Happy New Year, my friends! As we step into 2025, it’s common to feel a mixture of emotions. Rundown from the holidays, motivated and excited for a fresh year. And when it comes to your period this month, it could be a funky one.
Why?
Because, as women, our hormones are very sensitive. Everything we eat, how we move our bodies, and our lifestyle (think: how stressed we are, our sleep, and so on) impact our hormones – either positively or negatively.
The last month (and if we’re being honest, likely since Thanksgiving or even Halloween) has been filled with celebrations, get together, winding down for the year. Plus a good combination of foods and drinks we don’t typically have, being knocked off our routine, and maybe a dash (or more) of stress.
All of this is the perfect storm to give us a funky period this upcoming month.
The good news is, you are in total control of your hormones and achieving a painless period in 2025. The bad news is, this month your period is going to give you a receipt of the last month or so, and for some of us, it may not be the receipt we are excited to look at.
If your next period or two give you a receipt that includes symptoms like:
- More mood swings – especially in your luteal phase
- Trouble regulating your body temperature
- Sleepless nights or waking up with fatigue in your luteal phase
- More acne breakouts, especially around your jawline
- Low energy and brain fog
- Intense cravings
- More bloating and water retention
- Painful cramps
- Clots in your period blood
- Heavier and or longer period
Then keep reading to improve your period this new year by implementing some of these tips!
First thing’s first, do not take any drastic measures. Our body loves consistency and may need a softer approach at this time. Be patient, be kind, and trust the process.
STEP 1: Eat a balanced plate.
You’ve likely gotten off your routine with food. A lot of people will be tempted to go into a calorie deficit first thing this year – especially if you gained a little bit of holiday weight. But now is not the time to go into a deficit, especially if you have period symptoms. A calorie deficit is technically a stress on your body and if you have period symptoms, your body is already showing signs of stress. We don’t want to fight stress with stress if we are trying to balance our hormones.
Instead, focus on nourishing your body with food.
Balance your plate at every big meal with a protein, a carb, a healthy fat, and a fiber (aka a fruit or vegetable).
If you do this for most meals, you will notice your GI system return to normal, your bloating decrease, your cravings starting to disappear, and your energy starting to return.
STEP 2: Move your body.
Sweating is one of the best ways we can detox our body. (And no, we don’t need to get on a fancy detox program right now – your body has you covered!)
But this doesn’t mean we are punishing our body with movement. We are not going to the gym to spend hours on the treadmill. This is the recipe to deplete our hormones more and cause worse period symptoms.
Instead, focus on getting back into your fitness routine. Ease in, so you can reduce your period symptoms and then ramp up as you’re feeling back to normal.
BONUS: After working for years in a corporate gym, the top thing I saw with New Years Resolutions was people starting too fast, doing the all or nothing, and then fizzling out and quitting. This is why we ease into things. It’s all a progression – a marathon, not a sprint.
STEP 3: Prioritize rest and sleep.
Your body is going to naturally want to take it slower this month. Yes, it’s after a holiday, but it’s also colder out, it’s dark longer, and our body wants to hibernate. This is a good time to slow down and match your activities with your energy levels, instead of ignoring our body’s cues and pushing through.
Over the next month, prioritize at least two rest days from working out, get back into your bedtime routine, and do activities that are lower intensity so you start coming out of your depleted state.
This sounds too good to be true. It sounds too easy. But if you focus on these three steps, you will start re-balancing your hormones and your period will return to normal.
If you have a funky period this month, it could take 30 to 90 days to restore your period, so I encourage you to start now!
And if you want more guidance on your cycle, check out the 7 day free trial of SHECycle, where there’s recipes, workouts, and a ton of education and recommendations on improving your cycle, balancing your hormones, and using your cycle to achieve your goals (whether that’s more energy, better periods, weight loss, getting toned, or anything between)!
Here’s to a pain-free and hormonally balanced 2025! I can’t wait to cheer you on this year!
