Have your periods been weird since Summer started?
Meaning, are you getting worse cramps, more bloating, heavier flow with clots, maybe even two periods in the month of June?
If you are nodding along, thinking to yourself, “that’s me!”… You are not alone, my friend. Many women are having the same hormonal struggles this summer.
Let’s talk about why your symptoms get worse during the summer.
Summertime Symptoms
Summertime is the worst time to have your symptoms rear their head and start acting up. You want to travel, you want to wear cute clothes, you want to be in your bikini by the pool, and you want to have patio margaritas with your girlfriends.
But these are the exact culprits that are making your symptoms worse in the summer, and they all boil down to more stress or inflammation on your body.
Here are a few things that are stressing your body in the summer months:
- The heat
- Longer days of daylight means later nights or earlier mornings
- Traveling
- More get togethers with food and alcohol
Though most of these are good things, they are showing up hormonally.
The top 5 signs I see with my clients that are struggling with hormonal symptoms this summer include:
- Brain fog and heat intolerance. This can increase your anxiety, anxiousness, and lack of focus.
- Worse bloating. You feel like you’re puffy and retaining water no matter how hydrated you are.
- Changes to your cycle. The inflammation can lead to heavy bleeding, worse cramping, and funky, not normal to you cycle lengths.
- Not great sleep and night sweats. You feel too hot to sleep, so you end up tossing and turning and hoping for sleep to come.
- Jawline acne and hair loss. The cystic acne could be more sweating and products (like sunscreen) on your face.
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, you are not a failure. These symptoms are just whispers from your body that your hormones need a little TLC.
Though it is more difficult during the summer, especially if you have travel plans and are out enjoying the sun, there are things you can do this summer to not feel like you’re going backwards in your hormone optimization journey or like you’re starting all over again come fall.
Your Summer Focus
Whether you’re being proactive with your hormonal symptoms this summer or if you’re starting to feel the difference with your periods, skin, or bloating, here are several areas you can focus on this summer to optimize your hormones:
Summer Fuel
- Prioritize protein and fiber with every big meal
- Hydrate before you’re thirsty and add electrolytes
- Enjoy the ice cream or margs in moderation
Summer Movement
- Shift your cardio to zone 2 to beat the heat
- Take your workout outside for a hike or paddleboarding session
- Rest is part of the plan! Take days off your workouts
Summer Lifestyle
- Get morning light within 30 minutes of waking up
- Protect your sleep because it’s your hormonal rehab
- Manage your stress by having boundaries
And most importantly, track your symptoms. You don’t need to be reactive with your hormonal health, but spotting trends and patterns will help you realize what’s making a symptom worse, whether it’s more bloating or worse skin issues.
In Conclusion…
Though symptoms are not normal, it is common to have worsened hormonal symptoms during the summer months. The heat, more plans, travel, and everything between can disrupt your hard work with managing your symptoms.
But when you are aware of your symptoms, why they happen, and how to support them, even in the busiest seasons of your life, you will be in control of your hormones.
Curious how your symptoms are impacting your big goals? Take the Free Hormone Symptom Analyzer today.
Or, want to dive deeper into a customized plan for your hormones? Let’s schedule a Complimentary Hormone Analysis Call to see if 1:1 Hormone Coaching is right for you.
