The importance of tracking your period
TLDR: Tracking your period isn’t just about knowing when your bleed starts. It helps you see patterns in symptoms like energy, mood, digestion, and pain, giving valuable clues about your overall health. Using privacy-friendly apps or a simple journal, you can gather insights that guide testing, uncover root causes, and support better next steps.
Your period is more than just a bleed every month. It’s a monthly report card from your body, giving valuable insights into your hormones, energy, mood, and overall health. When you track your cycle, you give yourself (and your practitioner) more information to work with, which makes it easier to spot patterns and understand what your body is really telling you.
Why track your cycle?
See patterns: By recording symptoms over time, you’ll start to notice whether things like bloating, fatigue, migraines or mood swings always appear at the same stage of your cycle.
Understand your unique rhythm: Every cycle is different. Knowing what’s normal for you makes it easier to notice when something is off.
Empower your appointments: When you bring this information to a practitioner, it helps guide testing, treatment, and tailored advice.
What to track
Your cycle isn’t just about the days you bleed. These extra details help paint the full picture:
Day 1 – the first day of your bleed (this marks the start of a new cycle)
Bleed – flow, clotting, colour, length of period
Pain – cramps, headaches, migraines, breast tenderness
Mood – irritability, low mood, anxiety, motivation
Energy – highs and lows, fatigue, wired-but-tired feeling
Digestion – bloating, bowel changes, nausea
Discharge – changes in cervical mucus across the month
How to track
You can use a simple notebook or one of the many apps available. Just be mindful of privacy: some free apps sell your data. Safer options include Stardust and other privacy-focused period tracking apps that don’t share your personal information.
The bigger picture
Tracking isn’t about being obsessive, it’s about building awareness. With every cycle you record, you’re creating a map of your body’s natural rhythm. This helps you understand your symptoms in context, prepares you for each phase, and gives you the language to advocate for your health.
Ready to go deeper?
I’ve created a free training just for you: Decode Your Period.
In this training, I’ll walk you through how to uncover the root cause behind common menstrual issues like heavy bleeding, painful periods, PMS, PMDD, mood swings, and irregular cycles. You’ll learn what tests are actually worth doing, how to interpret your own health patterns, and what next steps to take so you can finally move forward
👉 Watch the free training here.
And if you want personalised support to put the pieces together and create a plan that works for you, my Decode Your Health session is available for 1:1 guidance. Learn more here.
Let’s connect
Follow me on Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn for health tips, case studies, and exclusive insights.
Looking for more?
Explore more on my website here: https://www.oliviagracenaturopathy.com.au
📍 In-person and online consultations available
📧 info@oliviagracenaturopathy.com.au
📱 DM me on Instagram or Facebook @oliviagracenaturopathy
(Information provided is educational and not a substitute for personalised medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional for individual guidance.)
