following 2 ish weeks are really what I would consider my normal positive self.
So, pondering all of this I would just about bet most of us women are the same way. That is what I would like to research if I could. But since I can't...I had more thoughts about this that I wanted to share. It seems like common sense but unless we actually think about it I don't think we realize that we could use this knowledge to our advantage.
First of all - that one dreaded week - PLAN NOTHING! LOL! Well, don't plan to try to tackle anything major. Do not plan to have any heart to heart conversation with your husband! We are too raw, too sensitive, we are a little "too" everything, if you enter into these conversations you are setting yourself up for hurt feelings, words being said that you don't really mean, regret...Need I go on? Plan an easy week. For me personally I know I can easily talk myself out of going to the gym or working out - so I think I should plan a 1st thing in the morning workout so I have fewer reasons to come up with to try to talk myself out of it. I also know I am super tired during this time - so I am purposely going to plan to go to bed way early each night. I should keep housekeeping expectations to just picking up/maintaining. Meals will be super easy and quick meals with quick and easy clean up. I also need to make a list of things that I am thankful for and reflect on that often along with some encouraging and uplifting scriptures. Many of us have cravings during this time - so if you are working on a healthy lifestyle simply plan the indulgence in moderation into this week. I love MEAT during this time and a few sweets - in order to keep from feeling deprived and or guilty - plan them, have them (in moderation), enjoy them! Allow yourself this for one week - geesh! I know to not look for a significant loss on the scale - I should prepare myself to be thrilled to maintain my weight for this week.
The second week - WOWZERS! I should work on planning out that second week a couple of days before it starts. This is the best time for me to get stuff done! Seriously - I find myself making killer daily lists for that week and I usually have great success tackling it. But just recently realizing what is happening to me emotionally and physically at this time- I think I can build on this even more. I also tend to bump up my workouts this week. I used to get discouraged that I couldn't keep up the workout pace that I have for this particular week - for the whole month. But realistically I think it all evens out. My workouts during the previous week are probably the least intense of the month. This week would counter act that and the next two weeks are my normal. It's so important to look at that whole picture sometimes. Are you seeing it?
The other two weeks - they are my "normal" weeks. The easiest for me to handle weeks. These are the weeks life make sense. These are the weeks I need to just focus on balance and best performance in all areas. Not MAX performance, just best performance. I hope that makes sense to ya'all.
A little over a week ago, maybe two weeks now, I finished a book by Lysa Terkherst called Unglued. It has helped me with my pondering. She discussed the types of "unglued" we can be and I found myself in different categories depending on what "mood" I was in...I realized my mood directly related to where I was within the month.
This is what has been on my heart and mind lately. I feel like God is opening my eyes to how I work physically and emotionally so that I can be and do better each week for myself, my family and for my witness. Knowledge is power if we apply it.
I encourage you to start evaluating yourself and just see...do you have a rhythm each month? I bet you do. Find it and use that knowledge to your advantage.
Thanks for reading!
D. J.
