how to react to feelings based on where you are in your emotional cycle

Emotional cycles

We have ups and downs. That’s a part of life. 

But, did you know it's actually a cycle? Women tend to understand this, as they learn to navigate the emotional experience of their monthly hormonal cycles. But for men, cycles are not even acknowledged - neither hormonal nor emotional. 

All humans also have an emotional cycle correlated with moon phases via the limbic brain. 

And…there’s the cycle of personal experience patterns that no one is talking about. I present this model in my book, and call this cycle, the “psychospiritual spiral.” It is based on where you are personally in the dramas and experience of your life. 

Simply stated, it’s like the sum of stressors/triggers/depletion on the downward turn, and the sum of joy/selfcare/nourishment on the upward turn.

In terms of what is actually affecting how you feel, the order of importance is: moon phase, hormonal levels, and personal experience patterns (most). 

Just like moon phase or hormonal cycles give us clarity on why we may be feeling what we’re feeling, so too, can the psychospiritual spiral. In fact, it’s something we can feel without charting the moon or getting labs.

If I know where I am in my psychospiritual spiral, I know how to react. When we know if we’re on the downward turn, it’s a time to not solve nor react; rather, it’s a time to recenter and nourish before making any decisions. When we act from this place, it’s often just playing out default generational dysfunction. If I’m on the upward turn, it’s time to align and act. 

I just wanted to introduce this concept - a tangible personal experience cycle - because it has been incredibly helpful in navigating those ups and downs while feeling clear, acting in alignment, and reworking dysfunctional emotional patterns. In other words, it has been an essential context to build my emotional awareness, and wellness. 

If you’d like to learn more, please join me for an upcoming workshop or retreat immersing in Emotional Wellness. Check my offerings page for what's coming up!