09 Apr It’s all relative when it comes to your hormones
Yesterday I had a session with a photographer to get a new headshot. I’m bored with my current pic, which I’ve had for years, and wanted a fresh look.
As with everything I do, I planned the photo shoot according to my monthly cycle, purposely booking it so it would coincide with the end of my Week 2 (Day 12 in my cycle).
Why? Well, if you’re a longtime fan of Hormonology, then you know that during your Week 2, high estrogen makes you more outgoing, extroverted and confident. And that was important for me because I get nervous, shy and self-conscious when other people take my photo.
And, what happened once I got to the photographer’s studio? I totally rocked it! I struck perfect poses, made a ton of amazing suggestions to the photographer and used props in ways that would make Next Top Model judges proud!
Actually, none of that happened.
Truth was, once I got to the photographer’s studio I got nervous, self-conscious and embarrassed. And I didn’t get any more comfortable once the camera’s shutter began clicking away.
Why didn’t my hormones help? Fact is, they did. Here’s how:
I’m generally a shy person. And I’ve never been comfortable having my photo taken by someone else. It’s not because I have any particular hang-ups or think photos steal my soul. It’s probably just part of being an introvert.
So, knowing a photo shoot would be stressful for me, I chose to schedule it during the week in my cycle when my hormones would put me at my most confident and secure.
While my high estrogen didn’t turn me into a budding fashion model overnight, it did help me get through an uncomfortable experience a whole lot easier than if I’d scheduled the shoot during another week of my cycle, say, my premenstrual Week 4 when estrogen is in a free fall. There was no hand-wringing or stomach churning or chastising myself for closing my eyes whenever the shutter clicked. I just did my best, listened to the instructions the photographer gave and sailed through it, which was as good as it gets for me.
And that’s what I want to point out today: When I share research that tells you that your hormones make you more confident, more extroverted, more energetic, funnier, smarter or anything else at a certain time in your cycle, I mean in relation to your own personality.
For instance, if like me you’re naturally shy, in your Week 2, your high estrogen likely won’t turn you into an attention-adoring Madonna. (At least not without copious amounts of alcohol.) But, you will find it easier to chat with people and try new experiences compared to other weeks of your cycle.
The same goes for everything else–you’ll be a bit more or less of what your core personality already is. Your hormone fluctuations don’t change who you are deep down inside. They just nudge you toward either end of your own personality spectrum depending on where you are in your cycle.
To get a recap of how your hormones are nudging you week to week in your cycle, check out this quick overview of the female hormone cycle.
As for my headshot, that should be ready for its big debut sometime next week : )
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