08 May Squeeze more enjoyment out of your next vacation with this cycle tip
Are you daydreaming of your next vacation–for instance, a long weekend spent soaking up the sun in a tropical paradise, a week running free in a huge amusement park or just hopping in the car or on a train and heading someplace totally new?
Sure, figuring out a budget and getting time off work or school are key considerations when planning your getaway.
However, there’s one more important factor you may want to think about before you solidify your travel plans:
It’s where you’re going to be in your monthly menstrual cycle when you take your vacation.
That’s because you’re more apt to enjoy a getaway when you sync it up with the week you’re going to be on in your monthly cycle.
Why? The level of your hormones in each week of your cycle impacts your mood, energy, patience, food cravings and the kind of activities you enjoy most–pretty much everything involved in a vacation.
So, when you plan a trip that syncs up with all these factors in the week of your cycle, it’s obviously going to be a far better trip.
For example? I love the way Disney World is fun and brings out the kid in me. But, I’m not a fan of the crowds. I also remember there’s a lot of walking and standing involved. A lot. So, I know I should be aiming to visit the theme park during a time in my cycle when I’m in a mood for silliness, have the most patience and my energy is peaking.
This is clearly going to be some time from the second half of my Week 1 through my Week 2. That’s because this is when estrogen is high and rising, which will be making me enjoy silly kind of fun, helping me be more patient with crowds and boosting my pep to cycle-long highs.
So, if you’re planning a getaway now or some time in the future, here are a few ways to sync up the kind of trip you want to go on with the week of your monthly cycle:
Week 1: Low-key start to fun finish
Day 1 (first day of your period) to Day 7
If you’re planning a trip to fall during Week 1 of your cycle, take into account how you feel during menstruation. If you tend to get achy and tired, plan a low-key getaway, for instance, lounging at a beach or going on a dolphin watching tour. However, if your period isn’t a problem, then plan a vacation that brings out the kid in you, for instance, head to a theme park or convention where arriving in costume is encouraged. That’s because rising estrogen brings out your desire to let your hair down and have silly kind of fun.
Week 2: Daring and high-energy
Day 8 to Day 14 (or ovulation day in your cycle)
If you’ve ever dreamed of doing something completely daring or that requires a lot of physical energy and stamina, say, going to an exotic locale or rock climbing, try your hardest to make it happen during Week 2 of your cycle. High estrogen and testosterone are pumping up your love of adventure, openness to new experiences and pep to cycle-long highs.
Week 3: Bucolic and buttery
Starts day after ovulation and lasts 8 days (that’s Day 15 to Day 22 in a 28-day cycle)
With progesterone rising and estrogen dipping to lower levels, you’re quieter and have less energy. You’re also more sentimental and tend to reflect more on what you experience than in the earlier two weeks of your cycle. As a result, you’d enjoy visiting a museum, bucolic country town or even returning to a place your family used to visit when you were a child. Rising progesterone is also boosting your desire for comforting treats, so you’d likely find food-centered vacations fulfilling.
Week 4: Total queendom
Final 6 days of your cycle
With estrogen nosediving this premenstrual week, you’re happiest on getaways where you’re treated like a queen, for instance, on a cruise, at a spa resort or even simply at a comfortable hotel where room service is fast and the TV has 1000 channels at no extra charge.
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