Episode 6 - PMS, the Pre-Menstruum & the Void: What’s Really Happening in Your Cycle

Episode 6 - PMS, the Pre-Menstruum & the Void: What’s Really Happening in Your Cycle

In this episode, we explore PMS, the pre-menstruum (your inner autumn), and something called the void — the 2–5 days before your period where everything can feel raw, heavy, or unclear. We also begin to shift the story. Because PMS is common… but it doesn’t have to be something you simply suffer through. In this episode, we explore: * What the pre-menstruum actually is (your inner autumn) * The role of progesterone and what’s shifting hormonally * Why PMS symptoms show up — physically, emotionally, and mentally * Why PMS is often normalised, but not supported * The shame many people carry in this phase * How your body is actually trying to slow you down * The impact of stress on this part of your cycle * Why your “inner critic” often gets louder here * The concept of “bleeding on it” (listening vs acting on pre-menstrual thoughts) * What the “void” is and why it can feel so intense * How to care for yourself in this phase with more compassion and ease By the end of this episode, you’ll understand: * Why PMS is not just “in your head” * Why your experience makes sense in a cyclical body * How to stop interpreting your pre-menstruum as “something wrong with you” * How to begin working with this phase instead of against it * Why rest and slowing down are essential, not optional Most importantly, you’ll begin to see this phase not as something to fear, but something to understand, support, and soften into. 💁 About Me I’m Lizzy, a life coach supporting lesbians and queer people to understand themselves, their cycles, and their relationships. I help you notice patterns, communicate more clearly, and connect deeply — with yourself and your partner. ⚠️ DISCLAIMER I’m not a medical professional. This podcast is for educational and self-awareness purposes only. If you have medical concerns about your cycle, please consult a qualified healthcare provider.

Episode 5 - What’s Happening Across Your Cycle: Understanding the 4 Phases

In this episode, I break down the four phases of the menstrual cycle (hopefully!) in a simple way. I share how my own cycle played out as I launched this podcast, the highs of inner summer (ovulation), the creeping doubts that followed, and how menstrual cycle awareness gave me the tools to care for myself and my energy without judgment. This episode is about you getting to know your cycle, as a foundation for you and your partner understanding each others. Inner Winter – The Bleed * Your least buffered phase; hormones are low. * Mental clarity can appear, but energy is low. * A time to rest, protect your energy, and nourish yourself. Inner Spring – Pre-Ovulation * Oestrogen rises; the “get-up-and-go” phase. * Feeling lighter, freer, more optimistic. * Can feel overwhelming or anxiety-provoking if you’re not tuned into your cycle. Inner Summer – Ovulation * Most buffered, highest hormone levels. * Connection, pleasure, confidence, sensuality. * A time to notice, enjoy, and celebrate your body and energy. Inner Autumn – Post-Ovulation / Pre-Menstruum * PMS and PMDD symptoms may show up. * Energy wanes; inner critic can be loud. * A phase to turn inward, re-ground, and care for yourself. * Next week’s episode will dive deeper into this phase. * By understanding these phases, you can notice the distinct energies, emotional tones, and needs in yourself — and your partner. This awareness creates compassion, reduces shame, and helps you navigate your own energy rhythm. I also invite you to try a simple check-in: 📌 Resources & Next Steps: * Free Mini-Series: Your Cycle, Your Connection — three short 5-min videos teaching you how to track and chart your cycle and do a daily check-in. Watch with your partner too: innerconnectioncoach.co.uk/challenge-page [https://www.innerconnectioncoach.co.uk/challenge-page/learn-menstrual-cycle-awareness-with-free-mini-series] Stay tuned for next week’s episode, where we explore PMS, the void, and how to care for yourself or your partner during this phase. 💁 About Me I’m Lizzy, a life coach supporting lesbians and queer people to understand themselves, their cycles, and their relationships. I help you notice patterns, communicate more clearly, and connect deeply — with yourself and your partner. ⚠️ DISCLAIMER I’m not a medical professional. This podcast is for educational and self-awareness purposes only. If you have medical concerns about your cycle, please consult a qualified healthcare provider.

Episode 4 - The Joys and Shadows of Syncing... or Not Syncing

Have you ever noticed how your energy and your partner’s can feel completely aligned… or completely out of step? In this episode, we explore what it means to sync—or not sync—with your partner’s menstrual cycle, and how understanding these rhythms can transform your relationship. I share a story from a client who struggled with rest, and how menstrual cycle awareness helped her and her partner navigate frustration, resentment, and connection. We dive into the joys and shadows of syncing, moments of ease, play, and shared energy, as well as tricky days when energies clash. We also explore the joys and shadows of not syncing, when your cycles move in opposite rhythms and how that can offer care, support, and new perspectives—if you know how to work with it. This episode is perfect for lesbians and queer couples who want to: * Understand the energies each of you bring to the relationship * Recognize patterns that show up across your cycles * Care for yourselves and each other with awareness and intention Whether your cycles align or move in opposite rhythms, learning to observe, reflect, and communicate through a cycle lens can help you protect your energy, reduce conflict, and deepen connection. Resources & Next Steps: Blog - Two Cycles that don't Sync Up [https://www.innerconnectioncoach.co.uk/post/relationships-managing-two-cycles-and-what-happens-when-they-don-t-sync-up] 🎥 Free Mini-Series: Your Cycle, Your Connection [https://www.innerconnectioncoach.co.uk/challenge-page/learn-menstrual-cycle-awareness-with-free-mini-series] – Learn the basics of menstrual cycle awareness and how to start tracking. 🌐 Website: www.innerconnectioncoach.co.uk [https://www.innerconnectioncoach.co.uk] 📸 Instagram: @theperiodlesbian 🎵 TikTok: @theperiodlesbian 📧 Email: lizzy@innerconnectioncoach.co.uk 💁 About Me I’m Lizzy, a life coach supporting lesbians and queer people to understand themselves, their cycles, and their relationships. I help you notice patterns, communicate more clearly, and connect deeply — with yourself and your partner. ⚠️ DISCLAIMER I’m not a medical professional. This podcast is for educational and self-awareness purposes only. If you have medical concerns about your cycle, please consult a qualified healthcare provider.

Episode 3 – When Our Cycles Collide_ Communication, Capacity & Connection

Have you ever felt like you and your partner are in completely different worlds? Like they don’t see you. Like what you need and what they need just don’t line up. In this episode, Lizzy shares a real-time snapshot of life with her partner Beth — recording on cycle day 6 while Beth is on cycle day 27 — two very different hormonal landscapes. From tenderness and overwhelm to “the void” before a bleed, this episode explores what happens when two cyclical nervous systems meet. Menstrual cycle awareness hasn’t made Lizzy and Beth the same. It’s given them a language. A way to understand: * Capacity * Emotional sensitivity * Mental energy * Inward vs outward phases * And how those shifts affect communication and connection This is where cycle awareness becomes relationship care. IN THIS EPISODE * What it feels like when partners are in different phases of their cycles * The “void” before a bleed — and how to support it * Why inward phases can either create distance or deepen connection * Capacity management inside a relationship * Why understanding your own cycle must come first * How different cycle lengths and syncing patterns affect dynamics * The difference between knowing the theory — and living it daily WHY THIS MATTERS IN QUEER RELATIONSHIPS In relationships where both partners have menstrual cycles, you aren’t just navigating one hormonal rhythm. You’re navigating two. Sometimes you sync. Sometimes you’re a week apart. Sometimes you’re at complete polar opposites of the cycle. Each combination creates a different relational dynamic. When you don’t have language for that, it can feel personal. When you do, it becomes something you can meet together. START HERE The foundation of this work is simple: 1. Understand your own cycle. 2. Let your partner understand theirs. 3. Then share what it actually means for you both. Pre-ovulation might feel expansive for one of you and anxious for the other. Before a bleed, one of you might need reassurance — the other might need space. Neither is wrong. Awareness creates choice. RESOURCES & NEXT STEPS 🎥 Free Mini-Series: Your Cycle, Your Connection Learn the basics of tracking and understanding your hormonal baseline → https://www.innerconnectioncoach.co.uk/challenge-page/learn-menstrual-cycle-awareness-with-free-mini-series [https://www.innerconnectioncoach.co.uk/challenge-page/learn-menstrual-cycle-awareness-with-free-mini-series] 🎧 Intro to Menstrual Cycle Awareness (Audio Course) A deeper framework to understand yourself and your partner. Podcast listeners receive 20% off with code: POD20 🌐 Website: http://www.innerconnectioncoach.co.ukwww.innerconnectioncoach.co.uk [http://www.innerconnectioncoach.co.uk] 📸 Instagram: @theperiodlesbian 🎵 TikTok: @theperiodlesbian 📧 Email: lizzy@innerconnectioncoach.co.uk COMING UP Future episodes will go deeper into: * Anxiety across the cycle * Communication during premenstrual sensitivity * Syncing vs not syncing * Managing energy in business and relationships * Practical weekly and daily check-ins 💁 About Me I’m Lizzy, a life coach supporting lesbians and queer people to understand themselves, their cycles, and their relationships. I help you notice patterns, communicate more clearly, and connect deeply — with yourself and your partner. ⚠️ DISCLAIMER I’m not a medical professional. This podcast is for educational and self-awareness purposes only. If you have medical concerns about your cycle, please consult a qualified healthcare provider.

Episode 2- How I Found My Cycle Inside Myself

Have you ever felt like you’re fighting yourself? Confident and capable one week — doubting everything the next. In this episode, Lizzy shares the personal story that changed everything: the moment she realised she wasn’t broken or inconsistent — she was cyclical. From imposter syndrome and self-criticism to discovering menstrual cycle awareness, this episode explores how understanding hormonal patterns transformed her relationship with herself — and laid the foundation for deeper, calmer, more connected relationships. If you’ve ever felt confused by your own shifts in energy, mood, confidence, or capacity, this is the episode that will help you make sense of it. IN THIS EPISODE * The internal battle that led Lizzy to question herself * Why high-functioning women can still feel deeply inconsistent * The moment she discovered the four phases of the menstrual cycle * What menstrual cycle awareness actually is (in simple terms) * How cycle awareness improves boundaries, rest, confidence, and self-trust * Why reconnecting with your body is foundational to healthy relationships WHAT IS MENSTRUAL CYCLE AWARENESS? Menstrual cycle awareness is the practice of noticing your patterns of mood, energy, focus, emotional sensitivity, and needs across your cycle — so you can work with your body instead of against it. If you have a menstrual cycle, you are not designed to feel the same every day. Understanding that changes everything. RESOURCES & NEXT STEPS 🎥 Free Mini-Series: Your Cycle, Your Connection Learn how to start tracking your cycle and understanding your hormonal shifts https://www.innerconnectioncoach.co.uk/challenge-page/learn-menstrual-cycle-awareness-with-free-mini-series [https://www.innerconnectioncoach.co.uk/challenge-page/learn-menstrual-cycle-awareness-with-free-mini-series] 🌐 Website: http://www.innerconnectioncoach.co.ukwww.innerconnectioncoach.co.uk [http://www.innerconnectioncoach.co.uk] 📸 Instagram: @theperiodlesbian 🎵 TikTok: @theperiodlesbian 📧 Email: lizzy@innerconnectioncoach.co.uk COMING NEXT In Episode 3, Lizzy shares how understanding both her cycle and her partner’s cycle transformed their communication, capacity, and connection — and why cycle awareness isn’t just self-care, it’s relationship care. 💁 About Me I’m Lizzy, a life coach supporting lesbians and queer people to understand themselves, their cycles, and their relationships. I help you notice patterns, communicate more clearly, and connect deeply — with yourself and your partner. ⚠️ DISCLAIMER I’m not a medical professional. This podcast is for educational and self-awareness purposes only. If you have medical concerns about your cycle, please consult a qualified healthcare provider.