Can Your Follicular Phase Cause Anxiety?

If you research and adhere to the tenants of cycle syncing, like I (try to) do, you may think of your “follicular” phase (i.e., the phase following your period, when estrogen rises and you’re supposedly starting to feel better, more energized, and more alert post-period) as the “inner springtime” of your cycle.

You may think that the entire follicular phase is the “sunshine and rainbows” phase– but is that always the case, for everyone? Let’s dive in.

Why do I get anxiety at the start of my follicular phase?

I did some research, and it turns out that some people (like me!) can actually experience the most severe spikes in anxiety during the first few days of their follicular phase. It made me feel validated, because since I’ve been tracking my cycle and trying to sync my day to day life and activities with it more, I’d been feeling somewhat discouraged that everyone seemed to equate the follicular phase to pure bliss– when they felt their best. 

According to floliving.com, everyone’s cycle is different, and if you experience anxiety more typically during the week after your period you aren’t alone. Flo Living states, “if you experience anxiety during your follicular phase, that is the week after your period has come to an end, then you are experiencing low estrogen levels or estrogen deficiency.” Essentially, your estrogen has bottomed out while on your period, and now your body is trying to play catch-up. Luckily, estrogen levels will rise during the first few days of your follicular phase, and eventually level out pre-ovulation. 

So, if you’re like me and the follicular phase doesn’t make you feel instantly amazing, you’re not the only one– you’re not “messed up” or “out of whack”, you’re just more sensitive to changes in estrogen levels than some other people who menstruate might be.

Know you’re not alone

Everyone reacts differently to hormonal changes. Everyone’s cycle is different and unique, with its own quirks, peaks and valleys. And that’s okay! Just know if you aren’t immediately on the “sunshine and rainbow” train following your period, that’s okay, and no, nothing is wrong with you. You’re probably just more sensitive to estrogen than other people, and that’s perfectly alright.

Take time to care for yourself and your mental health at all phases of your cycle, and be especially gentle with yourself on rough mental health days.

Xoxo,

MM.