08 May Hormonology Guide to your best vacation ever
A lot goes into planning your perfect vacation—such as your budget, interests and time schedule.
However, before you make your reservations, there’s an equally important factor to consider: on which days of your monthly cycle your vacation will fall.
That’s because estrogen, testosterone and progesterone have a powerful effect on your mood, energy level, sense of adventure, how social and romantic you feel, and everything else that can impact how much you enjoy your getaway.
Once you know what to expect from your hormones each day, you can sync up the kind of trip you want to take with where you are in your cycle to have the best vacation ever.
Read on to find out the perfect getaways for every day of your cycle:
Week 1: Start off with sedate, then set sail for silly
Day 1 (first day of period) to Day 7
Your Week 1 may start off with a bit of aches and/or fatigue due to your period and bottomed-out estrogen. So, if you’re planning a trip to fall during this phase, keep in mind how you experience your period. If you get these kinds of menstrual woes, you’ll likely prefer comfortable surroundings, predictability and an itinerary that doesn’t require a lot of get-up-and-go. However, if your trip begins or continues into the middle of your Week 1, plan for a change of pace. That’s because by Day 4, cramps will have likely subsided and estrogen will have risen to a level that makes you more outgoing, social, happy, confident, energetic and optimistic–making you enjoy mingling with other folks, engaging in physical activities and having the kind of silly fun that makes you feel like a kid again.
The vacations you’ll enjoy the most this week: Bed and breakfasts, amusement parks, miniature golf, sailing, shopping, visiting far-away friends, attending sporting events.
Week 2: Bring on the adventure
Day 8 to ovulation (which is Day 14 in a 28-day cycle)
High estrogen and testosterone during this week of your cycle are pumping up your mood, energy, confidence and love of adventure, making you crave new and intense experiences that would make for a great blog post or a key plot point in this year’s Christmas letter. You’re happiest when trying new foods, meeting new people, traveling to exotic locales and doing exciting activities that could be a bit risky or even downright dangerous. High testosterone is revving your desire for romance. Combine this with your yen for trying something new and you may feel like using this trip to break out of boring ruts with a passionate vacation for two or finding a brand-new love.
The vacations you’ll enjoy the most this week: Music festivals, rock climbing, parasailing, surfing, singles cruises, casinos, exotic countries, amusement parks with wild rides, water parks, competing in sporting and other competitive events.
Week 3: Make it mellow
Begins day after ovulation and lasts 8 days (which is Day 14 to Day 22 in a 28-day cycle)
This week is dominated by progesterone, a sedating hormone that brings down your pep, makes you prefer safe and quiet surroundings, and has you feeling less chatty and more self-reflective. All this makes you happiest when taking mellow trips by yourself or with the kind of pals who don’t take your silent moments personally. Progesterone puts a damper on your sex drive, so if you’re traveling with your mate, you’ll be most interested in activities that help you bond on an emotional level. This hormone is also prone to triggering food cravings—especially for sugary, salty, fatty and carb-rich treats–which makes eating a favorite highlight of any trip taken in this week of your cycle.
The vacations you’ll enjoy the most this week: Antiquing, museums, drives through the country, historic sites, the beach, cruises, yoga or meditation retreats, food festivals, destination restaurants.
Week 4: Days of indulgence
Final 6 days of your cycle
As estrogen plunges during this premenstrual week, your energy tends to be lower, you’re more sensitive to pain, loud noise and pungent odors, your patience is hitting rock-bottom and you may feel a bit emotionally fragile or blue. As a result, you’re happiest on trips where you’re in comfortable, uncrowded surroundings and are being treated like a queen. Go for the hotel room upgrade, roomier rental car, five-star restaurant reservations and anything else that makes you feel like you’re in the lap of luxury. Knowing you’re getting the very best helps counter negativity spurred by a drop in estrogen by triggering a surge in feel-good brain chemicals.
The vacations you’ll enjoy the most this week: Resort hotels, spas, cruises, beaches, destination restaurants.
BONUS: Sync up your vacation with men’s hormones
Now that you’ve booked your vacation based on where it lands in your monthly hormone cycle, you can make your getaway even more enjoyable by syncing up your daily itinerary with the 24-hour hormone cycle of your male travel companions. For instance, in the…
* Morning: Plan to do your most energetic activities. Once a guy wipes the sleep from his eyes (and chugs his first mug of coffee), his high morning testosterone will have him feeling energetic and ready to take on the world, or at least the canoeing, rock climbing and hiking parts of it. The morning is also the best time for physical intimacy—his high testosterone is making him more passionate and giving him the most stamina he’ll have all day.
* Afternoon: Fit in fun time. See a silly roadside attraction, attend a crafts workshop or visit with friends or family. His testosterone is now descending, but it’s still high enough to put him in a good mood and make him chatty and relaxed.
* Early evening: Give him time to eat and rest. Around 5 pm to 7 pm, guys experience a significant decrease in testosterone, which can make them tired and foggy. Food and relaxation help recharge their batteries so they can continue having fun with you later.
* Late evening: Go for the romance. Get reservations at a swanky restaurant, draw a bubble bath for two, head to the dance floor or indulge in paired massages. His testosterone is at its lowest point and the “bonding hormone” oxytocin is rising now. Together, these hormones make him more in the mood to cuddle and connect with you.
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