Have you ever noticed your mood shifting during your cycle even when nothing else in your life changes?
One day you feel lighter, more social, and energetic, then a couple of weeks later, you feel irritable, tearful or low without a clear trigger or reason.
That doesn’t mean you’re unpredictable, unstable, or “just emotional.”
It’s biology - and it’s completely normal.
Your menstrual cycle is more than just periods. It’s a monthly rhythm, driven by hormones that don’t just affect your body, they affect your emotions, confidence, energy, and mental clarity too. Understanding this rhythm can help you stop blaming yourself and start working with instead of against it.
Let’s walk through how hormones shape your emotional landscape week by week and why those ups and downs aren’t your fault.
How Hormones and Mood Are Connected
Hormones are chemical messengers that influence how your body functions, from your reproductive system to your brain chemistry. Two of the main players in the menstrual cycle are estrogen and progesterone, and they fluctuate in predictable ways throughout the month.
These shifts also influence key brain chemicals like serotonin and dopamine, which affect mood, motivation, energy, and emotional resilience.
Here’s a look at how this plays out across the cycle:
1️⃣ Menstrual Phase (Days 1–5): Low Hormones, Low Mood
This phase begins on the first day of bleeding. Estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest. Many people describe this time as:
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Feeling more tired or subdued
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Wanting to withdraw or reflect
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Feeling less motivated or social
Why? Dropping hormones temporarily reduces serotonin availability, the “feel-good” brain chemical, which can make mood lower than usual.
This is not weakness, it’s your body focusing energy on healing and recovery.
2️⃣ Follicular Phase (Approx. Days 6–13): Rising Estrogen, Rising Mood
As bleeding ends, your body starts building toward ovulation.
Estrogen, a mood-boosting hormone, slowly rises.
This time can feel like:
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Increased energy
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More optimism and focus
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Better stamina for social activity or productivity
Even confidence and motivation can feel noticeably improved, which many people don’t connect to hormones, but that’s exactly what’s happening.
3️⃣ Ovulation (Around Mid-Cycle): Peak Estrogen, Emotional High Points
Around ovulation (usually day 14 in a typical cycle), estrogen, and sometimes testosterone reach their peak. Some people feel:
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Especially positive
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Energetic and sociable
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Emotionally resilient
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More assertive or confident
This doesn’t feel the same for everyone, but the hormonal backdrop certainly supports it.
4️⃣ Luteal Phase (After Ovulation → Before Period): Progesterone Rises, Then Falls
Once ovulation finishes, progesterone rises, preparing the body in case of pregnancy. Progesterone can have a calming effect for some, but as this phase progresses and both estrogen and progesterone start to fall, many people experience:
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Irritability
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Mood swings
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Anxiety
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Tearfulness
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Fatigue
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Feelings of sadness or frustration
This is also the phase when PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) typically shows up and for a smaller group, PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder), which is a much more intense emotional response.
These emotional shifts aren’t “in your head”, they’re the result of dynamic hormone-brain interactions.
So What’s Really Going On in the Brain?
Fluctuating estrogen and progesterone influence neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and GABA, systems that regulate mood, reward, stress response, and anxiety.
When estrogen is higher, serotonin tends to be more active, which supports feelings of well-being. When estrogen drops, especially before your period, serotonin can dip too, contributing to mood changes.
And while stress, sleep, life events, and diet also influence mood (hormones aren’t the only factor), the emotional patterns tied to cycle phases are rooted in your cycle, not weakness or inconsistency.
A Hopeful Perspective
Understanding hormone-linked emotion shifts doesn’t mean you have to feel ruled by your cycle, it means you can:
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anticipate patterns
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give yourself the right support at the right time
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reduce self-judgment
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practice self-care when your biology calls for it
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recognise when something feels beyond normal variation (like PMDD)
Hormones are powerful, but once you understand their rhythm, you can work with your cycle instead of fighting it.
