Navigating Beginnings: A Lesson in Pacing

"Slow down and enjoy life.
It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast – you also miss the sense of where you are going and why." ~ Eddie Cantor

Hello from day 6 of my menstrual cycle. I'm embracing the early signs of spring with renewed hope and energy. Today, I want to share a valuable lesson I've learned about pacing myself during this phase. It's easy to get carried away with the burst of energy after the more introspective days preceding it, but I've come to realise the importance of taking it slow and steady.

The Temptation to Overdo

I woke up with a sense of hope and energy, and it's as if the world has burst into bloom. Last week was a bit tough, with all those premenstrual mood swings and doubts. But today, I can't help but smile and think, "Life is good."

The temptation, when those first rays of energy pierce through the post-autumn gloom, is to sprint ahead and seize the day, especially on a day like today which turned out to be far more chaotic than I had anticipated. The desire to dive headfirst into action is alluring after the stuckness I often experience in my late inner autumn.

However, I've learned the hard way that rushing at this point in my menstrual cycle can lead to burnout. If I get carried away with these first buds of inner spring, I lose momentum come summer and the rest of my cycle is a slog. It's essential to pace myself and allow my energy to grow steadily.

It's a Marathon, Not a Sprint

Rural Uganda, 2017.

The starting gun goes off, and the race begins. As the runners, particularly the men, sprint ahead, I choose a steadier pace. I don't want to exhaust myself early on. I'm like a tortoise among hares, content to maintain my pace, running those 9 or 10-minute miles and even slower on the monstrous hills. Slowly but surely, as we approach the halfway mark, I find myself catching up with those who shot off too quickly. I started overtaking them, and that experience has stayed with me as a metaphor for life.

Just because the starting gun has gone off, or in my case, just because I'm post-bleed and at the beginning of my cycle, doesn't mean I have to take off in a sprint. In fact, doing so can lead to exhaustion halfway through, leaving me unable to see things through. It's much wiser to maintain a steady pace, ensuring I have the energy to keep going all the way.

The Importance of Pacing

Be a little more like this guy…

My reminder for today is to pace myself, just like I did during that marathon in Uganda. It's easy to get caught up in the initial burst of energy, but there's still time. I can trust that my energy will continue to grow as the power of agency surges in the first half of my cycle. There's no need to burn out on the first day.

As I write this, I'm reminded that pacing isn't just about external actions, like how much work I do; it's also about my internal experience. Today's events, including rescuing five one-week-old kittens that were dumped near my house, left me with a sense of urgency and chaos. These little furballs were covered in fire ants, and I couldn't bear to let them suffer. But as I sat down to work, I noticed that same hyped-up energy in my body, pushing me to hurry.

That was a month ago and I find myself back in my inner spring, grateful for the returning softness after some harsh questions last week.

Hand-rearing kittens has been exhausting. It was vital for me to take a deep breath and set a manageable pace. Pacing myself meant I had the energy and resilience to address all the challenges and opportunities that arose during this cycle.

Back at the start of another cycle and I'm here to remind all of us of the importance of pacing ourselves at the beginning of our respective cycles. Just because we're at the starting line doesn't mean we should rush headlong into the race. By maintaining a steady pace, we can ensure that our energy lasts and that we can see things through to the finish line.

What's your relationship with new beginnings? How could pacing yourself support you through the course of a cycle, whether that's a menstrual cycle, your weekly rhythm or a new creative project? Please share your thoughts and questions in the comments below.