3 Reasons to Rest on Your Period

Usha Anandi. 25 | JUNE| 2023

If you feel guilty when you decide to take it slow, I have news for you: You’ve been brainwashed.

But the good news is: you’re not the only one.

I drank the rest-is-only-for-the-privileged-or-lazy Kool-aid too.

Maybe it comes from never seeing my mom rest until she had no other choice but to collapse on the couch because she worked her body to the point of illness.

Or perhaps it’s growing up in a culture tailored to men, where women are treated like small men and expected to show up as such.

But women aren’t tiny men.

And men aren’t hairy women.

The physiological reality is this:

Men need to create in order to rest, and women need to rest in order to create.

I’m curious…

Have you ever felt bad because you can’t keep your energy up every day of the month?

Or maybe you watched your mother or grandmother pick herself up by the bootstraps and keep powering through pain and fatigue until the point of collapse?

If your answer is yes, this blog is for you.

If you feel extra tired when you’re on your period but feel like you have to keep going no matter what – I hope these 3 reasons convince you otherwise.

I recently did a podcast with the lovely Mariah from Four Visions where we talked about harmonizing with nature’s cycles.

This is one of my favorite podcasts I’ve ever done.

If you’d like to give it a listen and take a dive into this topic, now’s the perfect time. You’re only a click away.

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

But in the meantime, here are three big reasons you can say ‘HECK YES’ to resting on your period.

1. Women Need 8 to 10 Hours of Sleep

…And men need 6 to 8. This is a science-backed fact! If you’re wondering why – there are actually a ton of different reasons.

As women, our adrenal glands have to put in far more work to produce our major sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. But the adrenal glands don’t just help with sex hormone production… They produce stress hormones too.

All this pressure on the adrenal glands, two walnut-shaped glands that rest on top of the kidneys… What’s a woman to do?!

Here’s what it all means: if you’re running on stress hormones trying to keep up with the fast pace of life and aren’t getting enough sleep at night, you’re stealing the only time your body has to rejuvenate these tiny little glands that do so much work for you.

Wise Womban Tip: Go to sleep at night, ideally before 10 pm (both Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda agree that going to bed before 10 pm is ideal for nourishing, rejuvenating, and building vitality).

2. Resting Balances Your Hormones

It’s not just the cramps, the nausea, and the mood swings. Your bleed also puts your body through substantial hormonal fluctuations…

Resting on your period helps your body regulate these hormonal shifts more effectively. Give yourself time to relax and help your body stabilize your hormones faster – I know you’ll be surprised by the impact it has on your mood. Overall, resting more on your period does wonders for better mental health overall, especially for PMS.

3. Resting Helps Your Body Recover

During your cycle, your body puts so much effort into shedding the uterine lining. This is one of the primary reasons for cramps, headaches, and fatigue.

And trust me, I know just how debilitating these symptoms can be. If you dread your period because you know how dysfunctional you usually get, I bet you’ve probably been shirking on your sleep…

Resting allows your body to divert its energy towards managing these important physical processes and soothing discomfort. Your muscles get the chance to relax which lessens cramps, and lets you shine your brightest.

By choosing to prioritize rest during your period, you’re not only helping your body support both your physical and hormonal health. You’re also saying goodbye to an outdated, male-centric system of work that’s harmed women through so many generations.
It’s so simple, but so many womben have been taught to ignore our body’s cries. If you want to experience less:

• Cramping
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Mood swings, irritability, and anxiety

Give yourself that break.

Unwind with your favorite snack, and please for the love of God, don’t feel guilty about it.

You aren’t defined by your productivity.

And if you don’t choose a day for rest, your body will choose for you.

Delve deeper into this topic and lots of others with Mariah and me in her Four Visions podcast. I had so much fun being her guest. Give it a listen below!

LISTEN TO FOUR VISIONS